I don't like endless promises. One hard and expensive aspect about having a large family is traveling. We can travel anywhere by vehicle and usually our destinations are either free of cost or a minimal price. Although lately I've been thinking about traveling, and having our children experience more. Experience traveling parts of our world. I love traveling. If I could I would home school absolutely everyone and just travel the world with our whole family. Which leads me writing about my thoughts lately on how to afford travel, develop more memories and bring these traveling thoughts into reality. Our family ages range from age 4-22. There is also a wide variety of different special needs. I don't believe special needs should restrict experiences but it definitely highlights on what a child will or will not do cognitively and/or physically. Also with such a wide range of ages, everyone is into something either different or our younger ones aren't old enough to actually appreciate and remember whatever the event is. For example, Disneyland has long lineups and some of our children don't have the patience nor are tall enough to enjoy the ride or attraction. We would have to split up regardless according to age and special need. I want our children to enjoy, experience and appreciate which means to carefully think about where, how and when a trip should be considered accordingly for each of our children. This is where a light bulb went off in my forever turning brain with the help of a friend of mine. (She actually turned on the switch) Of course I also have to convince my brain that it's an amazing and practical solution. My husband and I will take turns with 3-4 of our children throughout our years traveling with just a few at a time. This way, it's affordable and it's age appropriate. The beauty of this is there will be more one on one attention, our children can experience to their fullest without complications, we will be able to afford and make traveling experiences worth while sporadically throughout our children's years. We do absolutely everything as a large family and I think breaking us up in chunks once in awhile will be not only a healthy break but the highlighted solution on the "how" of experiencing our world respectfully and financially. Being a large family works but you need creativity sometimes to make some experiences happen and successful. I did worry about the jealousy and perhaps that left out feeling that some of our children might have. With careful explanation, and starting a tradition now, our children will understand that their turn is coming. I'm also not writing that we won't ever travel as a large family, I'm merely touching on an idea that will be successful according to age. When the time is right, the time is right. I also find this new enlightenment exciting because we will make childhood dreams come true. Just recently we applied for some of our children's passports, eventually we will have them all and what was virtually impossible will become a reality. Every family is uniquely different. What might be the normal isn't the normal within another family. We're definitely not any ones normal but we always strive to develop those childhood memories that need to be in place so when our children are parents, that cycle continues on. Memories is something you can't take away. I thank my parents for giving me those fundamental skills and childhood memories because now as a parent, it's our turn to create what will always be forever. Memories.
"There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again" - Elizabeth Lawrence
"Bring their world to light".......Me
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