Hiking trip almost ended in disaster

Took the family on what I thought was an easy 4 mile trail last weekend. Turns out the trail markers were basically nonexistent and we got turned around pretty bad. Ended up being almost 7 miles and my 6 year old was exhausted. Wife was frustrated with me for not planning better. I've learned the hard way to actually scout trails beforehand, bring way more water than you think you need, and have a real map plus GPS not just my phone. Anyone else have lessons learned the hard way about family hiking trips?