[2manyks]

how does everone handle this? there is so much stuff to take along. besides the usual clothes, shoes, etc all the strollers, carseats, airplane bags, etc. it gets so overwhelming. we usually fly, drive only ocasionally. just finding a hotel and rental car that can accomodate us is a huge chore. anyone have some good tips?

[Guitarmom]

This is why we never travel- it's too much work for me! We have two camping trips planned for this summer,and I'm just dreading it! Sorry,I'm not much help!

[Juliana13]

Ooohh! It is so horrific! You are making me dread this summer's trips already! (Okay, so I only have 2 - I know, I get no sympathy from you - but I travel with my sister and her 4, in the same car, w/o husbands to Grandma's frequently. A 12 hr drive.)

I do okay with the ahead-of-time packing of luggage -I am a list person - It is the "in the car stuff" that drives me crazy. The stuff to keep them occupied (or at least form driving me crazy) during the trip, - the games, crayons, paper, snacks, books, dolls, AAAAAH!

One thing that really helps is that I have a list for each family member, myself included. Very detailed (right down to mascara, comb, underwear - things I know I'd never forget. But have forgotten.) And for several types of trips: camping trips, road trips, etc. What they need in the car, what they need for each day there, bottles, sippy cups, favorite stuffed animal, etc. When the trip comes up, I print the lists for each person, tweak it as needed, and check off the stuff as it's packed.

On the day I'm loading the car, or packing last-minute stuff I sit them all down to a movie and threaten anyone who interrupts my fragile train of thought! LOL. They each get to pick 5 things to keep themselves entertained (more or less, depending on room) and if they get bored, I get to say something wise (or smart-alecky, depending on who's critiquing) like "Next time you'll want to choose something else..."

Being able to print off the lists is a huge help, so I don't have to re-invent and forget new stuff every time.

But it is still huge. Everytime. And they'll never appreciate how much work it is. Until they are mothers. Case in point: I LOVED camping my whole life. There was nothing better, more fulfilling. The best family vacation ever. Then I became a mother. What was I thinking? Camping is the worst family vacation ever.

My friend with lots of kids takes a trailer behind her car and throws everything in it. She can't stand a crowded car. And she gives assignments - one watches luggage in the airport, others are in charge of specific children, so she doesn't have to go crazy in crowded places. I do that, too. My 5 year old is a runnaway, so I kid-leashed her to the baby's stroller in the airport. I told her that it was so her little brother didn't get lost. She believes me. I praise her for "keeping good track of him."

And I hail the inventor of the portable DVD player. They are my friend.

[cvalda]

I haven't flown with more than four kids, and yes that was VERY interesting, but the kids did really well. In fact, they did better then than when I flew with just one child.

As for traveling, lists lists and MORE LISTS. I make my older kids pack for themselves - I tell them what to pack - then I sit down and totally double check everything to make sure they've actually gotten what they're supposed to - usually there are toy many toys packed and not enough underwear! LOL! Once they're bags are packed, I take the bags - so they can't undo everything.

It is ridiculous crazy when we go on camping trips because we have to take soooo much stuff! And usually we bring the dog so we can't pack anything in the back of the minivan because that's the dogs area, so the kids have sleeping bags between them, tents under them, backpacks on their laps! I'm actually considering renting a little trailer to pull behind to put everything in!!!

The big kids are great with their GameBoys, portable DVD player, VideoNow, etc. That keeps them busy. I always buy NEW stuff for the little ones - stuff that I don't mind if they lose ('cause they WILL lose it)! New crayons and coloring books, stickers - sheets and sheets of stickers keep my little ones happy! Cheap cars and other little toys. Another thing that ALL my kids like to do in the car on long trips is play with pipe cleaners! I get a few big packages at the craft store and they make a million different little things with them, and then we just throw them out when they're done.

;~) Kelly

[Juliana13]

Thanks for the great ideas! I like the pipe cleaners - they will be a big hit on next weeks 12-hr drive! The stickers we have done - they end up everywhere, and are a pain to clean up. But you're right, they DO entertain.

I will keep checking back for more ideas... I need them!

[mrsred]

Kelly I like the pipe cleaner idea too. Just one question... how do you get them to actually throw them away? My kids are all pack rats and think they have to save everything!

[Juliana13]

Mine, too! AAAAAAAAHHHH! ...Pieces of broken happy meal toys, toilet paper rolls, cut up newspapers ("They're tickets, Mom"), notes, pictures, tin foil shaped into who-knows-what, It drives me insane! I have to sneak in and go through their stuff when they're not looking to throw stuff away - and leave just enough so hopefully they don't notice it's missing. It's a very delicate process... LOL

Okay this is completely off-thread, but REALLY!! Good grief!

[2manyks]

i did it. we are in the middle of our vacation and having a blast. i had everyone pack themselves and then help a younger child. my 17 yo then checked everyones suitcases. everyone had their own bag for the plane. the little ones used rolling backpacks. i had a pile of junk toys and everyone chose some for their own bags. also snacks. then the same 17 yo went through their bags to make sure there wasnt any liquids or scissors! we loaded the van the night before we left. good thing too. i told all the kids i would wake them up when it was time to go. we had a 7 am flight which means leaving my house at 445. at 440 my 18 yo came in and woke me up and asked *shouldnt we be getting ready?* i jumped out of bed and we re - enacted a home alone scene. we all threw clothes on, no time for showers or hair. we jumped in the car within 15 minutes - amazing, im sure you can all be impressed. we made it to the airport in no time since at 5 am there is no traffic. i had checked us in online the night before - thank goodness! this saved tons of time. all we had to do was have our passports checked. usually this takes a long time with 14 people. we got to the gate as they were loading. perfect timing. the plane ride was fine. i assigned a younger to an older the whole day and that was great. it still meant for a long day. i was exhausted. i had to try hard to stay awake past 9. got to bed by 10 and slept for 11 hours! i guess i REALLY needed the sleep. stuff we took for entertainment on the plane - ipods, game boys, portable dvd players. color books, cards. i intended to get more stuff, but ran out of time. some of the kids actually slept since they were bored. that was nice for the ride, but not so good when we got here and i was trying to get over the jet lag. the time change doesnt help either. we'll see how the vacation goes - 2 glorious weeks of fun - no schedule, friends and i would say phones, but DH made sure his cell would work here - some people cant let go!

ps. the only thing we forgot so far was one sons boxers. he'll just have to wear his swimsuit!

[andylow]

Hi, I like travelling and usuallly bringing my kids with me. I always choose travel agency to help me with that. Because under the guidance of tour guide, everything can be arranged safely. Last I've just come back from costa tropical which is a wonderful resorts for vacation and leisure in Spain. We mainly overviewed the sea, relaxed on the sandy beach, visited historical monuments and plazas so as to broan kids's eyes and let them know much about foreign countries's cultures and history. also, before you go to somewhere, especially travelling abroad, knowing about the weather, food and accommodation are important. And the scenic spot must be suitable for kids. This is just my suggestion.

[2manyks]

anyone know of a hotel where they have at least 3 conecting rooms? so far i have traveled the world and the only ones i have found are at knotts bery farm hotel and disneyland. AND i must say it is always like pulling teeth to get someone in reservations to figure that out. im not kidding. i usually have to search websites and then tell them about their rooms. when we went to disney world we stayed in a condo owned by disney and that was pretty good. we did a cruise and although it was a blast, there is no such thing as 3 connectors, so we had to separate. not what i really want to do on a FAMILY vacation. renting a house or condo is always a good option, but it takes so much time finding them online and i never know what im going to get. my SIL rented a house recently in hawaii and when they got there it was a pit. we stayed in a condo on the beach last summer and it was filthy!

[Barksum]

We are going to a state park and campground that has cabins and yurts. They are very reasonably priced and some of them sleep enough for our family to all stay in one. If we go off season the price per night is $20 less than the 'tourist' season, as well.

We've had a tough time finding hotels where we can all stay, and we only have 5 kids. We don't fly because we can't afford to...and I hate to fly. I don't want to think about flying with my kids and their varying degrees of cognitive ability. I dread going to any large public area with some of my kids because they don't stay with us and are almost impossible to corral at the best of times let alone during vacation when they are over-the-top with excitement. Where's the frazzled, sleep deprived, over anxious little gray haired smilie? In fact, we've sometimes hired our nieces to travel with us for out of town weekends because we need one adult per child for some of them.

I wish we had limitless funding for vacations, but we don't, so we are going camping at a state park and staying in a furnished cabin!

[rarenfing]

Oh, good topic,Traveling abroad may be a nice idea, communicating with people from all over the world is very nice, don't you think so? Also, visiting the beautiful scenery different from ours is really wonderful. hotel in tenerife and car hire in barcelona are my suggestions to my online friends. Have a nice trip!

[2manyks]

our school district has a fall vacation. i found a house in newport beach that should fit most of us. i basically had to beg the owner. the house sleeps 12, we have 14. i told the owner the 2 youngest would sleep in port--cribs that we would bring. it was only $300 a night, much better then the hotels i was looking at that were $250 a night - and we needed at least 3 rooms. the house has 4 rooms, is directly on the beach and has parking. i found airline tickets for a screamin deal, until i bought 14 of them of course. as long as everything works out it will be a blast. all i have left to do is find someone to rent me a big 15 pass. van!

[mzmz]

I think once you're in Spain, you can't miss barcelona and tenerife . They are all unforgettable places to visit and I'd love to go back for awhile. If you're in Barcelona be sure to check out the Picasso museum as well and I think the best way to get around Spain is by train, and you can see the beautiful scene along the way.
Have a good trip in Spain!
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[atresearch]

Originally Posted by 2manyks

how does everone handle this?

I hope you don't mind a little bit of humor being injected here, but I just had to tell you a bit about what I found yesterday. I have eight brothers and sisters (seven of them are adopted) and we have a great time travelling when we were growing up. My father was very active in the community and I was looking through some of his speeches and interviews yesterday that I have just come across. Our most memorable trip was a 6 week jaunt from Sarasota, Florida to the Seattle World's Fair via train with stops in New Orleans, San Antonio and San Francisco along the way. On the way back we rented a huge station wagon and hit Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and some other spots like that.

When he was asked about what he would do differently if he was going to plan another trip like that, he said that he might decide to stay home and just give every third person he saw a huge tip and it would probably be about the same. He had a great sense of humor and I think that's what made growing up in our family so much fun.

Big families are great!