3 kids, 2 dogs, 1 horse, 1 rabbit (the pet type), a goldfish oh and 1 wife as well

For me its all about the balance act of keeping the family happy whilst still being able to travel a bit as well. No I cant do the long trips some of you do for months at a time but I manage to get away on the bike many times a year so cant grumble really.

My kids are 21, 16 and 6 and have always been involved in my hobbies and interests (this helps to persuade the wife as well)

It also helps to have a reasonably paid job as Kids do keep your pockets empty!

Ref: why do we have kids... Dont knock it until youve tried it. I wouldnt change a thing about having kids even if they are a pain in the rear at times

Bones

We find ourselves travelling more because of the kids - I've just had to drive my son down to Gatwick airport to catch a flight and my wife is currently driving from Oxford to Canterbury to collect our daughter and take her to Bournemouth - and back - today.

You do cross a line when they come along and whatever travelling we did before has had to be modified to take their needs in account. I have done a number of long solo trips over the years since they were born but mostly it's been stuff that we thought they could cope with or would enjoy. It is possible, especially pre school, to treat them as an add on to your lifestyle but very quickly it becomes their needs first.

I have changed my plans or cancelled trips at short notice many times when childrearing issues took precedence - once with the bike packed and parked outside the front door a couple of hours before departure. That's the nature of parental responsibility - you have to do your best for them until they can fly solo.

On the up side it gives me great pleasure to see that both of them have taken to travel with the same enthusiasm I had / have. A not that unusual weekend for my son would be flight from Stockholm to London, train to Oxford to play in a band for the evening, get driven (by me) to the airport next morning, fly to Copenhagen for lunch, train to Lund for an afternoon class and another train home afterwards.

We are fortunate now that they're old enough (19 and 24) that we can consider ourselves again and the plans are already in hand. My wife's parents are in their 80's and still travel extensively - this summer they're heading for North Cape, so I'm hoping we have a few decades to go.