The author travels with each of her kids individually.
Courtesy of Tiffany Nieslanik
Every few years, I take each of my three kids on a trip for just the two of us. They pick the destination, and I help plan as much (or as little) as they want. What I love most about these trips is how much I learn about who my kids are outside our family dynamics, away from siblings, routines, and the roles they've settled into at home.The trips started years agoThe year my third baby was born, my eldest turned 5 and started kindergarten. With a newborn and a 2-year-old also in the house, I wanted to set aside some time just for her, and my husband and I agreed that a weekend trip to Disneyland during fall break would be ideal. She loved rollercoasters and Minnie Mouse, and it was a short flight away from us.A couple of years later, my middle child asked if he could take a trip like his sister had (the pictures and the stories endured), while my oldest asked to visit her best friend, who had moved to Seattle. Taking a family of five to Seattle on top of another trip to Disney wasn't practical, so I ended up planning two separate solo trips, and a tradition was born.
The author feels she gets to know her kids in a different way during their trips.
