Tips for Roaming Around a Big City with Kids

Big Cities + Roaming Around with Kids = Family Fun?

Can that really be right? Honestly, most days it makes me nervous just thinking about roaming around a big city with my kids.

All those horror stories on the news.

All the energy it takes to keep up with little people on crowded streets.

All the time it takes to plan activities that are enjoyable for everyone.

And yet, when the opportunity arises for me to roam around a big city with my crew, I pretty much always say yes.  I think about the way big cities have SO MANY great things to see and SO MANY opportunities for stepping out of my comfort zone and bonding with my family in new ways, and I can't resist.

I grew up in the country (as in my grandparents were my only neighbors kind of country), and driving to Atlanta to shop or go to a baseball game was a big deal when I was a kid. In fact, a big part of my college decision was based on me driving through downtown Atlanta by myself for breaks - it was equal parts frightening and exhilarating. So, a few weeks ago when I got a call from my mother-in-law asking me to bring the kids to New York City to have a few adventures with her, I said yes without a second thought.

The truth is we needed a reset anyway, and New York City seemed like as good a place as any to get it.

Lately, I've been drowning in work and grad school projects, and I had settled into a summertime routine of being on the computer almost every waking moment - trying hard, losing focus, taking a short walk to recharge, and then trying again. All the while feeling like I wasn't connecting with my kids and hubby nearly enough and I just couldn't catch a break to do it better.

(Yep, people who write about prioritizing family time don't have it all together - we fail, we falter, we reset, and we try again too. And that's where I've been lately.)

So, I said yes to the NYC trip, pushed really hard to make it work with my schedule, and I was determined to take advantage of the chance to reset and really plug into spending quality time the kids.

And you know what? It worked. 

I declared myself on social media hiatus, vowed to only use my phone for family sharing or work emergencies, squished my must-do computer work into the hours when the kids were sleeping or resting, and shut down everything for the rest of the day to spend time exploring with the kids. Pretty quickly, I felt like myself again for the first time in a long time - just me, my kiddos, and their Nana painting the town.

We ate the best food.

We watched the best shows.

We saw the best art and architecture (even Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, and Rembrandt) 

We walked until our feet hurt.

We took a ferry at sunset to see Lady Liberty.

We biked around Central Park and played chess there like they do in the movies. 

We got lost daily and let the kids navigate.

We let the kids choose the food, the activities, and even the desserts.

We took trains, taxis, and rental bikes.

And now that we're back home, do you know what I remember most? 

I remember the way they grabbed my hand when we crossed busy streets and how their eyes lit up when they saw something they really liked - the Nintendo store, Strand Bookstore, Lady Liberty, the Guggenheim.

I remember the way they laughed at me when I went ga-ga over the New York Times building and Van Gogh's self-portrait, and how much they enjoyed Aladdin on Broadway and Stomp at the Orpheum.

I remember how often I said to them, "I really want to take you to ___, but I'm nervous about figuring out the bike rentals or subway schedule to get there," and how my oldest grabbed my phone one morning and said, "Hey - I figured out how the CitiBike thing works. Let me show you." 

I remember talking about the art we saw, admitting to the kids that I have no idea what half of it means, and showing them that I'm not afraid to admit when I don't know something.

I remember how proud they were when they remembered a fact from history or mythology I had long forgotten, and how easily they stepped into the teacher role when I let them know I was totally okay with it. (This happens a lot, by the way - me forgetting something and them stepping in to teach. I'm convinced it'll make them great inventors or writers or history and science professors one day.)

I remember how they bubbled over with story after story for days when we finally got home to see their dad, and the big hugs we gave to show him how much we all missed him when we were away. 

I remember the way they looked at me, and the way I was truly present to look back.

And that is something I'll never forget - it's something I've decided I need to have more of in my every day - even if I have to move heaven and earth to get it. (And I've already filled a few journal pages with ideas on how to make it happen.)

So that's how roaming around a big city turned into a way for our family to connect on a new level and bond in ways I dream about. It certainly doesn't always happen that way, but I'm so thankful it did this time. 

My guess is you have quite a few dreams in your heart for your family too. (If you didn't, you wouldn't be reading the bottom of this post, right?)

My hope is that this little story from our family to yours sparked a bit of hope in your heart for those family dreams to become a reality.

Let’s go after those family adventures you’ve been dreaming of together! 

What about you? Which big cities make for great family roaming in your book?

Join the email group and shoot me your list - I'd love to make my big city wish list even longer!