Traveling with Children

There is nothing quite as wonderful as sharing our adventures with our children, whether you have one or a whole basketball team. While traveling with little ones does present some unique challenges, there is nothing stopping you and your little explorer or explorers from having an enriching experience with the right preparation.

Prepare your children early; having the right expectations is the first step on a successful journey. Travel is a mix of excitement sprinkled with stressors and unexpected speed bumps. Set a tone for life by taking your child out and about in the world they live in, for practice. Encourage them to explore using all of their senses. Children are born with a profound sense of wonder, and as a parent it is up to you to facilitate and nourish their natural curiosity. Set your expectations for safety while pushing your little one to achieve more than they realized they were capable of.

For example, from a young age, we took our daughter to local nature parks. She loved splashing in the creek, discovering fresh water shells, leaves, and colorful rocks. We pushed her to walk and finish trails on her own two feet, rather than on a parent’s back. While it wasn't always easy or met with enthusiasm, she developed pride in her hard earned victories and confidence in her abilities.

Food

We recommend expanding your child’s palette early. Trying new cuisines CAN be a fun family experience, so involve your kids in selecting and preparing new recipes. If they are the ones making decisions, and feel like adults making the preparations, they are much more likely to be on board with trying those foods. As parents of a strictly “chicken and fries only” sort of gal, this has been a struggle for us on international trips. While you'd be amazed at the number of restaurants that do, in fact, serve chicken fingers with fries, we are working to have our daughter try unfamiliar foods. That being said, everywhere you go will have fruits, rice, and meats to suit your little one's taste.

Speaking of food, have snacks and water ready for all of your adventures. Depending on where you travel, keep in mind you may need store-bought water. I recommend a comfy, lightweight backpack to keep essentials in. As mentioned before, travel involves a certain amount of the unexpected, so set your child up for success when meeting these obstacles. 

Safety

A big concern, especially in new and unfamiliar places, is how to keep your family secure. Children wander off, can be naturally inquisitive and trusting, and can get into plenty of trouble in the safety of their own home. The stress and fear of travel, lack of normal comforts, and strange surroundings, customs, faces, or languages can be daunting just to think about. It may put you off a trip altogether.

Planning ahead is the best cure for these ills. If your children are old enough to walk around on their own, they are likely old enough to memorize your name and phone number. We wouldn’t suggest giving little ones their passports to hold onto, but they should be able to get in touch with you. If they are old enough to have phones of their own, so much the better. Your contact information should be saved, as should the number and address of the embassy of your home country if you are traveling abroad.

For smaller children, circumstances dictate the correct approach, but a few rules of thumb apply. Our daughter stays within eyesight at all times, and in urban settings, she is within arm’s reach as well. On a hike or at the beach we allow more leeway, but always made certain she understood the importance of sticking together and the danger that, though unlikely, could occur. Your children are probably more capable than you realize in helping you keep them safe if the task is presented in the proper way for their personalities. They may get distracted, as little ones do, but they will be zealous to show off their skills at staying safe if they know you take pride in them.

We never felt the need to use one of the toddler leashes we see every so often in the wild, but if we had five children, we might just do so. It might seem embarrassing or degrading to some, but if your child likes to scatter that much, you do what you have to. It would be more embarrassing to lose them altogether, wouldn’t it? If the cost isn’t prohibitive, air tags are a decent solution to a lot of worry and can give a lot of peace of mind, both for luggage and for kids of any age. Teenagers, or even other adults for that matter, might find this kind of tracking device handy for splitting up and being able to meet up again later with ease.

Messes

On travels the kids will get messy. It will happen. It doesn’t matter that you’re in Alaska in winter; they will contrive to create mud from the very snow around them. Don't sweat it; let them enjoy discovering a new world without worrying about hair or mud-stained ankles. Let the small things go, both for your own sanity and your child's enjoyment. In a social media focused world, this has become a new challenge, but remember, you are traveling for the experience, not a photo opportunity, and the best photos help you remember the laughs you had while being absolutely dirty. Besides, those messy, muddy smiles, eyes alight with adventure, will squeeze at your heart far more than any staged photo ever could.

Planning

When making travel itineraries, add in stops and activities appropriate to your children’s age and curiosities. There needs to be a balance between the adult activities and the kid activities. They will act far better if they know they have something coming to reward their behavior, and this is a fun trip after all. They should have some fun things to look forward to. Teach them by example to find enjoyment in activities not necessarily in keeping with their interests. We recommend having an event or treat for them to look forward to after especially tiring days, whether that be taking a swim in a hotel pool or picking out a local dessert to share.

It is also important to remember that children are not as big, as fast, or as enduring as adults. They will tire and want to rest or ride on a parent’s shoulders. It is only natural, so be understanding.

Whether it be in a backpack, purse, or diaper bag, it doesn't hurt to pack some quiet, basic toys to occupy the kids during downtime or play. We suggest bringing toys you don't mind losing. A small deck of cards is always a good game the whole family can get in on when sitting down for a rest, coffee, ice cream, you name it.

Lastly, our biggest piece of advice would be to take your adventure as it comes. Be flexible in your expectations and plans. Travel and children are both unpredictable, so be prepared to go with the flow. Relish the world around you, rain or shine, and take pause to share these special occasions with those you love most.