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While I'm very good with a laptop, tablet, and smart phone, my daughter is the all time expert when it come to airbandb. She nailed it every time on our trip to Spain and Portugal last summer. I'm more than happy to leave to her the decision as to where to stay.
For example, the airbandb in Ericeira, Portugal had the most spectacular view of the ocean, beach, and coastline. My first comment to the landlady was to ask her if she wanted to sell the apartment. Located in the historic part of town, the key and doorknob to the apartment were 18th century although the key to the building was definitely 21s century. The location was a few minutes walk from the bus station, supermarket, and all the bars and restaurants you could ask for.
Daughter of mine. Please plan our next trip to Europe or to wherever you heart desires.
For example, the airbandb in Ericeira, Portugal had the most spectacular view of the ocean, beach, and coastline. My first comment to the landlady was to ask her if she wanted to sell the apartment. Located in the historic part of town, the key and doorknob to the apartment were 18th century although the key to the building was definitely 21s century. The location was a few minutes walk from the bus station, supermarket, and all the bars and restaurants you could ask for.
Daughter of mine. Please plan our next trip to Europe or to wherever you heart desires.
In the early 50's my husband's parents used to tell him where they were going. From about age 10 on he would plan the trip. He went to AAA and had them prepare a TripTik. He was (still is) a Civil War buff, taking them to most of the battlefield sites. His dad took every turn and stop on the TripTik.
Our kids have "had input" on our vacations ever since they started having good ideas. For one thing, their friends' families travel a lot, so they often hear about interesting destinations. The year we were planning a trip to Thailand, I was ready to book in Koh Phi Phi, off the west coast. Our younger son, who was turning 13, lobbied hard for Koh Phangan off the east coast, pointing to a large maritime refuge area where we could dive and snorkel. We went for it. On December 26, 2004, we were frolicking safely on a Koh Phangan beach when news started to come in that a giant tsunami had struck a huge area of our planet, including Koh Phi Phi, where we would have been staying had we not taken Alan's suggestion. He saved our lives.
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I handed this over to my daughter when I realized she was much better at it than I - She was about 14 at the time, I think. She is by nature much more anxious about having every detail of a trip planned in advance than I have ever been, so my half-intentional lack of itinerary planning stresses her out. She has learned to be cost conscious, checking with me about prices, and about her choices before the pay button gets pushed, and I have learned to trust her judgement. Good lessons for both of us.
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And I'm sure your nephew felt a sense of mischief in planning a New Orleans trip for his family, particularly a mother named Katrina.
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As a Travel Agent, I'm horrified. Picking a hotel by its name because its French sounding and Grammy may like it? Good luck with that. Travel Agents travel and know the properties and have Reps so if you have any problems we can fix them immediately, not to mention free breakfasts, Food and Beverage Credits, knowledge of destinations and what to see and what to pass seeing as it maybe a waste of time.
This is the type of client I would not want, thank you very much. Good luck with your kid planning your trip.
This is the type of client I would not want, thank you very much. Good luck with your kid planning your trip.
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Debs there are not many travel agents these post-airlines-commissions days. And even fewer who have ever travelled to their destinations. If you are a very pricey high end say corporate TA good for you. But most people plan themselves or if older and use travel agents end up sorry about the ignorant choices the TAs make.
Sometimes too much information, too many blogs, to many opinions are just that: too many. It becomes a matter of judgment and in my experience few kids are sufficiently mature to offer sound judgment.
I can imagine traveling and planning at 15 years of age or older. I was allowed to fly overseas by myself at 15 to stay with relatives and travel with them across an entire continent. And my relatives were loving indulging people. I have wonderful memories of those trips.
At 12? Input and shared planning are one thing, but actually letting a 12 year old plan then family vacation? Bit much.
Kinds involvement is very important on any joint family endeavor, like a vacation, so everyone feels a little bit in control and empowered. And kids who feel involved with their input taken seriously do become more cooperative in others' plans. But letting a 12 year old plan an entire vacation? Bit much.
But in the US child innocence and sweetness went out of the window years ago. There are some, like my nephews and nieces, but they are exceptions and exceptional...as their parenting is truly remarkable. Most American kids know too much, talk too much or distrust too much or are adults too quickly. Entire article on how to let kids plan your family vacation. What is next for the elites? How to let your kids buy the entire family Rolex watches?
At 12? Input and shared planning are one thing, but actually letting a 12 year old plan then family vacation? Bit much.
Kinds involvement is very important on any joint family endeavor, like a vacation, so everyone feels a little bit in control and empowered. And kids who feel involved with their input taken seriously do become more cooperative in others' plans. But letting a 12 year old plan an entire vacation? Bit much.
But in the US child innocence and sweetness went out of the window years ago. There are some, like my nephews and nieces, but they are exceptions and exceptional...as their parenting is truly remarkable. Most American kids know too much, talk too much or distrust too much or are adults too quickly. Entire article on how to let kids plan your family vacation. What is next for the elites? How to let your kids buy the entire family Rolex watches?
I always planned our family vacations as a kid. They were terrific.
It works pretty good to get the kids to do the travel plans. My advise is to give them an array of requirements that have to be met for the plan to get accepted. I get up early before anyone else so all accommodations must have a really good place for me to eat breakfast and have coffee close by. If it's in France there must be a bakery available.
The plan must be well organised and documented clearly to be accepted, with travel times, schedules, costs and restaurants. No haphazardly texting hotel ideas to me, it needs to all be entirely in one document.
The plan must be well organised and documented clearly to be accepted, with travel times, schedules, costs and restaurants. No haphazardly texting hotel ideas to me, it needs to all be entirely in one document.
I loved planning my annual family vacation from 13 on. I still enjoy that part of travel. At 15 I planned our entire 10-day road trip from South Florida to Washington, D.C., and we got to do everything everyone wanted and more. It definitely helped to teach me the value of a dollar, risks with hotels and roads, and how to enjoy the spontaneous moments of the most planned itinerary. Great stuff!
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I let my son do the hotel bookings for our trip to Germany. He used Airbnb and we stayed at very good locations in Berlin, Amsterdam and Munich. I would do it again!
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Kids planning big-ticket purchases with parental resources is not a healthy trend. I see kids (almost always the same rich kids whose parents can afford vacations in other countries) choosing the cars they "need" when they turn 16, and also the expensive colleges they "really like" when they turn 18. Parents are made to feel guilty if they don't acquiesce and cough up the money. Come on parents! Act like parents and trust your judgement. Your kids will have those duties when they themselves are parents, with their own resources.
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Phooey!
Many kids are better educated than their parents... thanks to the Internet
Many kids are better educated than their parents... thanks to the Internet
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But doing this is also a good way for kids to learn $$$ limits and for parents to learn to say "No" if done in the right way. It doesn't work though as you say if parents do not set a budget or other limits and give in to everything the kids want.
I think the problem is parents are not honest with themselves much less with their kids about the actual amount of money the family has and what they can or cannot afford. Having grown up poor and with friends in similar straits, many of us are experts at budgeting from a young age but that is largely a result of the financial education we received from our parents when young.
I think the problem is parents are not honest with themselves much less with their kids about the actual amount of money the family has and what they can or cannot afford. Having grown up poor and with friends in similar straits, many of us are experts at budgeting from a young age but that is largely a result of the financial education we received from our parents when young.
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Double phooey! Planning can teach kids to respect limits and to budget time and money. No-one is suggesting giving kids a completely free rein. Jut a lot more input than most of us knew they could handle.
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I question the parenting skills of people who allow a 12 year old to determine travel itineraries. And do they allow him to do dinner plans too? Pizza, burgers and mac-n-cheese would rule if my kids had any governance and our vacation destinations would only have water theme parks, video arcades and zip-lines.
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Did you not read the article, where he accounted for all tastes and interests. Give kids a chance and they can surprise you in good ways.
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I question the parenting skills of anyone whose kids will only eat burgers and Mac and cheese. :)
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Many years ago, when my children were 10 and 8, we were planning a family trip to South Korea from New York . I had told them the general route but had not sought their input. My vacations usually covered a lot of museums, historical places and places to see.
One day both came to me and said " Dad it is not fair that you plan the whole vacation and we go where only you want to go. We two are 50% of the family so we should get to choose 50% of what we want to see."
I said "fair enough, where do you want to go?".
"Since we are flying though Los Angeles we want to see Disney world for 4 days," they said. I was taken aback at my kids but as i thought about it, I said "Okay, I agree".
I think that was the nicest trips with total and whole hearted participation for every place or museum we visited. Never was there even a whimper of a delay or protest. So getting the kids input sometimes can make the whole vacation great as they are equally vested in the trip.
One day both came to me and said " Dad it is not fair that you plan the whole vacation and we go where only you want to go. We two are 50% of the family so we should get to choose 50% of what we want to see."
I said "fair enough, where do you want to go?".
"Since we are flying though Los Angeles we want to see Disney world for 4 days," they said. I was taken aback at my kids but as i thought about it, I said "Okay, I agree".
I think that was the nicest trips with total and whole hearted participation for every place or museum we visited. Never was there even a whimper of a delay or protest. So getting the kids input sometimes can make the whole vacation great as they are equally vested in the trip.
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Kids + computers = why is anyone surprised at this?
I started booking my own air reservations -- domestic and international -- when I was 15, in 1974, when you actually had to TALK to someone on the phone. Travel planning is a good education for teens, no matter how it's done.
I started booking my own air reservations -- domestic and international -- when I was 15, in 1974, when you actually had to TALK to someone on the phone. Travel planning is a good education for teens, no matter how it's done.
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We asked our 12 and eight year old sons what they wanted to do in Paris this summer. I must say this was the best vacation we've had so far. Private bike tour around the city, a private tour at the Louvre looking for clues, taking the elevator up to the top of the Eiffel Tower during sunset, a boat ride along the Seine during sunset, walking through Notre Dame twice, enjoying music during Fête de la Musique, spending time along the canal, watching the boats go through the locks, treating ourselves to pastries, fresh bread, and crepes, and picnicking in multiple parks. The boys did a great job with the itinerary, we will ask them to do the same for future trips.
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It's a great exercise in budgeting and planning....
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Our younger son started planning family trips a few years ago. We almost always discuss the plans before he makes reservations, using my credit card. He does a great job, and a (huge) side benefit is that I hear a lot less grumbling when things don't work out as anticipated.
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Perhaps letting your children be the travel agent is not so new -- although it may be easier with everything available online now. I planned our family vacations in the 1970's when I was in junior high using guidebooks and a budget my Mother gave me. It was a great learning experience as I had four siblings who voiced many opinions about what to do and where to go. When my own children were in middle school, I started giving them the task of planning our vacations, mostly because I was busy and I wanted their buy-in (as mentioned in the article). I provide some framework, e.g. budget, how far we can drive in one day, etc. We have had some great vacations ranging from visiting eight US national parks in one trip to circumnavigating Iceland. It is also great fun to see what out-of-the-ordinary adventures my children find to do!
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This Article has motivated me enough to give a comment about how children are taking in some weight in planning vacations for their parents. I actually support these kinds of acts because by allowing them to lead their families, it helps children by making them much more strategic and thoughtful. Moreover, since they can choose where they would want to go, it would also bring them joy and happiness. Children starting from the age of 10 knows how to plan a trip well due to using social media. After all there are benefits in using social medias according to this article.Once again, I fully support these kinds of acts that children do as they benefit both sides, the children and the parents.
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My family vacationed a lot when I was a child and we would travel with boring tour groups. It was super painful to be on a tour bus for hours and not have any say on where to go or where to even eat! Finally I decided to plan our next trip by borrowing a guide book from the library and that was by far the most fun I'd ever had on a trip. Not because I'm an awesome trip planner but because I finally got to be in charge of something. It's very empowering and confidence building to a child when you're involved in something as special and meaningful as a family vacation.
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Our girls, ages 7 and 11, have helped plan modes of travel, sites to visit and limitations on sightseeing in favor of playtime. As a result, we spent a wonderful afternoon on Lokrum Island next to Dubrovnik. In Salzburg, we spent mornings sightseeing and afternoons exploring parks and play areas. And, egad, they even convinced us - hardcore self-planners - to go on a cruise. We (they) are now planning another. I can't wait to turn over all planing to our little travel agents.
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Our kids have also helped plan several of our vacations. When we make the plan together, everyone is invested in the trip.
With these skills, they have also proven adept at helping us plan around unexpected glitches, like a northern snow storm that trapped us in Florida, and my young son went online to help find destinations that were not snowbound, my older son and I made quick rental car arrangements out of the new destination city, and my wife made emergency local hotel reservations. We got out the next morning and home the next night, when some acquaintances we met in the flight were stuck for days. The team effort was marvelous. Our kids look forward to planning each trip and it makes planning a big part of the fun.
With these skills, they have also proven adept at helping us plan around unexpected glitches, like a northern snow storm that trapped us in Florida, and my young son went online to help find destinations that were not snowbound, my older son and I made quick rental car arrangements out of the new destination city, and my wife made emergency local hotel reservations. We got out the next morning and home the next night, when some acquaintances we met in the flight were stuck for days. The team effort was marvelous. Our kids look forward to planning each trip and it makes planning a big part of the fun.
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I volunteer at afterschool childcare with 5-10yos - just sitting listening to a conversation between them can be enlightening as to how intelligent and considered their choices are - already highly empathetic, they consider everyone's feelings, keeping it pure and simple, with the basic aims of love and joy while sharing to ensure that everyone has fun
I say go for it.
I say go for it.
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The question is whether you have raised your child to think about the angles, how to get what they want in a way that makes sense and is attainable. This goes way beyond vacation planning. It hits on whether your family can accommodate life-work balance with travel sports, whether you're willing to let your sophomore college student take an internship thousands of miles away when you won't easily be able to helicopter in if anything goes amiss, and plenty more. You won't be able to comprehend the future impact until afterward, but respect their perspectives and planning skills, take a breath, and jump! It's one of the most maturity-fostering and liberating things you can do for them, and for you.
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The World is your oyster .
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Has Maddie not planned a vacation before because she is "low on the hierarchy of her traditional Vietnamese family" or because she is, I don't know, 15 years old??? Unclear if the author is editorializing based off of stereotypes or if there is actual basis for this statement. #subtleracism
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And kids planning a family vacation is supposed to prove ________? What?
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Hi Seth, Miss your Frugal Traveler column...just not the same anymore. Hope to see more of your bylines here on the Travel pages in the future.
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Oh, man. Remember the backlash to the article earlier this year about letting your kid be the designer of your home? Can't wait for the comments on this one!
I think it's great to include children in planning. They'll feel more a part of the process, especially if they get to pick the destination!
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Back in the dark, pre-internet ages, teenage me picked the hotels (and sometimes the little towns we stayed in) during summer trips in France. I was given a budget and a copy of the Michelin Red Guide. Since I loved maps, I also frequently did the navigating.
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Since our daughter was about 10 years old she has been an active participant in our family summer vacation planning which starts in September. We have Sunday dinner and then we each write a list of 4 or 5 places we'd like to visit. We discuss the lists for a few weeks, do some research, and then we refine the list and make a final choice. It is a collaborative process that works well for our family. This method has encouraged us all to be more open and also hones negotiation skills. The dining room table is littered with maps, magazines and travel books for months!