I’m a lover of traditions – holidays, birthdays, last day of school – all of them have their own traditions that I love. Balloons, train rides to the North Pole, cookie cakes…they all have their place in those traditions.
But the one I love most has nothing to do with a particular day of the year and doesn’t require any fun decorations. The most treasured tradition to me is taking trips with my kids, solo and typically, individually.
I have three kids, so no one gets a lot of one-on-one time with me. It’s often time spent in the car rushing from one practice to the next, crammed on the couch on a lazy Saturday morning, or card games on a random weeknight. While all of those moments are also treasured memories, the one-on-one trips have become a staple in our house.
I started these trips about three years ago on my eldest’s 9th birthday. She is a zoo lover, so we traveled to Cincinnati and spent the day at the zoo, caught a movie that evening, spent the night in a hotel, and then spent the next day at the aquarium before heading home. It wasn’t an extravagant trip, but those hours in the car with her are something I’ll never forget. It was the year the cicadas overtook southern Ohio, and as we sat in standstill traffic, hundreds – maybe thousands – buzzed around us, hitting the windshield and filling the air. It’s still one of those stories we talk about to this day. During that trip, she got just me with just her. It was a “Yes” trip of sorts and it was such a fun time seeing her in her element.
Last year, I was struggling to come up with something for us to do. I was looking for cheap flights to build a trip around and just couldn’t pick something. This was the summer she got really into The Carbonaro Effect, featuring the magician Michael Carbonaro, so on a whim, I googled to see if he was touring. I found a date that happened to be close to her birthday where he was touring in Austin, TX. I booked the flight, and I had just enough time to buy a personalized poster from his online shop to give her once we landed. It was so fun seeing her surprise when she realized why we randomly flew to Austin.
This summer, both of my daughters got really into Hamilton. The soundtrack was on repeat and Hamilton on Disney+ played nonstop. Typically, we take individual trips, but I got the idea that maybe they’d be up for a joint trip if we went to NYC to see Hamilton. I tossed that idea out there, fully expecting one of them to be against the idea, but surprisingly they were both all in on this joint trip. This trip was so special; it was a full on a girls’ trip with my best girls. We did some incredibly fun activities including a sunset cruise to the Statue of Liberty and Spyscape, along with Hamilton on Broadway, of course.
While these trips can be costly, they truly don’t have to cost a lot. Travel on cheaper days, open your search for flights, and see the price range options. Use credit card points for hotel stays. Choose locations that you can drive to. Google travel tips for particular cities; there are so many “hidden” free or discount things to do in NYC, for example. I know my kids would just be happy to spend the night in a hotel in the next city over if that meant they got one-on-one time with a parent.
I love building these trips around what my kids enjoy. One trip included an NHL game for my hockey loving girl. Find a concert or show that your kid would love. Zoos and aquariums are easy trips, too! Our family loves NYC for quick trips that can include so many fun experiences; even just walking around the city is an experience! Check out cheap airlines like Allegiant for lower cost flights.
These trips are my most treasured traditions because I’m building a foundation for our relationship. We get that time to chat, laugh, and create memories that are special just between us. Every time I take a trip with a kid, I hope that we are still taking these trips as they get older. I hope that they keep asking, “Where are we going for our mother/daughter trip?” for years to come. I look forward to these trips just as much as they do. Every year it’s a challenge to find that special thing to center the trip around, but it’s the best feeling when you see their face light up when you make it happen. These trips also challenge me. I’m terrible with directions, like embarrassingly bad. But a trip challenges me to use Uber, or figure out the subway schedule, or even just follow Google maps by foot.
I am so grateful for them and the time we get to spend together. I want my kids to always know that I’ll take days out of my schedule to just be with them. A big trip or a road trip to the next town over, I’m 100% in.
