traveling europe with teen boys: safety and staying connected

Last summer, we finally took the plunge and booked a trip to Europe with our two teenage boys. I thought I was prepared, but the reality hit me the moment we landed in Amsterdam: how do I keep track of these two, especially in busy train stations or crowded city squares? I stuck AirTags in their backpacks, but then worried they’d lose the bags or just leave them somewhere (which, of course, happened in Brussels). Is there a better way to make sure I know where they are, without making them feel like I’m spying? Another thing that caught me off guard: staying in touch with family back home. My husband’s mom wanted daily updates, but with the time difference and spotty Wi-Fi in some places, it felt impossible. I tried group chats, but the boys barely replied, and my mother-in-law got anxious when she didn’t hear from us. Has anyone found a good system for keeping relatives in the loop, especially when teens are not exactly chatty? And then there’s the whole meeting-relatives-for-the-first-time situation. In Wales, the boys were shy and awkward, and in the Netherlands, they just wanted to play on their phones. I tried prepping them with stories about the family, but it didn’t seem to help much. I felt like I was forcing them to be social, and it just made everyone uncomfortable. How do you help teens connect with relatives they’ve never met, especially when there’s a language barrier or big age gap? I’d love to hear what’s actually worked for other families, because honestly, I felt like I was failing at every turn. #familytravel #teentravel #europewithkids #Travel