Taking a trip with one child at a time: parent child bonding vacation

Sonja Prokopec took her son together on their first “solo” trip when he was six years old.

They went to Rome and it was so memorable that Prokopec said he is planning their second trip this summer.

“I really enjoy the individual time we have when we travel alone,” she said. “There are no distractions, no arguments between siblings, the time spent together is of high quality… My son still talks about our time in Rome and can’t wait [our] I’m traveling to London this June.”

Prokopec and her husband have three children: her son, now 10, plus two younger daughters. They travel together, but time spent with just one child and one parent has benefits that family travel often doesn’t offer, she said.

“Traveling with just one child allows you to focus on the needs of just that child,” she said. “Plus, because I don’t have trouble managing different demands, I feel like I’m a better parent: more patient, more playful, and more present in the moment.”

Plus, “my son loves all the attention and loves that we can explore together, just the two of us,” she said.

Prokopec’s husband — who “always insisted on doing things together, including traveling” — is also now a supporter, she said.

“My husband also took my son alone to Turkey and he really loved it…he sees the value in it too,” she told CNBC Travel.

Prokopec hasn’t taken trips alone with her two youngest children, mostly because of Covid-19, she said. But that could soon change.

“I will definitely do more,” he said.

Luxury travel company Scott Dunn has called “parent-child bonding vacations” one of the top travel trends of 2023.

Mother-daughter trips are especially on the rise, but father-son trips are also becoming increasingly popular, according to the company.

“Parent-child pairs often choose destinations and include experiences based on their mutual interests,” said Mike Harlow, general manager of Scott Dunn.

Harlow said his company recently helped a father-son duo book a trip to Cambodia that focused on the country’s history and national parks.

“We also had a mother-daughter duo head to South Korea for a K-drama and K-pop themed trip, while another mother-son duo headed to India to do the classic Threesome together ‘Gold,’ he said.

Last year I decided to book my mother-daughter trip with my oldest daughter. (To satisfy his younger siblings’ cries of injustice, I promised everyone a “solo” trip on their tenth birthday too.)

To decide where to go I asked my daughter a series of simple questions: beach or mountains, cold or hot climate, animals or adventure sports?

Based on her answers, I presented her with some ideas. She chose the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, outside Chiang Rai, Thailand. We booked several nights in the main hotel and one night in the hotel’s “Jungle Bubble,” a spherical tent with a king-size bed and bathroom that overlooks part of the hotel’s 168-acre area where kids can roam his elephants.

By day we walked the elephants through the fields and watched them bathe in a river along the border with Myanmar. We prepared food for the elephants and fed them, but did not ride them, a practice that is neither permitted by the hotel nor condoned by animal rights advocates.

In the evening we swam in the hotel pool and had a “spa night” in our room with home facial masks and hotel bath salts and lotions. At night we sat outside and looked at the stars.

One morning I suggested booking a cooking class. But my daughter was adamant about trying Muay Thai boxing instead. Resisting the urge to tell her that she wouldn’t like me (read: I wouldn’t like her), I booked a session. She loved every minute.

As for me, I loved having so much time with my daughter without having to take care of other people’s needs. I found myself telling her stories from the past — mine and my husband’s — simply because, without competing voices, I could.

The time also offered many teachable moments: lessons that have long needed to be taught. One day, while resting in our room, I suddenly remembered that we needed to order lunch for my daughter’s next school term.

“Mom,” he said, looking up from the book. “We can do this when we get home.”

As a bonus, my husband reported having a great time at home with my other children, enjoying special moments as a trio, without the complications that can come with a family of five.

California native Madeline Austin also grew up with five people in her family. She said she vividly remembers trips she took as a child with her mother and grandmother.

The trips “were focused on something they knew I was interested in. For example, in elementary school I did a report on Yellowstone National Park and became obsessed with geysers, so they took me on a long weekend trip to visit them and see them from I live. life,” he said.

Austin said his family didn’t travel often, so it was “incredibly special” to take trips with his mother.

“She was invested in my interests and the undivided attention I received from her that weekend — especially as the forgotten middle child — was truly special and something I will always remember,” she said.

He remembered holding his mother’s hand and watching a geyser erupt. “I also remember leaving the park tired from walking, having dinner together and being able to order soda, which we usually didn’t have at home!”

Austin, 27, isn’t a parent yet, but said he will one day continue the tradition with his own children.

“It’s such a special time to connect face-to-face with your child in a way you can’t replicate at home.”