Some people don't get along with their in-laws, but I'm not one of them. I lived with my in-laws for years from my mid-20s to early 30s. My husband and I still go to their house every week or two, and after we had kids, my mother-in-law has always stepped in, whether coming over to assist with bath time or to drop off food.
So, it's no surprise that traveling with them (and other members of our extended family) to Mexico was a no-brainer. We've actually done it multiple times, but this latest trip was the first with both my two small children, who are 3 years old and almost 8 months old. Looking back, this whole Mexico trip wouldn't have been feasible without my in-laws and extended family.
We traveled from San Diego to Querétaro, Mexico, with a whole crew in tow: me, my husband, our kids, my mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, and one of my husband's cousins. Our big family trip was a four-day adventure, and the main purpose was to attend my husband's cousin's wedding. (It later turned into a five-day event thanks to a flight delay, but more on that later.) We've done large family trips like this since 2019, so we have an intuitive groove, where everyone contributes in some way — looking up where to eat, figuring out what to see, or even getting coffee delivered to the hotel. This time, we split up into three separate rooms at a hotel where most of the wedding guests were staying, but were located right across the hall from each other.
This arrangement made it easy for the kids to head to their grandparents' room for bath time or to hang out with the cousins while my husband and I got ready. Not only was it extremely helpful to have more hands on deck, but it was genuinely fun traveling with a group spanning such a wide range of ages, from 8 months old to age 59. There were various interests and dynamics at play, which also meant more excitement and more brainpower.
Cousins were funny and entertaining, which helped break the tension in stressful moments or squash the occasional toddler tantrum. I also appreciated that abuelita helped with diaper changes and baths, while abuelito helped carry or hold the kids whenever we were out and about. Although our large crew mostly stayed together throughout the trip, we were also able to split up and do different things.
For instance, sometimes part of the family went out to the nearby market to explore, while others stayed in their room to nap or hang out. At one point, most of our group went into the Centro Histórico in Santiago de Querétaro for churros while my husband and I put the kids to bed. Our big group's ability to divide and conquer especially came in handy when our travel plans were thrown off.
When our flight was delayed until the next day, we all went into action: My in-laws arranged a new hotel for us, my husband and sister-in-law booked transportation for a large group, and I called the travel-insurance agency to see what our options were. We all kept an eye on the kids. It was nice to have multiple adults working to solve a problem, rather than the pressure falling solely on my husband and me.
The journey back home was much longer and more complex thanks to layovers, but again, being around family made it easier. I could have my sister-in-law, who was in the aisle behind me, watch my toddler while I went to the airplane restroom and my husband helped the baby nap. I've done shorter, more local overnight expeditions with my children — I've even taken them on a work trip — but this was our first international journey with them.
My children are very young, with a close enough age gap that makes travel particularly difficult right now. However, going on this trip with in-laws and family made everything feel so much more manageable. Any time I felt a bit tired or overwhelmed, there was someone there to make it easier.
It was especially fantastic, considering how poorly the baby slept during the trip, which left my husband and me even more fatigued. I'm so grateful my kids got to see a bit of their heritage in Mexico and have some new experiences. I can't wait to show the world to my children, especially since I couldn't travel outside of the country until I was 17.
However, I'd prefer to hold off on these international travel dreams for a couple of years when my kids are slightly older and don't require quite as many naps or diaper changes. For now, multigenerational trips make the most sense for us — and my wonderful in-laws have changed the travel game.
Originally reported by Business Insider.