We are a Tech Free Travel Family

Noah has daily computer time almost every day. He has to earn it by either having a good day at school or behaving in the morning. He is such a great kid that he almost always earns it. When we travel however, he doesn’t get any screen time other than occasionally watching a little TV. I usually travel with my laptop and I always have my phone. He knows not to ask for tech time because I want to spend time doing other things on vacations. He will occasionally ask when we are flying and I normally say no. I like to conserve my phone battery for when we reach our destination. Finding an outlet at the airport can be tricky because others are already plugged in. Some have multiple devices plugged in too. I have thought about traveling with a power strip so more people can charge at once.

I am sure you are wondering what exactly I do to entertain Noah during travel and vacations. 

Thankfully Noah loves to read and draw. He used to love to color with crayons but he has since graduated to colored pencils because they are easier for him and they don’t melt in the hot car. He also loves to write stories and make comic books. He loves making reference books about fish, sea life and space. He also has created some of his own characters.  He will often make origami or puppets too.  On vacation it’s self I try to plan activities where he’s not bored and doesn’t even think about it. We love to go to the beach, swim in the pool and go for walks. There is almost always places we can go that are fun too.  I love that technology is not part of our travel and vacation because really you can do that anywhere. We travel to visit new places or to see people we love.

For more ideas on Tech Free Travel check out this post.  

Spontaneous Summer Road Trips

Noah and I love going on summer road trips. We like to sometimes just get in the car and drive. It was something I also enjoyed doing before I was a mom. We also go on planned road trips. We like to take short road trips where we just drive until we find something cool and check it out. Some of them are day trips to state parks or close amusement parks. Other times we stay over in a hotel depending on where we are and what we want to do. I have some great memories of just driving or unexpected road trips where my friends and I just picked up and went to Florida. This was before I had Noah and it was such a fun trip. We were able to go to Daytona and to Fort Lauderdale. Sometimes travel can help clear your mind and heal your soul.

 It’s so easy to figure out where you are with maps on your smartphone. You don’t really have to worry about getting lost, although sometimes that can be part of the fun. You can book a hotel on your smartphone and don’t have to stop at multiple hotels in search of a vacancy and end up in the Bates Motel. I recommend reading the reviews or staying in a chain that you know is nice. However, sometimes there will be a hotel room that will not be what you are used to.  If you are able to offer a service you could even travel and help those in need. You don’t have to be a doctor or a nurse you could just help with clean up or even bring supplies to disaster victims.  You can definitely make a difference and teach your kids how to help others.

Traveling doesn’t have to be something you spend weeks planning for, you can decide to go somewhere and leave the next day or even the same day.

For more ideas for Summer Road Trips check out this article.

Random Acts of Kindness for Strangers

I love to give back to others. I have had people give back to me in the past through random acts of kindness. They don’t have to be big things, you don’t have to spend tons of money or even any money at all. It could be as simple as letting someone else go in front of you in line. If you are feeling up to it, maybe paying for their groceries too.  There are so many ways you can give back to others. You could buy the person behind you coffee or even their meal. You could help someone with food or donate to a food bank. It’s really important to me to teach Noah about giving back to others.  My Grandma Rose was a big giver and I have followed in her footsteps. You can really do random acts of kindness anywhere. 

You don’t even have to plan them out. One day I was out with a friend and his mom and an older man in a motorized cart was in line and I let him go in front of me and when the cashier was helping him with his groceries I quietly told her I would like to pay for this gentleman’s groceries. I think she thought I was a little crazy and the man didn’t know what to think. It felt good to help him out, even if he didn’t even need it. I also try to help those who seem to be in need through a little bit of money if they are on the side of the road. I am truly blessed with all I have, I can afford to help just a little bit when my heart feels that it is right.  If more people took the time to stop and help others the world would be such a better place.

Check out this article about giving back while on the road.