Mistakes when traveling with babies, toddlers, children and teenagers

Remember to consider your children’s personalities at any age.

From selecting destinations to activities, Cannon said it’s not just about considering her children’s interests, but also their personality traits.

For example, she said that although her son enjoys hiking, he is not comfortable in all natural environments.

“Unlike the rest of us in the family, Lucas has no interest in ever visiting a rainforest or jungle,” Cannon told BI. “I can trace this back to a guided trip to the Cloud Forest in Ecuador in 2017.”

Cannon said Lucas grew up watching nature documentaries, so he’s very aware of how dangerous certain types of wildlife can be.

“During the hike, the guide encouraged us to touch the top of a leaf. Lucas, however, decided to touch the underside as well and narrowly avoided a poisonous caterpillar,” she said. “He has since made it clear that he does not consider these environments ‘safe,’ although I assumed he would eventually get over it.”

After the Ecuador tour, the family of four went on trips to the Peruvian Amazon and the Costa Rican rainforest.

In these destinations, he “carefully avoided swarms of army ants on forest floors and bullet ants on railings,” she said. “His feelings never changed.”

These days, Lucas doesn’t accompany the family on jungle or rainforest trips.

“Lucas still travels a lot, but to places with fewer creatures that can harm you,” she said. “Ella, by contrast, can’t get enough of the jungle!”