"Sleeping Angels & Waking Demons": Travel Buddies Are Childhood Friends Too—Gathering Classmates to Raise Kids Together

Written by \Jectices Ho

"Years from now, we’ll be able to find many wonderful memories with our kids in this blog." This is what Ann, one of the key characters in *Sleeping Angels & Waking Demons* who’s like the class monitor, said. Six families, totaling over twenty people—from childhood friends to all-around moms today—have known each other for more than two decades, and their bond has only grown stronger over time.

Traveling with friends who don’t have kids can sometimes make empathy difficult. It’s better to gather with old classmates; everyone has kids, so it’s easier to look out for one another. When the children were younger, each family’s situation was different, so the trips couldn’t be too long. No matter what, there was always an indoor backup plan in case the sun was too strong or the kids couldn’t handle it. But *Sleeping Angels & Waking Demons* says, "As long as you want to, you can defeat all those scary imagined obstacles." With this kind of steel-like determination when traveling with kids, you’ll naturally find little tricks to make it work.When planning a trip, packing is the top priority. How do you go from packing a lot to packing light? How do you simplify the complicated? Sleeping mom from *Sleeping Angels & Waking Demons* shares how she managed to shrink her clothes down to a surprising amount for a mom.



Each family contributed their part, with everyone doing their job. Among the group, there’s even a dad who loves photography—he carries his camera on his shoulder just like when he’s carrying his kid, constantly snapping photos for everyone and helping each family create lasting memories. The six dads either played with the kids, drove, took care of the children, booked tickets, planned routes, contacted shops and arranged transport, or even managed the budget—each actively contributing their strengths. Although it’s the six moms who end up writing the blog posts, replying to comments, and updating online afterward, they’re able to keep it going smoothly thanks to the support of their partners.

After running the blog, they started holding regular meetups and trips with other mom bloggers. To prevent everyone from feeling awkward, they organized family-friendly group games. Of course, not every parent is necessarily enthusiastic about joining in to play with their kids—but Ann remembers once seeing a dad who spent the whole time playing on his phone under a tree, not participating at all. Curious, she went over to ask why he wasn’t joining in, and he replied, "I’m just not the type." So Ann simply sat with him and chatted. Most people might think that dad wasn’t being proactive, but Sammi felt that some people might not enjoy group activities, but that doesn’t mean they don’t play with their kids or that they’re irresponsible—it’s two different things. And at least he showed up; some partners might not even attend at all.

With so many kids in the *Sleeping Angels & Waking Demons* group, don’t they ever fight? Of course they do—but the parents have long since reached a consensus on how to handle it. When conflicts arise, the kids are asked to resolve them themselves. Having grown up together, they’ve developed sibling-like bonds. One moment they’re fighting, the next they’re playing together again. The important thing is, the kids truly cherish the time they spend together on these trips. In the end, Bright Mom said:That’s right—cherishing parent-child time doesn’t require spending tons of time. Because as long as you’re with your parents, no matter where you go, it leaves warm memories in each other’s hearts.

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