Categories: Travel

8 Reasons to Travel with Kids!

Good question. There are certainly many reasons to AVOID travel with kids. But there’s something magical (slash exhausting and stress-inducing) about rounding up the gang and heading for the open road (or open skies, depending on budget and COVID-19 status). Let’s break it down:

1.You can create memorable experiences ALL TOGETHER.

Life is busy! Work, school, sports, and extracurricular activities pull each family member away during a typical week at home. Traveling forces everyone to spend LOTS of time together- in a car, a hotel room, at a campsite, etc. Forced physical togetherness invariably leads to all sorts of bonding opportunities and inside jokes that will last for decades to come. The fighting in the backseat will fade into the distance, a mere glimpse of a wisp of a memory…

2. To widen your child’s view of the world.

Beijing, China

Maybe your community is brimming with different cultures, languages, and ethnic foods. But, maybe it’s not. It’s so necessary to bring our children outside of their own community. [Side note- travel is not required in order to do this– you can broaden horizons through literary, musical, and culinary variety in your own home!]

When you interact with another human soul, up close, you learn that our similarities are plentiful and our differences are interesting and beneficial.

3. To widen YOUR view of the world, through your child.

Hoi An, Vietnam

Maybe you’ve been to the beach before, but your daughter hasn’t! Being with her as she explores sand and waves for the first time will bring a whole new appreciation to the experience for you!

It’s so rewarding to introduce our children to places we love, and to view those places with a new lens.

Little kids, especially, are often easily impressed by mundane things we might overlook.

4. Because no one is available to watch your kids for several days… but you still want to travel!

I’ve heard people with babies and toddlers mourn that their “era of travel has ended.” While travel with little ones will look DRASTICALLY different, it need not end!

Kids are way more flexible than we give them credit for. If you can include a balance of “kid’s activities” (parks, playgrounds, pool time) and down time (afternoon naps, quiet time, movie nights in), then their stamina may surprise and impress you.

5. You won’t enjoy the trip without them (I see you, worried mamas).

It’s hard to leave your kids for the first (or fifth!) time– especially if it’s for several nights. If the options in your mind are between cancelling the trip or bringing them along- I’d say bring them (but… more realistically I’d say “are you SURE you don’t want to leave them for one night? They will have so much fun with Grandma!!”).

6. Your infant or toddler is still nursing and you don’t want to wean yet.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Or…they aren’t nursing, but you don’t want to leave them alone at a young age. The good news is, babies are so portable. Everyone told me this when my eldest was a baby and… it didn’t feel that way. It felt like a Christmas Miracle to have us both fed and clean for the first … many months. Don’t get me started on leaving the house!

BUT TRULY, babies are pretty happy in a baby carrier…and that’s an easy hands-free way to explore. Bonus: Babies are too young to have strong opinions on what you see & do 🙂 (But a reminder that those babies will turn into toddlers who WILL have strong opinions so enjoy the spit up while you can).

But let the record show: Eating ramen with your baby strapped in is both unsafe and messy. 10/10 would NOT recommend. No baby was harmed in the consuming of this ramen. PRO-TIP: Remove your baby from the carrier prior to consuming soup of any temperature.
Tokyo, Japan

7. The price of the trip WITH kids isn’t (usually) insanely more expensive.

Oftentimes, hotel rooms let children join at no additional cost. You already need a full tank of gas- regardless of how many seats are filled. Babies and toddlers under 2 can be a free lap child on an airplane [although if they ARE 12+ months, you may have to pay a therapist more than the price of an additional seat to work through the harrowing experience].

Of course you’ll need to pay for their food- but wouldn’t you be paying for their food back at home anyways?

[Glaring Exceptions: large families on airplanes ($$) & having older children that will need to pay per ticket for the activities (musicals, theme parks, etc).]

8. The final and most compelling reason to travel with children: It’s incredibly glamorous.

It just is. Have you noticed? There is nothing easier on the eyes than watching a family go through the security line at the airport. I hope you’ve been able to witness this art form for yourself: The collapsing of the stroller, removal of all the shoes -wait, not the socks!-, emptying of the liquids -wait, not the formula!-, reassembling of backpack items post-security, tying of shoelaces, and more. Don’t get me started on the accompanying noise… almost a symphony of sounds, really. 😉

Don’t you want to be a part of this glamour? Are you convinced yet?? GET the KIDS and get the minivan and let’s do this!!

Okay, I know this makes travel look glamorous in a non-sarcastic way but don’t be deceived by the beautiful traditional Korean hanboks– my son is wearing only a diaper because he peed through his shorts and his mom, (aka Me), wasn’t prepared with a change of clothes. Just keeping it real around here.
Seoul, Korea

[Adorable stuffed lion in the suitcase cover Photo Credit: Alexas Fotos via Pixelbay]