Before our kids came around, Troy and I loved jetting away on vacations all over the world. And now that our family has grown to include Liam and Lilly, we are passionate about making opportunities to explore all kinds of places with them.

Traveling with kids, well, it’s a lot of work! But, in my opinion, the rewards far outweigh the challenges. And it turns out we aren’t alone: According to a recent study by American Express, more than 95% of Canadians think it’s important to share their love of travel with their kids.

I love to take advantage of opportunities to travel with my kids. Exploring new places, learning about new things, making lasting memories and sharing special out-of-the-ordinary moments together. ON our recent trip to Maui, I noticed how much time we spent learning and exploring, watching their imaginations and curiosity grow, more than ever before. Travel is so beneficial for developing their little minds! It was so much fun to see Maui through their eyes.

It’s so important to me that Liam and Lilly, even from a young age, have special memories of our time spent together as a family. Something they can look back on (if only in photos) and see how much fun we had. Family trips are some of my fondest childhood memories and I want to make plenty similar memories for my kids.

We went on this trip with not only our family but also with our cousins and their kids too. Two weeks of fun, just playing and making memories. All our lives are so jam-packed and busy with work, school, after-school activities and life. The investment to take a long trip with the ones we love and create endless memories was honestly priceless. We are already planning our next trip together. There is something so special about escaping and taking the time to invest into family moments. It is one of our top priorities right now. Hard to juggle at times, but again worth it.

Last year, on average, Canadians went on three family trips within the country and one international trip. That’s a good amount of traveling (and a lot of details to pull together). Luckily, Amex makes it so easy to turn your travel dreams into a reality.

Troy and I have been using our AMEX credit cards for years now, which has helped us accumulate a ton of points, from both personal and business expenses! Which makes booking pricey trips achievable and SO WORTH IT! I love when we have enough points to plan our next trip. Such as this trip to Maui.

Their Gold Rewards Card is a great option for families because you earn 2 points for every $1 spent on gas, groceries, pharmacy and travel, which will get you on your next family trip faster. You can also charge travel to your card and then use the points to offset the purchase after the fact.

And their Fixed Points Travel Program makes booking travel plans with points super convenient, predictable and easy. You can book flights using your points any day of the year, and the number of points required will never change! Amex has some excellent tips for traveling with your kids on their Family Travel site, too.

No matter what your reason for wanting to travel with your kids – to build memories, share your passion for travel or teach them something new – you can make the process easier with Amex. In the end, it’s completely worth it!

This post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.