Before you pack

Why kids struggle more when traveling—and six ways to fix this

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Let’s be honest— family travel, especially with younger kids in tow, can be just as exhausting as it is exciting. Most parents will agree and sometimes, we end up needing a vacation after the family vacation.

Family trips are a chance to slow down, reconnect, and make memories together. But if you’re a parent, you know the chaos of home doesn’t exactly disappear—it just relocates. And for families with children around seven years old and below, it can sometimes feel even more intense.

There are scenes many parents know all too well, whether from personal experience or as silent bystanders—a cranky toddler mid-flight, a tired preschooler melting down at immigration, or a hangry child in the backseat. According to developmental pediatrician Dr. Jack Herrin, there’s a reason behind all of it.

Eating later than usual or adjust-ing to even a one-hour time difference can throw off a child’s internal clock. “A lot of families book early morning or red-eye flights to make the most of their trip,” he shares. “But if your child normally sleeps at 8 p.m. and you’re waking them at 3 a.m. to catch a flight, that’s a lot to handle for their body and their emotions.”

Tips from the doctor