We run a tight ship at our house. That makes us creatures of habit: predictable meal schedules, nap routines, bedtime protocols—overall consistent rules and structure for the kids and adults alike. Kids thrive on structure and predictability. I get that. Actually, I couldn’t agree more. But structure and predictability frequently gives me the itch for …

I am frequently told that it’s a waste of time to travel with kids because “they won’t remember it anyways”. Parents who are more experienced than myself usually advise me to wait until our kids are older–maybe 10, 11, or 12 years? I smile and nod politely—but the truth is I disagree. We recently returned …