I must admit, I often take control when it comes to planning our travel, in fact I can be obsessed with planning, often staying up very late at night scrolling through google.

So, as the younger two children have become older, I have found myself beginning to involve them more in the planning… well trying to any way!

Here’s a couple of ways I’m attempting to let go and encourage them to become more involved!

Get the kids to set their own travel goals!

This year I encouraged the children to set themselves goals … including where they want to travel to. It was interesting to see what they come up with, whether its in Australia or Overseas, and it also gave me an idea on where they are keen to go. I love seeing what they came up with and am trying to base future planning around these goals. Although sometimes the big trips that they come up with, need to planned for far into the future!

Family meetings.

Family dinner time is our go to time to discuss any future travels, or if that time is not suitable, I am putting aside some time to talk solely about future plans. I suppose this is the time where we discuss the finer details of our trip. What does everyone want to see? or do? What type of accommodation do we want to stay in? Trying to get everyone’s opinions in has been a little tricky sometimes, let alone trying to please everyone, but having a family meeting about it, has really helped.

Google and YouTube!

With so much information at our finger tips it is so easy for the kids to be involved in the planning and research of a place… my daughter watched so many YouTube videos on Japan, that half our trip was based on what she had viewed online! So much info means that the kids have been helping to decide what they want to see. (although I have to get used to “when (insert YouTubers name) went here, they did this…. or saw that…”)

Discussions on what their priorities are:

We all have different priorities, things we would rather do. Now I don’t mean when we are travelling but when we are at home. As the kids are moving through life, different aspects of the every day to day have become very meaningful to them. Sports or other extra curricular activities, friends, family and even school can be more important to them, then travelling, and trying to fit it all in can be hard! As these times have increased through the years I am finding it very important for me to talk to the kids about “what they might miss out on” and to see what they want to do in the situation. This way the kids have made the decision and I haven’t made it for them, and “ruined their lives because they missed out on their best mates 10th birthday!”

Involving the kids in saving money for the trip:

I think by involving the kids in the financial side of travel gives the children the knowledge that often it takes time and effort to save enough money… that it doesn’t come for free. Travel is a privileged for us, it takes a lot of effort, cut backs and frugal living to be able to do what we do, so involving the children in this side of it, helps them to understand why we don’t do or have certain things while we are at home. I have found recently the kids are reminding me of wants and needs especially when I have been tempted to “blow the budget” before a big trip!

I think by involving the kids more in the planning of our travels it gives them more ownership of the trip and that their interests and ideas are considered worthy. This in turn leads to a travel experience that everyone is interested in, not just me!

Do you have any tips to share on how to involve kids in travel planning?

Please share!

Safe travels,

Kerrie

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