I used to love traveling with my kids. I really did.
It was one of the things I took pride in as a mama. I didn’t care if they were babies or toddlers—I was taking my kids with me. I was determined to show them the world.
We did Disney. We did London. Paris. St. Croix. New York. Texas. Florida. Cruises. Big cities. Beaches. Museums. Memories.
But somewhere along the line… I stopped.
Not because I stopped loving to travel.
But because they stopped appreciating it.
Or maybe they never did.
It went from smiles and excitement to complaints and expectations. It didn’t feel special anymore. It started to feel like work. Like I was planning these big adventures just to hear, “Can we go back to the hotel?” or “Do they have Wi-Fi?”
And if I’m being real… I started to feel like I was pouring into people who weren’t even paying attention.
So I stopped.
And for a while, I felt guilty. Like I was supposed to sacrifice my joy forever. Like traveling without them made me selfish.
But now? I’m not so sure.
Because I’m realizing I deserve joy, too. I deserve fun that doesn’t revolve around cartoons and chicken nuggets. I deserve silence on a plane and peace in a hotel room. I deserve to do something for me, just because I want to.
And yes, I still love them. I still want them to see the world.
But I don’t want to lose myself while trying to give them everything.
So the next trip? Might just be for me.
No guilt. No kids. No apologies.
Have you ever had to unlearn the idea that you owe your kids every part of your happiness? If so, let’s talk. Because this mom guilt is real—but we deserve joy too.
