Taking the Kids: Got your New Year's travel resolutions

Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agency on Dec 28, 2023

I recently wrote a column about how playgrounds can be as important for traveling families as visiting historic sites and museums. I resolve to spend more time in parks and neighborhoods when I travel. We don’t want to miss the important sites and experiences — the Louvre in Paris, the Tower of London, a ride on a San Francisco cable car, or a Broadway play – but there is something to be said for just soaking in the atmosphere. I resolve to cut our next itinerary in half.

I resolve not to plan trips or activities without input from the family. I learned a long time ago that my kids were happier travelers when they had a say in the itinerary. Now that they’re grown, I know if I want them to join us, we need to consider places and activities they are keen to experience.

At the same time, I resolve to plan trips that will include reconnecting with family and friends. Even if it’s only a day or two, such interactions are important, whether meeting the next generation for the first time or visiting an elderly aunt. I resolve not to be too busy.

We’ve all struggled with frustrating travel delays this past year. I resolve to keep my cool — no taking out my frustrations on an airline ticket agent or a hotel clerk when my reservation has been lost. Certainly, having travel insurance can help in such situations, but I resolve not to let the missteps ruin the experience. At the very least, the situation can make for a funny story — and a good example for the kids on how to behave when things go wrong.

Happy travels in 2024.

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(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)