Road Trip with Kids: An RN Mom's Guide to Surviving Travel Anxiety & Delays

Kelly Turner, The Mindful Moderator (RN and Mom of 2)

Feb 2, 2024

4 min read

Updated: Aug 2

Let’s be real: traveling with kids can be stressful, it's a tactical relocation of your household chaos to a new zip code. Let me tell you how we road trip with kids. This is my guide to surviving travel anxiety and delays. As a Registered Nurse, I’ve spent my career managing emergencies and expectations. As a mom of two, I’ve managed tantrums to diaper blowouts. If there is one thing I’ve learned in both the hospital and while on vacay, it’s this: Your attitude is the primary vital sign of the entire trip.

When Travel Plans Start to Flatline

After the dates have been chosen, the hotel has been booked and reservations for that amazing local eatery are reserved, the excitement sets in. It's almost time, but if you're like me, so does the anxiety. First remember, no well-thought-out plan has ever gone perfectly. In nursing, we say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Check out my essential nurse-approved travel items: Healthy Family Travel Tips: And What About These Dreaded Measles

When the "patient" (your travel plan) starts to flatline, you have two choices. You can panic, or you can put on your positive panties and start the intervention. Let me tell you about an experience I had traveling that could have easily soured our adventure but instead became a sweet core memory.

Why We Put on Our "Positive Panties" in Georgia

I once spent weeks looking for the best hotel on our way to Florida. For us, Orlando is 14 hours away, and we like to break up the drive. My youngest has said plenty of times that he’ll never fly. He equates planes to a big metal death trap. No matter how we've tried to get him over his phobia, we are destined to drive. Book with me and Undercover Tourist and find out how to save $20 a ticket and a refund, unlike booking through Disney if plans change!

So, I read reviews, I looked at pictures and settled on a hotel chain that had a pool and jacuzzi. Indoor, because we were traveling through Georgia in late September, and it was too cold to swim in an outdoor pool. It would be fun for the kids, and relaxing for me and the hubs to unwind in the jacuzzi after a long drive. I don't know what made me do it. Probably my bestest friend in the whole wide-world, Anxiety, but I thought let me call and check those pool hours.

The hotel clerk very nicely explained to me that both the pool and jacuzzi were closed!! Under maintenance! They were cementing over the jacuzzi! Somehow, Jacuzzi’s have become a liability for hotels. If learning that tidbit of information wasn't aggravating enough, we had to find another hotel. Now, we were dealing with cranky kids, and everyone was disappointed.

Find Hotels with a Jazuzzi and Indoor Pool Here!

We ended up at a horrible hotel about an hour away that had a pool, but turned out to be outdoors, and we couldn't use it once we got there, because it was too cold. It was too late to find anything else because the majority of hotels in the area were booked. We were all bummed. I could see it on everyone's faces.

Turning Disappointment into an Impromptu Poolside Party

Instead of being defeated, my hubs saved the day. He grabbed the wireless speaker out of our bag and headed for the pool. I grabbed the snacks. This was our vacation after-all, and having fun with our kids is what it was all about. So, we went outside, put on some music and had a dance party while dipping our feet in frigid water. Ordered some food pool side, enjoyed a glass of wine while the kids had a blast getting out some energy. Disappointment then turned into an impromptu party and some pretty fond memories for our family.

Check out my favorite Poolside must haves!

You can’t control the traffic, the weather, or your toddler’s nap schedule. You can control the energy you bring to the day. Don't just pack the diapers and the First Aid kit. Pack your grit. Pack your sense of humor. Pack those positive panties and wear them with pride. You got this Mom!

Now, Let’s Make Memories!

Plan Your Next Stress-Free Getaway

Don't let travel planning anxiety keep you at home! Check out my travel guides and itineraries to these top destinations: