Should you take your kids on your honeymoon?

As we all know, many couples don’t get married until after they have started their family, while others are on their second marriage and bring children of their own into the relationship from the beginning. But should you take the kids on the honeymoon?

In these types of marriages, it can be hard to decide whether to take your kids with you on your honeymoon, or to spend some time alone together to kick-start your marriage in an intimate and romantic way.

So, should you take your kids on the honeymoon?

Each family unit will be different, so here are a few things to consider:

The ages of the children

Infants and toddlers can be harder to leave behind, not only because of biological things like breastfeeding but because parents can find it hard to relax and stop worrying about how the young ones are doing without them.

The older the children get, the more independent they become and they might relish the opportunity to spend a week with a grandparent or with their favourite cousin or best friend.

Do you feel the same?

As you have done with every aspect of planning your wedding, you and your partner need to be on the same page about what your ideal honeymoon might look like.

If one of you wants to have the intimate getaway with just the two of you and the other suggests a family holiday-style honeymoon, the enjoyment can be lost for the partner who wanted the former.

This will be amplified if they then spend the honeymoon listening to children’s songs, breaking up fights, and ensuring there are sufficient snacks on hand for the grand park tour of your destination rather than going sight-seeing or just enjoying some time relaxing.

The kids will come first

If you decide to take the children with you, their needs will take priority over everything you do from the destination you choose to the activities you do while you are away.

This might mean your honeymoon will morph into more of a family holiday, which might not be a bad thing if you have a blended family and you want to start this new phase of everyone’s lives with a great bonding experience.

It can also be a great thing if you don’t get to holiday much with your family.

It will be no romantic rendezvous

Candlelit dinners and tranquil strolls on the beach will most likely not factor into a honeymoon with children… unless your accommodation offers child minding or a kids club service. This one may be the biggest impact on whether or not to bring kids on the honeymoon, as isn’t this what makes it a honeymoon after all?

It can be exciting

Children view the world very differently from us adults and their anticipation, enthusiasm, and excitement is very contagious.

After the stress of planning for a wedding, the energy of your youngsters might be just what you need to pump you up.

You can always do both…

If you crave a traditional honeymoon but still want to include your children, you could have a minimoon immediately after the wedding with your new spouse and then plan a longer getaway with the children in the near future.

Still not sure where to go? See honeymoon packages and advice here.