Traveling with little kids
Crazy, chaotic, exhausting, and worthwhile
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I became a mom in April 2020. With the Covid pandemic brand new, travel wasn’t on my radar. Slowly but surely, that changed. Travel is an essential part of my work, life, and identity, so I knew I’d have to reimagine travel first with one baby, then a baby and a toddler, and these days, with two preschoolers.
Pre-parenthood, I had a fantasy about strapping my kids in a stroller and continuing to embark on adventures just as I had before. But all parents know that it’s never quite that easy. Or…anywhere in the realm of that easy. (Ha!)
We’ve been on some incredible family adventures, like to see my in-laws in England, and to be part of the Rugby World Cup festivities in The French Riviera last summer (ok my husband was part of the festivities, I enjoyed a lot of rose and sunshine and cheese.)
Tomorrow, we fly to London and then drive three hours to a ferry, where we head to the Isle of Wight. We’re celebrating my father-in-law’s 80th with all the family. Then we spend three days in London.
Here’s my best advice for fun times:
1. Build anticipation and set expectations. There are so many new experiences, help them get excited and curious. When we went to the south of France with our two toddlers, we picked out two France picture books from the library which they loved reading and practiced saying some phrases in French. We also asked a lot of questions - do you think it might be noisy on the plane? Do you think we might try new kinds of cheeses? Trying to spark curiosity and the idea that it's ok to not know everything ahead. (The first think Simone said after getting off the plane: Where it the cheese?)
2. Those expectations apply to me, too. I’ve heard travel with kids being called “ a trip, not a vacation.” This rings true. I’m not going to drink spicy margs and read my book for hours. One day! Just not these days!
3. Pack as light as possible. Of course you can never pack THAT light with little ones, but for example, we always stop at a local grocery store to buy diapers, wipes, and snacks when we arrive instead of schlepping those things around. We love going to a sort of dollar store equivalent wherever we are and letting the kids pick out some fun small toys for the trip - cheap enough that if we lose or break them it's no big deal.
4. Don't be overly ambitious. I usually want to do ALL THE THINGS so this is advice to me and those like me. Staying in a new place is already a big adventure for little ones, and takes a lot of energy. New sights, sounds, foods, and beds. Our sweet spot is usually one big activity a day, otherwise everyone gets very grumpy and overtired.
5. The more adult hands the better. We've traveled with my mom and in-laws, that way we can do things with different combos of adults and kids, and give everyone a break from so much childcare. Also hiring local babysitters can be a great option.
6. Make playground friends. I know not every culture is super friendly at playgrounds, and language barriers can create challenges - but many parents love meeting travelers and can offer kid intel, other great spots to visit with kids, etc. When we were visiting London with a toddler and a baby, my toddler hit it off with a sweet girl named Rosa. I loved talking to her mom and she became a friend. We even met for coffee the next day, and she invited me to a local mom's WhatsApp group which had info that turned out to be invaluable - like fun things to do with kids nearby on a rainy day.
7. Don’t sweat it so much when things don’t go according to plan. That’s kid life, and that’s travel life.
Ok, wish me luck!
(Here I am with Julius on the way to Virginia Beach a year ago!)
xo,
Hannah
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