When I found out I was pregnant, one of my fears was that we wouldn’t be able to travel anymore. I wasn’t sure how to travel with a baby. My husband promised me that this wouldn’t be an issue and that we would still travel. I’ve held him to that promise!
Since my son was born two years ago, we’ve actually taken quite a few trips! We’ve gone to Canada, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Chicago, Las Angeles, and Kalispell with our son. We drove to Canada but flew for all of the other trips. I’ll admit, traveling with a small child isn’t always easy (or fun). But I’ve enjoyed each excursion and am so thankful for each experience.
After each trip, I’ve taken some time to reflect back on what worked and what didn’t. These are three tips I like to pass along to parents traveling with young kids. I’m sharing this information to alleviate some stress or fears you might have when thinking of traveling with your baby.
Trip vs Vacation
One thing I’ve realized is that when I travel with a baby or a toddler, the trip is not always going to be a “vacation”. In fact, pretty frequently it won’t feel like a vacation. So I like to reframe things and call it a “trip”. I’ll think “I’m going on a trip to Chicago” rather than “Can’t wait for my vacation in Chicago!”. That way I don’t start thinking about lazying around with a fancy drink, sleeping in, seeing whatever shows I want and absolutely indulging. That’s not to say I don’t get some of that in while I’m on my trip. I just don’t get to do that the whole time.
Pay for Separate Bedroom Space
If you can swing it, this is a must do! Our first trip as a family of three was when my son was only 4 months old. He slept a lot at this age. He had no problem sleeping anywhere and with any volume of noise. This wasn’t the case as he got older. Because of that and because nap time is sooooo important, I highly recommend splurging on accommodations that let your child sleep in a separate room. So think 1-bedroom condo instead of a studio. I know it can be a pretty good difference in price, but I think it is worth it especially when your kid takes a 2-3 hour nap in the middle of the day and goes to bed before 9pm.
We got a 1-bedroom condo in Hawaii. It was extremely nice to be able to hang out in the living room after my son went to bed in the bedroom. We made late-night dinners, watched movies and enjoyed having some “just the two of us” time.
Keep It Simple
When I’m on a trip, I’m looking forward to being in a different place. I usually try to pick out 1-2 things I want to see or do while I’m there. This seems to be the max that we’ve really been able to make happen on a trip. Anything beyond that is a bonus. Schedules easily get thrown off by cranky kids, teething, nap time, etc. The best thing to do is to simply go with the flow. Rather than having a long list of things that I MUST SEE and being disappointed at the end of the trip, I say “let’s see what happens”. This can be easier said than done, but I think I’m getting better at it.
I’m by no means an expert at traveling with a young kid and I feel like things change with each trip we take. What are your tips for traveling with a baby or toddler? I’d love to hear them!
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