Are you starting to realize that your kids hate travel? You aren’t alone! While we would all love to believe that our kiddos love to travel as much as us, the truth is, many of them don’t. If you travel a lot, this probably has caused some big issues for you. We all want to our kids to get all of the amazing benefits of travel, but if they aren’t having a good time, is that actually possible?

You may have even noticed that moms don’t travel with kids anymore. This trend is holding strong and it is in part because kids hate traveling!

You have likely thought of a lot of possible reasons as to why your kids are hating travel so much. We can easily make a list of things that children don’t like about traveling, but what is actually causing all of these things? After years of traveling with my daughters, I’ve come to the conclusion that the reason they struggle to travel so often comes down to one main thing.

Why Your Kids Hate Tavel

Think about it. You rush your kids out the door, you get stern when they lied about using the bathroom before leaving the house and now you have to stop on the way to the airport. One left their iPad charger at home and the other just spit up all over their fresh outfit. Then a long car ride and a long plane ride later, you are telling your son to stop dragging is feet because you all need to get to sleep ASAP if you are going to make your 9am tour in the morning.

This isn’t fun. Travel is meant to be fun and exciting and meaningful. It is meant to be a catalyst to create joy in your life. Most people travel because they want to see new things, feel happy, create memories, and recharge from stress in their daily lives. These things can be hard to accomplish while you are dealing with whining kids. Whining is one of the worst things about traveling with kids!

If your kiddos are upset and not having a good time, then they really are not going to be excited about travel. And if your kids aren’t having a good time, then you are likely stressed out which makes them even more upset. When this cycle is present, it is easy to see why kids hate travel.

So, what exactly is causing this? Let’s be honest.

Kids are overstimulated. Travel is a lot to handle sometimes. Moms get angry because kids are screaming in the back seat, kids are uncomfortable because they have to sleep in a bed they’ve never seen before, and everyone is arguing because dad says we are trying to have a good time but the kids are so overstimulated they only want to hide in a hole somewhere…. kids hate travel.

And you may be thinking…. dude shut up, my kids love to travel. Well, I love that for them, but many kids hate travel because of how overstimulating it can be. From all of the difficulties, stress, and unknowns that travel brings, it can be hard for kids to find enjoyment in travel. As parents, we all want our kids to reap all of the benefits that travel offers families, but this isn’t always possible.

Busy days, time changes, crowds, different languages, loud noises, and visually loud places can make kids and adults both overstimulated which can lead to agression, attitude, and a straight-up hate of travel. For travel-loving parents this can be really concerning because they want nothing more than to share their love of travel with their kiddos.

However, if kids are struggling to step away from their routine and stability, should we take them along with us? If they are clearly overstimulated and overwhelmed, wouldn’t the kindest thing we could do be to leave them with grandma, auntie, or a trusted babysitter?

So, let us know what you think. Do your kids hate travel and if so do you think it is from being overstimulated? Love hearing from you!