Vacationing With Kids (aka Parenting With a Better View)

My family of four just wrapped up our sun-soaked week in Florida, where we embarked on Year 2 of the Great Beach Adventure with the kids. Last year, our toddler was more like a beach potato, not even one yet, so you can imagine the logistical fun that was. Fast forward to this year, and he’s finally graduated to an active participant. And he didn't eat sand this year like last year so that was an extra bonus! But let me tell you, it's not the trip itself that turns a mom into a human pretzel—it's the Herculean task of planning and prepping that really does the trick!

Vacationing with kids means a packing extravaganza. The suitcase becomes a puzzle of Tetris proportions, needing to be weighed constantly and realigned—because if it tips over 50lbs, the airline hits you with a $100 "congratulations on overpacking" fee.

My little guy isn't two yet, so he gets a free ride on a parent's lap. Guess who the lucky lap belongs to? Yep, me, his all-time favorite. He can say "mama" on repeat now, which is adorable, but I was hoping for a vacation nap. Seasoned parents are probably laughing at my naivety—"rest on vacation," ha! For those new to the parenthood club, let me break it to you: vacations are just parenting with a better view.

As I've mentioned before, my kids have a VIP membership to Club Mom. While I love vacationing, I spent half the time plotting like a general. The plan? Breakfast at the Airbnb every morning and a packed picnic for the beach to maximize sun worshipping. Dinner? Oh, it's always local—no chain restaurants for us, thank you very much. We like our food with a side of adventure.

A long journey but well worth the trek!

Our Florida Airbnb is in a family-friendly zone, meaning it's as quiet as a library and conveniently close to the beach. But, oh joy, it's a 100-yard trek through sand. Cue my 28lb toddler who thinks walking on sand is a conspiracy against him. He's mastered the word "Up," and naturally, I'm the chosen one to carry him.

On the bright side, my Apple watch was thrilled with the exercise points I racked up, courtesy of my daily beach hikes and swimming sessions. I hit my exercise and calorie goals every day—winning! My kids are snack champions, loving fruit and sandwiches, making life easier. But plot twist: we ran out of lunch food on Day 3 of our 5-day escapade. Sandwiches and chips disappeared faster than a magician's rabbit. And, of course, the little one needed his midday nap. Guess who had to carry him back to the Airbnb for that? Yep, me again. I should start charging for this personal taxi service. And his sister wanted to tag along every day as well on this back and forth journey.

Once the nap was sorted, I'd text my husband to see if he was ready to tag in, wait on him to return, then I'd squeeze back into my wet swimsuit and head back to the ocean for some quality time with my 5-year-old. We built sandcastles, devoured fruit, battled waves, and chatted. My little chatterbox loves to talk, and we even made up songs—like the one I made up about her being a "pain in the tushie," which had her giggling like crazy. I'm a cool mom like that.

After our beach antics, I'd pack everything up. If I could manage it in one go, I'd haul it all back to the rental, clocking more Apple exercise minutes. If not, my husband would wait for my return trip to fetch the rest. It's a team sport, this beach vacationing. Thankfully, the rental came with an umbrella, towels, and chairs, but lugging it all back and forth was a workout in itself.

By Day 4, snack supplies were now running low, so I surrendered and door dashed burgers. Delicious doesn't even cover it. That night, we indulged in Mexican food for dinner and I spent the rest of the evening packing up.

Day 5 was farewell day. I treated the kids to breakfast at a local cafe—because nothing says "goodbye, vacation" like French toast. We snapped some quick family pics on the beach before heading back to reality. It was a whirlwind trip, long and short all at once. Traveling with kids isn't always easy, but ours were troopers.

The flight home was a pleasant surprise with empty rows. I snagged one so my boy could stretch out and nap. For 45 glorious minutes, I watched Monster's University on Disney+ uninterrupted. Not a shabby way to wrap up the trip!

--Amber