The Pre-Vacation Chaos of Traveling With Kids

Hi everyone!

Spring travel season is officially here, and our house currently looks like a mix between an airport terminal, a toy store, and a packing explosion. We’re getting ready for our first flight as a family of six (6, 5, 2, and a 7-month-old) - and trying to stay sane and optimistic as we prep.

This week I wanted to share a few helpful things for traveling families: a fun giveaway and some behind-the-scenes trip prep

Warm weather is here — which means pool days are probably already on your itinerary. ☀️

Last summer, my kids practically lived in their swim vests, and honestly… they made pool time so much more relaxing for us as parents.

Instead of constantly hovering in the water, we could actually sit nearby and watch them build confidence while staying safe.

So I partnered with Limmys Swim Vest to give one away to a family in our community before spring break trips begin.

🎁 Win a kids swim vest for your next pool or beach visit

How to enter:

1️⃣ Follow me on Instagram
2️⃣ Make sure you're subscribed to this newsletter
3️⃣ Like this giveaway post & tag a parent friend in the comments to be officially entered in the giveaway

✨ Bonus: Every additional tagged parent = extra entry

⏰ Winner announced Sunday night so it can ship in time for upcoming trips.

In a couple of weeks, we’re flying with all four kids together for the first time. Which means my brain is currently running a constant travel checklist in the background.

One thing I’ve learned from past trips: preparing for a family vacation happens on top of normal life — school, work, meals, laundry, bedtime routines, and everything else.

And every time I procrastinate… I regret it.

Starting early makes the entire experience smoother for everyone (especially future airport-version of me).

Here are a few things I’m doing now to make travel day less chaotic:

Nothing is worse than boarding a plane and realizing the tablet needs an update or that I forgot to download the kids favorite shows.

This week I'm:

Future airplane-me will be very grateful.

I’ve been doing a few strategic Amazon orders for activities I know will hold their attention.

Things that usually work well for us:

Right now that means:

I generally like to avoid overbuying toys… but on flights the novelty factor is everything.

Instead of renting a car this trip, we booked a private airport transfer with car seats included.

This saves us from:

Sometimes the best travel hack is simply removing friction. If you want to limit taking additional gear as well, check out this baby gear rental company to leverage on trips. Use my link to get a 10% discount.

Packing for six people is not a night-before activity.

So I’ve started a running packing list that we’ll slowly chip away at over the next couple weeks.

This weekend I’m planning to make it a little family activity and have the kids help choose what they want to bring. A goal for myself is to empower my children to become more independent, and I hope involving them in things like packing will help achieve that goal!

Check out my FREE downloadable packing checklist to get an idea of what to take.

If you enjoy these weekly notes and family travel tips, you can follow along on Instagram where I share real-time travel ideas, gear reviews, and behind-the-scenes family trips.

Thanks for being here — and if you’re traveling soon, I hope your trip is full of smooth flights, happy kids, and at least one quiet cold beverage by the pool.

Happy Travels!

— Shaina