Travel is best with young children

The local baby products can also lead to great finds. Japanese diapers are AMAZING.

The actual flights have been a 50/50 for me. Sometimes kid is totally content, eating, watching shows. Sometimes it’s 4 hours of 😫😭

Derek,

Great post! We have a 2 year old and have traveled across the country with him. You’re fortunate to have the freedom and means to travel to so many countries. Not all of us are in a position to jet set across the world. I personally would love to experience many different countries through the eyes of my child. This post inspires me to travel more and make sure we have the means to experience different cultures and people. Brett

I wish we’d travelled farther and wider when they were wee, but we got in our share and then some, and I agree that it was way better than we’d been warned, by and large.

When we took a summer month away with our kids to a country where we were only semi-comfortable with the language, we connected with the kids more ourselves. Work, and home habits and comforts, all seem to insulate and isolate from experiencing the ways they are constantly changing and growing. (We are too, of course… just not as quickly. :) ) There’s something about *having* to move through each day thoughtfully and mindfully, rather than on auto-pilot, that makes the connections feel so much deeper in the moment.

I concur. Traveling with babies and toddlers is a blast. They are down for anything. Road trips to go Camping were a highlight for me with my 3 & 4 year olds. I say, parents enjoy it while you can. It's over all to soon. I was heart broken the last time I asked my son if he wanted to go camping with me and he answered "Sure! Which hotel will we be staying at?"

My wife disagrees and wishes she left me behind on this current 6 month trip from Mexico to Turkey.

I traveled with my young children and I agree... although it wasn't always convenient, there is more to life than "convenience" so to speak.

I couldn't agree more.

I took my daughter to an overland 4242km trip through Anatolia when she was 9mths old. The best trip we had in a while!

youtu.be/4kMdLovHGI4

Great post! Interesting new perspective (as it usually comes from you .. btw, is this a "jaca" that your son is stepping on? nice!).

I wish we had done this when our children were young. If you’re reading this and your children are young, take Derek’s advice and get out there.

We were hesitant parents - but have travelled quite a bit since our first child was 1 year old and our second was less than a year old.

EVERYTHING in this article is true -- and I wish I could do more.

People are super nice to you, you get to board earlier in flights, my kids LOVE airline food -- and the bit about seeing the world with new eyes is 100% spot on.

That is by far the biggest reason for me to travel more.
Thanks for writing this Derek! So true!

Great post… adorable photo 💕

Jackfruit for the win!

Totally agree! And I'll add one more layer to your suggestions. WWOOFing with small children.

For those unfamiliar, WWOOF is a worldwide network of work exchange opportunities on organic farms.

Over the course of several years, we did as many of these with our toddlers. A big part of the initial motivation was escaping the bitterlong winters in Wisconsin by spending a month in a more tropical zone. And what we found along the way were all the things you've described so well here.

But also, one gets a vastly expanded view of a foreign place while joining it's inhabitants digging in the dirt, harvesting fruits of past labors, and planting the future bounty you may never see.

And when your traveling companions approach each day the way they know best, as a curious child with a beginner's mind, it's easy to get in sync and experience all the wonders of the world right alongside them. Maybe not the famous postcard ones, but the earthy, wormy, sweaty, smiley, sunshiney, fresh fruity ones which often leave a longer, sweeter aftertaste!

The wonderful Derek Sivers strikes again.... I love it!

Great points, Derek!

It's also always interesting to hear the way kids remember trips. The things that stick with them can be really insightful... or funny.

IIRC, you were previously against posting pictures of your son online. Curious to know what changed your mind? Maybe he's old enough now that he was able to make the decision?

Thanks for the great post.

Thank you so much for your post. I brought my son to Shanghai when he was less than 2. We stayed in my sister's home, and he can recall many things which I had forgot. He remember the TV' size, the morning food's taste, the little bike's color,etc.

Your experience is so precious.

Love the parts babies as eye glasses 🤓 and puppies 🐶 or another way of saying “no prejudice” and “more connections”.

Agreed! We made it to seven countries with our first kid before he turned 1 over about three months of travel time (maxing out parental leave). Great family bonding experience, and he loves traveling. Then the pandemic hit so we haven't traveled as much since, but still try to get to new places and make time to enjoy them through his eyes.

Thank you and thank you again.
I think reading about TCKs (book by Pollock) will also help you as a parent understand your child as your grownup adventures are experiences versus your kids identity shaping by seeing different cultures. Traveling brings delight and insight and your kids core is formed from inside out versus outside in like when adults travel.
I really like this post. And thank you for a throwback picture to illustrate.

Yes sir. We just spent two months in thailand with our 7 month old boy. It was awesome.

Our son is 3 years old and has traveled to 9 countries till now. Its been super amazing. We have gone on day long treks and music concerts and cross Atlantic flights. Everything is possible. Just a little more planning is required.

We try to go with his flow. Till now, he required afternoon naps, so we had to plan to be in a cool shaded place where he could nap. Invest in a good baby carrier where your child does not feel left hanging and can be comfortable for a few hours at a time. You don't need to travel with a lot of toys because everything can become a toy especially before 2 years.

People are a lot more friendly and helpful when you have a kid with you. And I think your kid also learns a lot of social skills faster.

Great article! I always did that with my 3 boys!
Same perspectives! But also my wife and I reserve time for us to travel alone to make sure we can travel and enjoy as much as we can when our sons are older and have their own life. It’s important to know how to deal with the emptiness of their presence and also prepare us for the future.
Thanks!!

Before I was 2 years old my parents took me across the country and even into Mexico. I of course have no memory of those trips, and very few photos (late 60's - film was expensive), but I have the memories of my parents sharing those moments with me as I got older. Those memories were every bit as valuable to me as if I remembered those trips personally. I still feel tremendous gratitude all these years later.

Younger kids may be easier to introduce to different foods. You don't want to be too extreme, and should be mindful of allergies; however, having a broad palate makes life more interesting.

Fully agree - I filled 2 passports and got bored by traveling - another flight, another train ride. Another hotel room. Another church, another temple. Then I started traveling with my baby last month. She loved it talked to everybody. It was amazing to co-experience this.

Totally agree. We have three kids and made it a point to travel with them as often as possible since they were babies.

People often tell us, "Why travel when they're so young? They won't remember any of it." I disagree. Whenever we travel with the kids, I notice they grow so much (intellectually) with each trip. My own earliest memories from when I was not quite 2 years old came from when my mom took me to Taiwan. My youngest son, now age 7, still talks about things he experienced in Iceland when he was 4.

I suspect that you don't necessarily have to travel. The important thing is for kids to experience brand new things and environments as much as possible (which, of course, is easiest with travel). I also suspect that the same is true for adults as well.

Thanks for sharing. Most things in my generation are anti children. It’s unfortunate some people have to apologize for sharing the beauty of life and parenthood. Keep them coming.

No kids yet but looking forward to having one in the near future. My concern is the noise. How to handle a crying baby in the plane?

I agree too many people shy away from travelling with kids. We took our first baby at four months on a nine hour flight and it was fine. Takes a bit of prep, but nothing major.

Pro tip: dress them in something insanely cute and make sure everyone near you gets a peek before the flight starts. That way, if they start screaming in a few hours, people take it better!

This comes at a great time and will likely be stirring in my mind, just like so many other things you say! We have a 2 year old and I usually feel like we are in survival-, “one day at a time”- mode… constantly tired and trying to recover. The thought of travelling is exhausting when already struggling to find a little bit of space between the cracks to relax. For me, this article wasn’t just an important message about travelling while they’re young, but a little nudge to adjust my attitude to become more resilient and get out of my comfort zone. It will all be over too fast, and I will have missed out on creating memories if I can’t get passed this longing for comfort over adventure. Obrigado ;)

Something that is worth considering is the impact of the carbon footprint of family's journeys on the future of the kids. Closer regions reachable by less harmful transport might in result save some of the wonders to the grandchildren. That however needs to be thought at scale.

Thanks for flipping things upside down and giving me a new perspective once again :)

Love this post! Travel is truly best education, and we hope to do it as much as possible with our little one :) The point on what is IMPRESSIVE made me laugh out loud.. We took our 2 year old on a 2-hour kayak trip to see the dolphins, and all she could think and talk about was the slide back at the B&B!

My wife had our first in November 2020. We live away from our family (about 8-10 hour flight). We feel lucky that he’s such a good traveler, but it’s something that he’s used to as well. He’s 17 mo old now, and we just landed from a recent weekend trip. Since he’s become more talkative I see a lot more smiles on peoples faces. He can help remove the stress of traveling just being a kid. Kids do seem to bring out the best in people because it helps keeps things in perspective in the grand scheme of things.

I love this but I'd say there is an asterick here that it depends, like most things in life.

I personally don't travel well with my partner. We've always been that way and it's just a difference in personalities.

Adding in our small son makes things 10 times worse. It doesn't make it better. My anxiety goes through the roof.

So, with me and my son? I love hanging out with him. With me, my son and my partner - oh god... On a plane for 16 hours across the world? Oh god times 5.

So yeah, everything isn't for everyone.

Love your work Derek.

I love this so much!
As I got this email I was literally just discussing with my wife the details about our winter trip with the kids (2.5 yo girl and 4 mo boy) to the Spanish Pyrenees. Let the snowball fights commence!
With the our girl we did already two summer road trips from Spain, where we live, to Lithuania to visit her grandparents, taking it slow and discovering fascinating countries and cities the way and while up there. On Friday we take them for the first time on a big ferry to Ibiza.
Japan and Nepal are on the roadmap, and I’m beyond excited to see it with their eyes.

Great post, Derek, and I agree wholeheartedly!

I can resonate with your takes here and am really enjoying spending time with my two kids, one 11 year old boy and one 9 year old girl. They made me want to be a better person and helped me to see the new perspectives and opportunities in life. As adults, we tend to conform with the crowd and our existing habits and beliefs, therefore it is common wanting the babies/kids fit into our own life and feeling frustrated when they do not meet our expectations. In stead, we can correct a lot of what's wrong with our life by observing, understanding and learning from how they grow everyday.

Totally agree! I travelled a ton with my girls and esp when they were little.. everything is special to them and you and they get used to it. As a result of the travel as babies they now can pretty much go anywhere alone and aren’t scared of flying alone and going far and wide! They are currently 16 and 14 and they know the world is their oyster.

Yes Derek,
I will share the article

Best Regards
Jan

This post has come at a very important time for me. My girlfriend is pregnant and we love to travel. But I’ve been afraid that life would be us stuck at home from now on. Your post and all the great comments are super encouraging for soon to be parents.

Thanks Derek! I am travelling with the kids just now and all rings true. Rediscovering life through the kids eyes is amazing. Going on every children slide and screaming with pleasure.

(; Mmmmm not for me its like taking a dog but well not stopping any one else but for me I like freedom now.

Derek, great and inspiring post!

Tho I can't help but notice that all these points are about what is great to travel with babies *for* adults. But what about the babies? Why is great for them to travel when young? I would love to read your thoughts on this.
I suspect all the sensory inputs are good for their growing brains. — Derek

Thank you for the great post Derek. I don't have any children, but your words sure make me wish that I did. All the best to you and your family!

My husband is in the United States military, and we have three boys. We have lived in various countries and, like you had mentioned, wanted to take them to major landmarks, but discovered that they do better and are more at ease in gardens and forests, so we have seen some beautiful landscapes because of our children and also learned to celebrate the seasons more fully. Also a side note worth mentioning: we have saved a lot of money spending more time in nature, because it's FREE and picnics are more enjoyable and less expensive than stuffy restaurants.

The kids have also been eager to just stay at a new hotel or home that is different than ours, so instead of rushing out the door to see all we can, like mentioned in your writing, we spend a little extra time resting at that particular place.

Thank you for this insight. It's good to have someone with your influence talk about traveling with children in a positive light.

"Having a baby helps you connect with people" << this!

We've chatted to locals when travelling as a family a lot more, especially at playgrounds and through language barriers too!

I love this post. I'm currently on a 2-month trip to Europe with my family (wife and 4 kids, aged 4-11). Our kids are homeschooled and I can work remotely.

The section about "Kids aren’t impressed with impressive" is so perfect. Some things we thought would be amazing have been more hassle than they're worth (like Venice), and other things have been pleasant surprises (like the playgrounds near our current apartment, where our kids have found local children to play with).

Great!! enjoyed thank you

I'm sending this to my wife, who's already onboard but could use a reminder of this. We have a 7 month old and we just bought a used campervan as we're living in Berlin (away from home, Singapore). We were apprehensive at first because we didn't know anyone else personally who was doing it. But it felt right for numerous reasons, many of which you've stated here. Love that jackfruit photo! 😊

Love,
Nick
Thanks Nick! Photo taken at a Singapore wetmarket in the heartland. ☺ — Derek

Some of my favorite trips ever have happened with children. I travel alone pretty often and have been surprised how sweet it is to share the experience with little people. Highly recommend.

As I see it, babies and kids with disabilities are part of a good society. At a restaurant I don't mind if loud or challenging babies or children sit near me, because I know the parents need a welcoming adult.

I get a kick out of child spaces. Just inside the gate of the London zoo is the information desk. I walked straight up and asked, "Where would Mary Poppins (from the books) bring the children?"... Turns out the penguin slide with pool is still there, as a heritage site, but no penguins. Also, there is a groundhog gopher city where kids and adults can go through and poke their heads up into domes.

Near the children's hospital is a spread out playground park with a narrow gate and a sign to say to adults don't come in unless you are accompanied by a child. Also, there's a daycare right there.

...Speaking of impressive, I heard about a group of disabled kids at an arena for maybe a circus (I forget). One girl kept looking away from the action down below to keep looking up. Her staff thought she was missing out. Next week in art class she produced a picture of all the interlocking beams in a grid overhead.

We take our grandchildren on holiday every year. And have done so since the eldest was four years old. France. Germany. Switzerland. Or just a week by the sea. We once were stopped by customs. The officer asked Alice - granddaughter- if we were her grandparents - she answered- I don’t think so! - you can guess the rest! Ian

Our three children were young at a time of ex patriate work and so, travel-wise, became accustomed to air travel and different places. We did this for almost 12 years. We feel as a result, as young adults, they are more open to 'different', more adaptable to new environments and certainly more adept with languages than they may have been. It does also come with a certain indifference to the 'luxury' of travel and these experiences which sometimes requires a reminder to ground yourself. Hope this makes sense.

Just came back from a short business trip with my 4 month old son and could not agree more. Having my son around me reminds me of the person I want to be and instantly makes me better, more kind, more patient, more open towards the world.

And I got to spend even more time with him so it's been a great adventure.
To more adventures and further growth!

I’m 23 and way too early to be a parent but I enjoyed your travel post, so interesting journey. Thanks Derek.

True that!!
We went to Bali & egypt with our son at 3 years. He was happy and watched things around. Baby foods are everywhere, only be careful with water you give kids to drink. Make sure it is clean and boiled.

Very True when you travel with a single young child!

We took our first born on a long and far away trip before he turned 1 and it was amazing and lot cheaper than we thought. We did a lot fewer things because rushing with a baby is not a lot of fun. Mostly we hung out in famous parks or in front of famous sights and went to bed early.

We also stayed in AirBnBs mostly, because we wanted to cook ourselves, eat healthier and have less stress than in a restaurant.

2 Years later our second son was about to turn 1 and we wanted to repeat the trip. It was still fun except for the travel part. The flights were really bad, because both kids had problems with their ears (and Blatter) on all flights. Another things we noticed was, that we now needed to rent a lot bigger cars, because we needed kids seats and more room in the trunk.

This year or daughter turned 1 and decided to skip the trip, because I dread the flying part and don't want to rent a car big enough to accommodate 3 kids seats + luggage.

Instead we will go on a lot of shorter trips to places nearby we have never been. There are so many beautiful lakes, forrests, hills, nature reserves, old towns etc less than a 4 hour drive away.

As you eluded to in the article its the little things that the kids are excited about.

I agree, we worried about taking our 2 year old on trips but they always turn out really well.
Our daughter loves citytripping with us. At home she gets bored but on a trip she always sees new things and she enjoys it.
She even takes 2 hour naps in her buggy while we are walking around with her through the city..

I'm so happy to see this! My husband is a 2022-2023 Fulbright Scholar and we'll be traveling the EU and UK with our son when he's 6. I'll try to remember these things when we do.

We had our first baby when we were still touring all over the world.

My daughter had 2 flight tickets BEFORE she was born (we had to put TBA on her name when we bought the ticket and then give the name once she arrived).

She was in France and Spain in her first 2 months of life (we live in the UK) and she travelled all the way to to Australia when she was 6 months old. And many more places.

The first time she stood up on her own was at Singapore airport.

It was a great experience for her and for us with a lot of great memories.

Thank you for the post. We've taken several trips with our boys and still have time to do more, but since we are out of the baby stage I won't have another chance until they have kids of their own. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have to wait for at least 10 years. Luckily, I can share this post with them!

LOVED this! Wish we traveled with them even more, when they were young.

Hi Derek,

Thank you for sharing this! My wife Lina and I just had our first newborn baby girl who is now 3 months and we are taking her to Hawaii for a week.

We are so excited to take her on her first vacation and I am more excited to take my wife on a vacation after all she has been doing for our baby girl. I also invited her mom so she could help out while we do some fun activities.

Cheers to Health,
James

Something else also. By traveling with your kids you find out a lot more of their likes and dislikes that are with them for most of their lives so that you are not suddenly surprised.

Very true. We took a 4-, 6- and 8-yr-old around the world for a year, visiting 16 countries.
It changed all of us.
I'm writing a book about the ripple effect it has had on their lives in the following almost 20 years.
And I have one written (Contours of Courageous Parenting) on the many decisions we took along the way.
Thanks for a post that brings back great memories on Mother's Day, Derek!

Always love your perspective. Because of your opening statement, I purposely will travel more with kids just to defy that stigma! I haven't gone internationally with them yet, this post has inspired me to do so!
Thanks!

Awesome points by Derek and others.

Let’s look at it the other way though.

We’re doing baby care things regardless of location.

Since we can control location why not make it special from time to time.

My son logged more transatlantic flights by age two than I did by age 25. For my children, traveling is second nature, and they are "at home" (and finding caterpillars) no matter what country they are in.
I would say that there is no wrong age to travel. Baby, child, teenager, they all benefit from traveling in different ways, and skipping travel at any age would be a loss.

So yes - start early, and then never stop!

My spirited twin boys forced me reluctantly out into the world - their intense energy could not be contained in our little apartment. Laughing now as I remember running through Macy's like a crazed quarterback, with a kicking oversized toddler under my arm, chasing my other runaway child as he screamed in delight, running as fast as he could through the woman's lingerie department, cutting between displays like a pro. Finally caught him and just sat there on the ground restraining them both, under a rack of slips, the boys laughing and writhing as hard as they could to go do it again. One child clutched in each arm, out of breath, trying to tell them this is NOT how we act in a store.

They're 19 now, the kindest most thoughtful young men you will ever meet. Now they put their arms around my shoulder, guiding me through crowds, smiling at strangers as they go.

Adventuring did that.

Seeing as much of the world as I could show them, from petting cows at dairy farms, to clapping for the band in honky tonks, to learning about solar wind panels on a high rise roof, to chatting with locals in foreign restaurants. Their wonder, acceptance, and curiosity brought the world to life in a way only a child can.

Children love people, love making them laugh, love the warmth they receive and bloom like flowers in the sunshine of human interaction. We need each other and they teach us that.

You're so right about the caterpillar! The most beautiful flowers I've ever received are tiny little weed blooms that chubby fingers presented to me. Their wonder over beauty we ignore shifts perspective.

I ditched the huge diaper bag for a clutch on my wrist with a diaper and wipes, their hands firmly in mine, and off into the world we went. When their baby sister was born, I'd wear her in wrap against my chest, baby supplies tucked in. My mini van became a nursery on wheels.

They taught me to go adventuring, even if just in our little slice of the planet. We'd lay on our tummies and watch ants, or stand on a bank and skip rocks. They helped me stop and just be present, creating memorable moments that brought ordinary places to life.

When our life gets too busy, too mundane, my boys will come to me even now and say, "Hey mom, let's go adventuring. I'll drive."

We just finished 6 months of traveling after we sold the family business. 1 month Rving across the West followed by 4 months in Antigua, Guatemala. Our kids are 6, 4, and 1. Most people made comments about how brave we were to travel with kids that young. We didn't feel brave. We felt like that was the best and only time we would be able to experience the world in that way.

Our kids aren't in school yet, they haven't developed a worldview, and everyone is their friend. They don't even care about language barriers. They don't have opinions on countries or people groups. Every day is an adventure for them. They show us how to slow down and enjoy the moment.

Thanks for this! It's hard to remember this sometimes, but traveling with kids can be a joy IF you're not in a rush. They help you slow down.

Road trips CAN be a delight if you let them be. You just have to embrace the experience and have some empathy for your kids. :)

Sometimes children can be an incredible assist to a 'dizzy' parent. When my daughter was but three she was the one to remind me I left my backpack underneath the airport chair on our way to Hawaii. Between us she is STILL the more grounded, sensible one, haha! I am sharing this with her as she and her new husband contemplate having children. They LOVE to travel and this (and the many comments) demonstrates so well how you can have both kids AND travel the world!

Derek, how brave of you. Many people I know are fearful of exposing the newbies to the uncontrolled. Health, sanitation, vaccines, etc, are all considerations as they are with adults. Your perception on seeing the environment as a child would/does is important but so is what an adult experiences and appreciates with more life years. Saying that babies do not experience prejudice is refreshing because these days in the US, many teachers believe babies are born with prejudice and race identity which must be, and continue to neutralized. Just ask the purveyors of CRT who need to travel more, get beyond themselves, and see the world upside down for the reasons you eloquently stated.

We took our son on a flight from Pittsburgh to Toronto when he was less than a year old and he cried for the entire flight (it was short). It turned me off from air travel with a child before they could communicate.

As a parent of older kids/adults', how I miss those days where the trips was more important than the destination, where sitting in a local coffee shop watching people pass by and inventing wild stories for them with my kids was the highlight of the day.

We still have alot of childlike fun with our older kids when their schedule permits but hang on tight to those days and memories, they are precious and form the family lore

Howard in Israel

Great post Derek! My wife and I took our son on his first trip at 11 months and it was a great experience. Love your blog and would like to see more posts on parenting! Cheers!

100% Derek! We took our 2-1/2 year old daughter to Europe for 3 months of travel and it was amazing! Yes, she did slow things down and, instead of it being a negative we got to more deeply enconse ourselves in the city, country and culture we were in. Some people warned us that it was a waste of time because she would never remember the experience, and I felt their bitterness and I also understood their point. But to me, every experience in their little lives shapes them in some way whether they remember or not. Since that trip we've taken our daughter all over the south-west United States, and she is an amazing traveler, curious, adventurous, adaptable and resilient - all important characteristics for human beings and all travelers, little and big.

I couldn't agree more with all of the points he made but I feel one very important one was left out:

When you travel with young children they learn how to be good travelers. This makes all future travel with them so much better. Very little whining and crying. Next to no "Are we there yet?" They grow up with it as something normal that you do and that there are certain and appropriate ways of being and expectations in those spaces.

My daughter Beatrix, now age 14 knows that amazing experiences are worth the journey. That travel involves... well... travel. She is an AMAZING traveller because she has spent her life traveling.

So, for this reason alone, if you have the means to do so at all, you should.

See www.patrickrhone.net/raising-travelers/

Thanks Derek. I needed to read this.

Hi Derek,

I've had mixed feelings on traveling with kids. Perhaps because I just stepped into the world of parenting. But since I've got two years under my belt I can appreciate these observations and lessons.

I would add; kids are happy wherever you go (I guess that may cap at some point)...but you don't have to spend a whole day deciding where to go.

Another great article, Derek. You've hit the nail on the head as you so often do. If we can eliminate our prejudice and expectations, as Louis Armstrong said, "What a Wonderful World". Thanks for being you - and sharing with us!

I agree except the part that you get priority in boarding, flight attendants are extra friendly, etc… I find this to be true internationally but not in the US! I am always appalled and saddened by this. I was traveling with a three year old and three month old by myself in La Guardia (admittedly probably the worst place on earth) and while some people took pity on me, many did not, and certainly no law or regulation did.

Love this! Too often people are viewing children as just "expensive noisy furniture" when really they can be a window into a whole new world. Seeing through new eyes can help us live a new life and discover the world afresh.

Sometimes we forget we were once children. We can forget that we also helped our parents and elders to see the world as new and wondrous.

Over time we can become immune to the magic around us. But children can help reboot our minds and souls.

Hey Derek! Love this! We took loads of drive trips when our son was a baby and then to Hawaii when he was just 5. Not only is it one of his best memories of his now-deceased Grandfather, he LOVES to travel. He's 14 and we will be going on our second cruise together, our family of 3 this Summer and have plans to have a European trip of some kind before he leaves high school.

Traveling teaches us so much, doesn't it? best education there is...

Hope your day is great!
Karen

I love you Derek!

You do know that YOU are the child that you describe for us in this article, right?

Thank you for traveling with us on this journey through life--and pointing out our "bugs."

Love this! Thanks, Derek. It's refreshing to read a post like yours that promotes traveling with babies and kids.

Thanks Derek and you are 100% correct saying that its great to travel with kids.
We done a road trip around Brazil with our 4 years old daughter for one year in a VW van (Kombi).
As you have said, we learned so much and everything made more sense to us.
You can see a bit of our project @3nacaixa on Instagram.

Inspiring! I have two young kids and have hesitated traveling much with them. I realize it's because I have been tired for years... caught up in everything there is to do and not stopping to enjoy the caterpillars.

Agree. We travelled with our 1 year old son from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro with no problem whatsoever. We also felt more welcome everywhere went went.

Great that you promote this minority ideas that just make sense!

fully agree. we are traveling a lot with our now 3,5 year old. even in the first year she collected quite some flightmiles. (Not proud of our footprint but we live a 3 country triangle life) it always was fun and actually helped us focus more on us then the ticking of a bucket list. In general my daughter made me value the „ordinary“ moments much more and I am still learning ☺

Well I don't have a baby yet. Neither am I married, but I've interacted with little kids as a teacher. And I can say most of what you said is true.

Especially the part that kids are the least impressed by the expensive, impressive stuff.

They just want to play with their friends, play in nature and enjoy the simple things. It's funny that kids have no money and have the least of worries while adults have the money yet have the most of anxieties.

That always puzzled me.

It occurs to me, in this age of minorities wanting to see themselves, that some readers might be feeling left out.

So let me speak for some of us: In my family of six kids, one housewife, and one wage earner doing shift work, if my dear dad had days off then he stayed at home to relax on a "staycation," as today's generation would call it.

Mum and Dad got a passport in middle age so they could see the old country, unseen since Dad was a preschooler. They flew a charter plane with war veterans from Canada and the US.

Dad traveled by road, within our time zone, once with the older kids, once with the younger kids, to stay with relatives. We did not go to Disneyland. We did not ski.

As an adult I happily traveled with the volunteers-only armed forces, including being sent to ski school for a week.

I appreciate you sharing this post! The timing is also wonderful for us. We are traveling to Mongolia this summer with our only child, a two year old named Dalai. He’s never seen his mother’s home country and I haven’t been back since Peace Corps ten years ago. We’re super excited! Thank you all for the wonderful advice. :)

Love this - when we had our little guy we were told "There go your traveling days". We took it as a challange and took him to 24 Countries by the time he turned 2 years old.

The best part for us was how many memories we made in condensed periods of time - we can remember what meals we ate, what things we did almost every day while traveling in new places......it is like slowing down time so every week traveling felt like a month with our little guy.

As usual, you nailed it Derek! My kids have travelled all over the world starting at 6 weeks old. Everyone said it was a waste because babies don't remember - but that misses the point. Beyond how wonderful it was for us as the parents, for all the reasons you stated, travel shapes who they are. It expands their minds, stimulates their brains. I am grateful for the opportunities we had to travel with our kids who are now in their 20s and fearless about going anywhere.

As a laid back type of traveler, I tend to take things in and not worry about the major things of "Impressive". Oddly I got your email about this post the morning after returning from a trip to Greece.

One of the things I do is learn as much about the local language that I'm traveling too as I can. Making the effort to speak the native goes a really long way in how people will interact with you and view you as a guest in their land.

I have yet to go to any Asian speaking countries, I did find Greek to be the most difficult so far. Even Russian was easier than Greek.

While I don't plan to have kids and at this point it would be a real effort, I do travel with the "us" attitude you mentioned. I'm there to learn about their way of life. Eat their food. Understand their world. Not to impose mine on theirs. For in the end, we're all very much humans and do primarily the same thing: live, breath, eat, drink and sleep.

** simple observation in Greece: I really appreciated how they drive vehicles. They drive within inches of each other. More impressively, I didn't see a single instance of road rage. Nor a single accident. They drive sorta like ants moving around in a colony and it just works. And yes, the ancient structures of history were cool too.

Hmmm... a stretch for someone like me who's never had children. You certainly paint a positive picture for new parents. On the other side of things though... it seems most of us are constantly seeking peace. In my experience, infants and children are the opposite.

Love the photo of you and your beautiful boy, Derek. And thanks for sharing your experiences and insights. Always great to get your unique perspective on things. All the best to you and your family/

hi Derek,

I really enjoyed your father and son photo. Your view of the world from a baby's point is truly amazing and fresh to me. That also makes your post so special every time I read. Cheers! Gong Qian

I think its a great experience for the children to see the world at an early age. It’s obviously easier traveling alone or with an adult partner, but I’m grateful I got to travel to dozens of destinations and 3 countries with my two girls.

Great article!
Untuk seseorang yang masih lagi tiada pengalaman mempunyai anak atau adik kecil dirumah, tapi saya masih boleh memproses output yang tuan cuba sampaikan.

Terima kasih!

Love love love this perspective!!!! Babies/kids are the coolest we have 3 & 5 year old boys and have tried to travel as much as humanly possilbe with them especially when the flights were free up to 2 years old. :)

Derek,

It’s always good to hear from you, dear friend. Add the addition of the most adorable baby (so cute!). I can see why everyone stopped you on your walk.
There were so many jewels in this post but the idea of drawing something upside down really hit home to me and proved your point that the world seen through children becomes new again. Beautiful piece.
“Especially for children, airports are not just a way to get somewhere else, but their own destination.”

This is great! It aligns with a new way I'm thinking about things..."explain like i'm 5"...Seeing and learning about things in a fresh / simple way ☺

I loved the perspective and realized how much I think the same way. Traveling with little ones are so much fun, I really envy their reactions to world.
For us, traveling with a baby became super easy when friend of my introduced us with a baby gear rental platform. We used Babonbo in UK to rent portable crib and stroller. It felt crazy good to travel light. Woot woot!

Thank you, Derek. Our culture has turned children into an inconvenience, a barrier to success, or a commodity. It is so encouraging to see that people still value children. Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Living in Wisconsin USA We traveled with our 2 kids a year apart in age, since they were 2 years old. We traveled all over the world for the last 20 years. We would usually spend the month of May in France and explored every corner of it. We rented villas in Spain and Crete. We traveled all over the USA by flight or in our Chevy Suburban to California, Arizona, Nevada, Dakota's. The road trips were the best!! Memories forever!! Thanks giving weekends in Chicago and many more places. Taking direct flights out of Chicago we were quite a sight at the airport with 8 bags, carry-on bags, 2 strollers, 2 cars seats and I should add, that our 92 lb. Irish Setter traveled with us. That dog saw more of the world than most people could hope for! In very short order, our kids learned how to behave properly in public, how to be polite and not to have a fear of the unknown. Needless to say, both kids for the time being have chosen to reside and attend the Equestrian Academy in Saumur France. At 18 yrs old my son went off on his own and my daughter followed the next year. It has been the best experience they could ever hope for. They have learned to speak, read and write another language, and interact with people from all over the world. At the beginning there was some very trying times, crying on flights, refusing to eat etc.. And to end on that note, they will now eat just about anything and everything!!

Totally on point!

Every trip we've had with our kids has been a new adventure. Since my kids' first trip my wife and I have prepared them days before, they helped us prepare the luggage, assign a trip buddy (usually a stuffed animal), watching pictures, not only of the destination but also of the airport and plane (this was key when they were very little).

Now my sons are 16 and 12yo and I've traveled with the whole family and on 1 on 1 with each of them and every time it's a blast. When someone asks "what would you be doing if money wasn't an issue?", my answer is this, I just love traveling with my family!

Traveling internationally and residing in other places before settling in nyc for 1st grade, has erased the notion of big travels as something special, pretty much since then. Always has to be a compelling reason to travel, like a favorite band concert or, hmmmm, that's usually it😅
Otherwise it's no big deal. Wherever you go, there you are. Parents seemed to take it in stride, traveling as a family. Seemed normal. Nothing exciting about it.

I traveled to Europe and back with young children as well as went on several bus tours with them. They kept up with the pace and I don't remember anyone complaining all that much. Most of the time, during flight or in the car, they slept. It's always fun when the kids recognize a place in a movie you're watching that you actually visited. It connects them to the world, in a way. My son was actually born in Illinois, but he thinks he was born in Italy. We visited the Louvre in Paris as a family, they will always have those memories of the experience. In short, don't leave your kids behind when you go on vacation, you are doing a disservice to both your children and yourselves.

The reason why I have always said that it’s worth it to backpack and road trip with my kids is that it’s SO grueling that it makes home life feel amazingly simple. it’s also very memorable and my kids love looking at pictures and talking about all the different wilderness areas they’ve been to.
But really whenever I or my kids start feeling whiny about all the home chores- that’s when I know it’s time for us to do something really difficult and challenging.

Thank you! Traveling with my parents in other parts of europ and the ”other side” of the medeteranian gave me so many memories of other smells, tastes, architecture, furniture and nature. Kind stangers who didnt speak my language but communicated with me anyways. Tought me that nice things dont have to be same as home and you dont need to speak the same language to communicate. (Sorry my spellcheck is not set to english 😳).

Ok, if only to play devil's advocate...I have had many a flight segment ruined by a seemingly tormented, screaming baby. I also vaguely remember doing the same as a youngin, due in part to an inner ear issue that wasn't discovered until many years later (e.g. when I "grew up"). Isn't there some selfishness in traveling with young children/babies (assuming it is non-essential, leisure) when there is a high likelihood they will act out, whether for "justified" reasons or not? Don't you have an obligation to your fellow passenger, in the same way you would not board a flight then proceed to scream at the top of YOUR lungs for the next three hours?!?

Hi Derek,

Great post.
I agree, travelling with kids is great.
My two daughters are now teenagers but we did travel with them since they were around 2 years old. My best memories of our travels are exactly from the ones we did with them when were little.
And now that they are older it is so funny to go down memory lane with them at the dinner table. We always laugh to tears!

Warm regards,
Cristina Varela

Thanks for this Derek!
I’m one of the lucky frequent fliers that suffers from ear blockages, and they can be excruciatingly painful. I mention this because that screaming little one two rows away may be suffering with a blocked ear as well, and because they aren’t talking yet, they can’t tell us why they’re in so much pain.
Many infants suffer from ear problems, and if yours does and you plan to fly, I’d suggest talking to your doctor about it.

I needed this. Thank you.

Yeah. Travelling with kids is a great way to show them how big and fascinating the world is. There will be times where you are inconveniencing everyone around you, and when they scream on planes, you can feel the collective mood changing. I've thought about passing out ear plugs to the people in the rows around us when travelling with our 1 and 4 year olds. Apologies in advance usually helps smooth the ride. People are generally very understanding, and everyone has bad days. We're on a trip right now with our kiddos and are having a blast. You need to slow down and go at their pace, but that is life. No hurries and no worries.

Wonderful! ♥️

I don't disagreed, but "are we there yet?".

Derek, you always know how to make things understandable and logical.

Travel is life!!! My daughter is now 2 and she's been on more flights in her life than probably my parents. She's been to three countries, countless states, and already had a cross country (USA) roadtrip!!! She's not afraid to try new things, meet new friends, eat all kinds of foods, or adapt to any situation. The best part also about traveling with an infant is their flight cost is FREE!!!! We took one international trip just before her second birthday so I wouldn't have to pay for her flight haha!! And yes, people do love babies, she is always fed and happy when around others. She's seen the bioluminescence, made tortillas with the chef in a kitchen in Mexico, swam with turtles, seen a Mayan pyramid, and so much more!!

It's funny because I was just saying this to a friend that while everyone says why travel with a baby "they won't remember the trip" They actually do...their brain does the most development from birth to age 5...they're forming opinions, absorbing things within their subconscious, tasting, experiencing. IMO, it's the best thing you can do with a child to allow them to experience the world!!

This email could not have come to me at a better time! I have been planning a trip around the world with my wife and 10-month-old girl, and we finally take off next month! Thank you for helping me understand what I have felt for the longest time, I cannot wait!

Great post! We have three young kids and we’ve taken them to a number of places (our oldest especially…he’s six) including Japan, Argentina, Canada, Australia, various places around the U.S. and have more spots on the horizon. Travel with kids does make you slow down, and it does help you interact with local families better. We’re all human, and babies needs are universal so you have an instant connection with fellow humans. I think Americans in general are pretty travel averse in general - throw a few kids in there and the excuses for not traveling stack up pretty fast. It’s a shame.

Beautiful! My girlfriend and I are digital nomads and have flirted with the idea of children. I've been more on the 'no' side and have felt like they would slow our life, she has been more 'yes'. So it was great to read this and see how children are such a plus to travelling! Thanks :)

I first went with my daughter to the Netherlands when she was 3 weeks. last 7 years we have visited many countries far away, 1 month abroad, quite many adventures, but less than I wished heheh, it's true all what you say and for me it's really enriching to share this with her. Only thing gets complicated in the timing many times we could not make all we wanted and left without visiting all we wanted, or we could not walk everywhere, change the plans often. Also the money issues... all gets more expensive since we are more now traveling, therefore we do it less often :( And if I work more I spend less time with her day to day... so yeah it's easy if you have lot of time and enough money to be able to do it. Not my case at this moment. Hope it changes! really wise words as always, thanks!

Great read bro, love from India

Yes! Just returned from a road trip with [my traveling companion who’s 8 years old / she is the child of my first marriage].

Highly recommend the City Museum in St Louis.

I’m looking forward to more exploring and adventures with her.

Loved this. I assumed we wouldn't really travel for the first couple years after having a baby. Love this perspective. What about tantrums on planes, and jetlag affecting their sleep? I see my parent friends really fretting about putting them on a strict sleep schedule.

There’s a saying: “If you would truly know something, teach (it).”

My own experience with my kids over twenty years is that we work to teach them about the world, and life, and what’s important…and in so doing, we discover these things ourselves. As Derek points out, they teach us more than we teach them, with both sides growing immeasurably. And in travel, this is more impactful than other arenas, because there’s so much that is out of your “comfort zone” of narrow daily experience. I cannot express strongly enough how much I encourage you to travel with your kids as early as possible to as distant a destination as you can prioritize. That’s right; I’m not just saying “take your kids on your trips; it will be more than fine.” I’m saying “save up for trips that you might not otherwise even consider, so you can take your kids!!” Kids aren’t an acceptable addition to travel; they are the BEST REASON to travel.

This is the most valuable gift you can give your children; a global perspective, a paradigm that it’s normal and to be expected that a life contains lots of different people and foods and customs and working to understand wonderful people whose language you don’t yet speak. And then they will begin pouring over maps and talking excitedly about where they want to go next, and why they want to see there, learning about new cultures and history in books and online. You create kids who DELIGHT in hearing other languages on the street, rather than hoisting an American flag and huffing “speak English!”

My son had his first passport at 3 months old, and was on the Great Wall at 6 months. At 11 months, he was in an emergency room in Beijing having a cut above his eye glued together from a fall during his early learning to walk phase. He is so prou d of that little scar now, just as I knew he would be. He snorkeled for the first time ever at 5 yo off the coast of Africa (Zanzibar), and saw a panther in a tree in the Serengeti. He’s been all over the world, and I’ve carried him crying, or sleeping gently, or crowing with delight in places I dreamed of when I was a young reader. He peed down my back on the Great Wall and threw up all over the ferry across to Zanzibar from Dar Es Salaam. We just laughed ruefully- bring it on. I bought my daughter her exciting “first drink” in a country where she was legal, while not quite yet being old enough in the US. We’ve ridden horses in the forests of Belarus, ridden trains deep in Ukraine and Russia, and walked the streets and museums of Moscow. We’ve eaten the best street food ever in remote western Mexico, and spent 30+ hours on four flights just to reach our destination once, the last flight being so small that a passenger was in the co-pilots seat up front in the open cockpit. There is not one single second of any of it that I would ever forego, despite the difficulties finding the money to do these things, and the inevitable challenges along the way. These are the building blocks of an unshakable confidence in yourself and your kids, and of a life worth living.

Take them, and go. Become who you all were meant to be.
☺ — Derek

Our first trip with our daughter was just after her first birthday. We learned a trick- bring a bottle for the take offs and landings. If they're older, try gum. It keeps the ear blockage and hence pain to a minimum as cabin pressure changes. They were a joy to fly with. (Or were we just lucky ?) Works for adults as well.

I really enjoy reading this, because I mostly disagree.

I had just one trip with my kids (twins, ~1.5yo) and it was stressful.
Reading this was just another reminder that the old me is gone. Traveling with the mindset I had before is just not possible anymore. If I want to enjoy things, I have to change the mindset for the current me and see travel (life, actually) in a different way.

I leave this comment with mixed feelings, which is a great thing by itself.

Thanks for sharing. :)

When I thought of what parenthood would be like to me in an ideal world, I knew I wanted to travel with my son. Every time we travel together I reflect on how lucky I am to be living my dream. It is SO much fun to travel with my kiddo.

We don't have kids, but we do have dogs and we take them everywhere as we travel cross country. Often, it can be inconvenient, but more often, it forces us to be creative and discover pet friendly outings, campsites, parks...

I noticed a few responses mentioned the irritation of flying with a screaming baby nearby and that sure is true, but your article wasn't really about flying... that's simply the way to get somewhere. Your article was about traveling... discovering, and appreciating things differently and from a different perspective. Bravo.

Lastly - while some might think of bringing a baby along on a plane ride is selfish - that might also be said about anyone wishing to deny a parent the opportunity to travel with their kids. You have kids... you can't just abandon them when it's inconvenient.

When is your next article coming out? I can't wait.

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

What a lovely post!

💜❤️💜❤️💜

I just had a nightmare 3-hour-flight with 2 crying babies (luckily not mine), and also had one of life´s very best "solo" travels. But yes I enjoyed reading your view.

I think the most important point, with or without kid, is to enjoy the moment while it lasts.

100% agree! I love interacting and learning from others in their area, but it's not always easy or you don't find someone willing to talk. Now I let my kids lead, they always find interesting people to talk to and people are more inclined to talk and even teach them (so you learn even more). My kids have also taught me lessons in interacting. It's okay to keep it short, it's okay if some of it is awkward, it's okay to ask lots and lots of questions, it's okay to only ask one question and let it sink in. Anything and everything can go.

It also really brightens other people's day. Nothing feels better than watching your child inspire and brighten someone else's day.

Traveling with a kid is great. Flying with a baby is easy. Flying with a toddler, now, that's been my worst experience on a plane ever. When they're older than the "sleep & eat" stage, but not so old that they can easily be entertained with toys or screens, boy, it's hard.

luv it!!!!! 🥰🤟🤸‍♂️🎶🎹

how many kiddos do u hv Derek?

a sayin thst fell thru my pen;

'Our gift of life lasts but a second and what our children see us doing, they too will do long after we are gone......'
judy joy jones..2022

I was too uptight when the kids were very young and now I regret being so tied to "schedules and rules". However, once they were out of strollers we traveled globally which was awesome for them and us.

My people are now 13 and 14 now and they are great travelers. We just got back from a European adventure that turned out to be one of my favorite trips ever (I had never had the desire to go to Paris as I was told that Pariseines aren't friendly towards Americans which was not our experience). We didn't cater to children but we did make time for things they might enjoy more than a museum ie: we learned how to make perfume and we went to gladiator school.

I guess what I am trying to convey is don't ever stop traveling with your kids!

Thanks for the post, Derek:)

When it comes to travelling for vacation I totally agree. We have a soon to be 2 and one 4 years old and they are usually happier when we are out exploring things. And as you write, strangers are often extra friendly towards children which is nice.

On the other hand, when it comes to travelling for other reasons things are a bit more complicated with children. We're currently researching other countries to move to and that is for sure a bigger task as a family of four.

So true, Derek. We always took our young kids on vacation with us. (Hawaii, Utah, Alaska) Though it can be a challenge at times (Eva was 2 1/2 and almost tipped over the kayak in Fern Grotto when we were in Kauai), the memories engraved in their minds and ours, are priceless. When William Randolph Hearst was asked what inspired him to build Hearst Castle, he replied, all the memories I had of Europe when my mother took me as a child.

I appreciate reading both the blog and all the posts beneath. It is great to see how many parents have encouraged a spirit of adventure in their children. The path to the future requires kids like these. Makes me wish I had kids myself.

My children are now between 30 and 43 and have traveled since they were in diapers. We live in Sweden, but they have traveled in the US, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Israel, Mexico, Ireland, Scotland, UK, and Thailand. Being bilingual English/Swedish has given them an advantage in relating to other children from various backgrounds and countries, or playing with but not using language at all with children that didn't share a language. People open up to adults traveling with children and children are curious of others so you can't help but meet people when traveling. Children are usually not prejudiced concerning race, religion, or economical status so it is refreshing to see what attracts them. I wish that I had traveled with my parents like my children have.

Agree 100%. My kiddo is almost four and we've flown together as a family of three all over on 50+ flights in his short life. I've also done numerous solo flights (just me and him). Super easy to travel when they are a baby, and even easier now that he can walk himself. Packing all the kid stuff, car seat, etc is the worst part. The actual travel is easy!

We're going to Hawaii on Friday with him 7+ hr flight not worried about it one bit.

We also bareboat chartered a sailboat when he was only one year old. People thought we were crazy (the baby will fall out and drown, get injured by sailing gear, etc) but it was a DREAM. The boat is your home and your adventure, no moving around no cars they can nap any time. I highly recommend boat life/ sailing trips if you're open to that sort of thing.

Just get out there! It's a PITA to pack but once you're on the plane and especially once you touch down and start exploring somewhere new it's all worth it.

I would avoid expensive "adult" destinations such as Rome, Paris, etc and opt for more outdoorsy / beach-y / kid friendly locales when they are young as they have no interest in the cultural aspects (yet). Save your money for when they are older.

We've simply reprioritized our bucket list of destinations doing the young kid friendly locations first. These are often the most adventurous as well (i.e. Sailing, Road to Hana Hawaii, See a volcano/lava, etc)

All the comments about screaming babies -- that hasn't been our experience. Maybe we got lucky but on 50+ flights with our now-four year old there was only a flight or two when he cried for any significant length of time. So many comments "that kid is great". I think the more you fly with kids you quickly learn how to take care of them. It's not rocket science. And a crying baby hasn't hurt anyone. Who cares what others on the plane think! 10 years from now you'll wish you just went on the trip, even if your kid cries the whole time. Nobody remembers the plane or car ride even if it's hell, they remember the amazing trip and new experiences!

As a travel nanny I quite agree that traveling is great for families. I often get taken for that "extra hand" so parents can have couple time too. We build memories together. I have 2 grandsons and when they were 8 & 6 we did our first Grandparents Great Adventure trip. It was their birthday and Xmas present! They live in NY and us in Texas. I had done many short trips during visits when parents were gone to local areas around NY. I had trained them well to be good travelers! We did a train trip from NY to San Diego, stopping along the way in Grand Canyon. The discussions that took place as we watched the country change! Next year was Niagara Falls, Montreal back down through Vermont. Before Covid hit we flew to Alaska and did a road trip around it. They were now 10 & 8. This year, maybe our last big adventure, we are going to Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon and quick trip to see family in Belgium before doing a Croisi River Cruise out of Porto (kids are free!). Now 12 & 10 they know this is a cultural trip - no amusement parks or zip lines, water parks etc! When you travel, take those pictures and put in something like Piccaboo album, write out the travel story as you go. When home add your touches with special moments and print. Your kids will love reading as they get over or you sit around and say "remember when".

Agree with Josh and add the "Are we there yet?!" hammering away of pre-teens....

We traveled with a 4YO and a 3month baby from Melbourne Australia to London on the British flag carrier some years ago. Books and food for the 4YO but the baby was whisked away by the cabin staff and only returned for the essentials on this really long flight. The result was two happy and well traveled kids.

I agree! We lived with our 2 kids (daughter age 2 and son age 4 months)in Japan for 3 months in 2005. Then the Dominican Republic in 2008, then France and England in 2010. Then 6 months in 2013-2014 through Asia and Oceania while I homeschooled and my husband did research. We lived in Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Then Japan for a month in 2016 then Portugal and Spain in 2017 and Italy and Switzerland in 2018 Then my daughter got really sick in 2019 at age 16 and we spent a lot of time in the hospital (she is doing better now) and then the world shut down so we haven’t traveled internationally in 3 years. But any kind of adventure is great. Our kids have also seen lots of states- my daughter saw MA,NH,MD,MI,NY her first year.

Most people thought we were nuts but we made travel a priority and wanted to create global citizens. So many people think it’s easier later when you have teens, but they are busy and have their own lives so it’s harder to do now. Here’s my advice: 1) make adventure and fun a priority even if you can’t afford a lot of international trips. 2)find ways to see the states as well. 3) teach your kids the important truth that it’s ok to feel uncomfortable and not understand your environment- that grit and curiosity are at the heart of resilience.

I absolutely disagree with you. I know better now. One of my Aunties warned me when I was trotting the globe with the babies that the trips are for you. The babies don't care They are all grown now and I have learned the following:It is a waste of time and effort. Any globe trotting is for you the adults. The poor babies ears get to hurting on the flights and it is the worst. I did not have that ear experience until an adult. It is excruciating pain. I was just on a flight and the poor baby was hollering. The poor parents were clueless. Nothing to suck on. Most kids recall nothing in those early years. They don't start really retaining and appreciating until later years. And even then, my kids just came along because we said so. It was forced fun and they enjoyed it. But ask some of them when they are older, they liked it but if they did not have the memories, they would be fine. I did not read all the feedback but it appears I am in the minority. Sorry, to throw cold water but just my experience. I am retired military. We are still traveling and we are still taking them. We/they look back at the pictures and laugh but half the time they have to be reminded. It does not help that our memory is fading.

Yes on Every Single Point!
For the family in the comments above for whom renting so big a car (big enough to hold all children) was a turn-off, right on!
Traveling with kids on public transportation is often a highlight of the day. Being with ordinary people going through their ordinary day and learning just how many different ways there are to be normal in the world is at the root of some of the most valuable learning my kids have experienced in life.
From elders practicing taichi moves by standing on the bus without holding on to anything, to on-bus ads directed toward the business executives on the bus who were looking to buy multi-thousand-dollar office furniture: what my kids have seen didn't happen through the distance of a windshield and didn't require being strapped down in a carseat. It's so much easier and less expensive than trying to drive with kids, and the experience has been priceless.

Great point about seeing through their eyes (vicariously) I can still vividly recall being struck with wonder when I saw a pigeon drinking water from a flower pot tray... I was on my way back from daycare where I left my then-toddler, but the fresh-perspective effect was still lingering.

I remember traveling across Europe and staying in hostels where I saw whole families traveling, it was amazing…I wish my parents gave me that kind of adventure growing up, cheers to this that’s expose your children to the adventure of life!

I love the way you think Derek, so magical, adventurous, fun and beautiful and I love my journey of thoughts that always follow. What a gift to give your beautiful son and he to you, the travel, love, excitement, experiences, cultures and people while appreciating fully the magic of everything.

Thank you for writing such a beautiful blog post for us. I will share the magic!

I flew with my then 18-mo daughter to India in February 2020. It was so much fun, and insightful as you noticed as well. I only took a roller and she mastered riding on it through Schiphol. Then, touring Hampi, she and our tuktuk driver bonded (we loved him as well), even meeting his family without us, and adding the family element to the trip really deepened the whole experience. It really tempered the next year of not traveling due to Covid-19.

Plane travel becomes a new thing as a parent - your old adult routines are gone, replaced with a solitary mission of keeping your kid entertained - sleep, food, screentime, whatever it takes. Tiny post-its(c) are fairly benign to clean up and can work wonders for distracting the sub-2 crowd.

The deepest wisdom that was imparted upon us before flying with babies was thus - "You won't see even half the people on your flight ever again so [forget] them, don't try to please them. Please your kids, make it fun for them and it won't be as bad the next time."

Paradigm shift. Travel itself is something to experience. Don't get through it, go for it.
Oooh! Succinctly put! Love it. Thanks Kevin. — Derek

Thank you very much in writing this, Derek. It totally changes my perception of travelling with baby.

Couldn't agree more. Both my kids had passports before 6 months old and use them regularly.
It is usually just a matter of being a little more organised on the flight.
After that, everything falls into place.
One of them even had a five hour flight in the back of a C130 military aircraft and loved it!

True enough. Travelling with kids is not at all a burden. We travelled with both our kids quite a lot when they were small. As my wife is a teacher, normally she's not allowed to take time off, except during the school vacations (as they are anyway long enough), which normally means that you can only go on vacation when it's expensive. In Sweden, you are allowed by law though, to take paternity and/or maternity leave at any time using your 460 days up until the kid is 8 years old. So, my wife could use that option, and for me it's not an issue - running my own company, so all of a sudden we could utilize her maternity days to go to places off-season, which meant that it was a lot cheaper than it normally would have been. Also - spot on, on the "impressive" stuff. Kids are not impressed by impressive stuff at all, very much more like the bugs in the tree log or the caterpillar! Great post!

My daughter has flown overseas at least 5 times before in her life but we didn't take any trips for 2 years because of COVID. A few days ago we boarded an airplane, and it was amazing. For her, it was as if the experience of flight was happening for the first time. It was a wonderful surprise.

Completely agree. Ours trended toward car travel and with two kids. It is often not easy but it is a really great time to travel with them. Also setting the habits early makes travel more fun the rest of their young lives too.

Hello Derek!
Our twins, now 4 years old, are great travel fellows ;)
Pandemic times were a complicated moment to travel, but before that we had the chance to do a trip to Europe (from Brazil) and it was a great experience.
But the best example I would like to mention came with bad news: my son broke his leg in front of the checkin counter at the airport, when we were going to a trip to the beach. We went to the hospital, his leg was put in a cast... but the doctor said something very important: he said we should not give up. This trip would be good for the family (and for the twins). My wife was very sure this was the right thing to do. And we had a very nice vacation. Plastic bags to protect the leg, small boats for my boy, wheelchair races and all the effort to be just together with the beautiful view. It was not perfect, but certainly was very important for us, and we had quality time together.
;)

He is adorable Congrats.
Actually, when they are little they are so easy because you are in control. It's teens that are hell LOL You want to drop them off in the desert. I drove from Chicago to Phoenix with one. I was sure glad when that was over

Even local travel with a toddler or baby can be a win! I remember the checklist: diapers, wet wipe billfold, umbrella stroller, DONE! Once the kids eat table food, it gets easier! Canoeing in swampland, visiting Easter bunny, a Mexican street fair, and strolling the hood all become adventures with the right pair of glasses on!

In the first year our eldest son took the air from 3months and travelled with us nationally and internationally for my work, every month. It was super easy and we have heaps of photos of him being bathed in various hotel bathroom sinks. This didn't stop when no:2 son came along 2 years later. Now they are 17 & 15 they still love flying and are content hanging out in airports :)

Hi! Thanks for this awesome post! I own a travel agency that specializes in family travel. While I do all kinds of things, I really love to help my clients with music-related activities on their trips... Helping you to find your song, basically. ☺ This is delightful, and I am trying to figure out if I'm able to share it on my Facebook page. I am blind, and sometimes the accessibility of websites is a little on the confusing side... That, and I would never share without your permission! :) Have a blessed day... And happy travels!

I really like your point of view! I have a boy almost 2 years old but I always feel afraid to travel with him but your post encouraged me to do it! Thank you very much! It's all true that they have new eyes for everything! that's the coolest part of being a parent.

I couldn't agree more. Traveling with children helps your perspective on life as well as theirs. Because we home schooled both of our children we were able to just get up and go whenever we wanted. My children are now fully grown(35 and 39) and are the most well rounded, people you'll meet. They are both extremely successful in their chosen careers and know how to relate to everyone they meet, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or even political stance. That always amazes me. I am a blessed man because of this.

Travel is a relative term. Due to financial constraints at that time, I didn't "jet" anywhere with my kids, but we "traveled" to parks and museums and jazz clubs and festivals, and the backyard, full of "exotic" plants and bugs and wonder. Sometimes travel is just a state of mind.

Blessings on all your families.
jwt

Completely agree! I've been traveling with my daughter since she was born and, now at 8 years old, she can't wait to get on an airplane and go somewhere. She loves the rituals of packing, getting situated in one's airplane seat, ordering a beverage from the flight attendant, watching a movie, and unpacking clothes into a new dresser at the hotel. Great article!

I have three young kids and it’s super hard to travel. When it was just my daughter it was delightful, and now that we’re outnumbered it’s extraordinarily tougher to travel, but it’s also more difficult to just go to the local restaurant for dinner.

We have our first big trip planned for next year. Maybe 3 years and older things begin to get easier traveling? Hope so.

In addition to airports, most kids love subway systems (the maps, the sounds, the urgency, the racing to the train, the holding on!)

My daughter is 12 now. She’s been traveling with me abroad since 5 months old. Totally it’s always fun. She was a good, quiet child. The locals love seeing tourists with kids. We‘ve been popular everywhere and always got free stuff 😂😂

This article couldn’t come at a better time. We’re currently at home
bonding with our 5 week old. We just purchased an adventure van and plan on hitting the road at 3-4 months old. We’ve only got 18 summers with this princess so we need to make them count.

Perspective! Great summary of the amazing possibilities kids bring to us and we bring to them. Thank you Derek.

We took 10-yr-old Noah to Burma for 30 days, and it was the trip of a lifetime! With his stuffed rabbit under one arm and Nintendo in the other hand, he made friends in Yangon, Mandalay, and all the way to northern Burma in planes, trains, busses, riverboats, and hiking. We didn’t do glitz. We shared train cars with locals, slept in the deck of the riverboat with locals, were loved and accepted everywhere with open arms. You’re forced to let go of agendas—that all goes out the window with kids. Monks in saffron and burgundy robes, pagodas oh the pagodas, gold spirals and incense. Military with machine fins. It was otherworldly, a phenomenal trip, epic. Hawaii, Costa Rica, Alaska… Noah is gone now (11/24/2021), and I cherish those memories. I’m so grateful we shared travels together. There’s nothing like the bonds formed traveling together. Thank you for bringing it all back to me..

I can only imagine that traveling with a young child or toddler is fun. My boys were born 13 months a part, and that's when "Fun" packed up and left us. Oh, to be sure, I loved them to death, but parents with one child have trouble conceiving the nightmare that accompanies having two children, let alone traveling with them. There are relatively few moments described in your experience with one child because there were only rare moments when one child wasn't causing some issue with his brother. The constant bickering with one another during vacations made the highlight of each vacation coming home. By the time they reached their 20's, they became best friends and even roommates before both got married. Now my youngest son has 2 boys 13 months apart and he rarely smiles anymore. My oldest has one daughter, and he smiles all the time. I wouldn't trade the experience of raising two fine men for anything, nor could I be paid enough to do it again.

Thanks for this, Derek. Another "out of the box" article - and much needed!

We, too, travel with our babies since, well, babies. My 8yo has been to maybe 15 countries so far. On her first trip international she was maybe 4 months old. My 3yo is the same, her first international trip was to nothing else than Galapagos - she was 2 months old!

It is the best! Love you.

PS: your boy is super cute on that jackfruit!!!!

Love the post, we are trying to live it from our current home base in Singapore now that travel is starting to reopen! And combing with some of your earlier comments about parenting... when our son is interested in/curious about something or meets another kid he is enjoying... try to just roll with that and stick with it for as long as it's interesting even if we have to skip other stuff.

What a great read, Derek!

We had a 9-hour road travel with a baby before, and I remember we brought the whole house including the foldable big crib. XD

I should have read this article before to avoid those crazy worries.

A friend of mine has been using that, “babies bring out the best in us” phrase a lot lately! I always wish that we could somehow give people a moment where they could go back to their childhood psyche and remember what it was like to just experience life as it comes not as you want to see it as.

A fine baby boy, Derek. Blessings on you all, always.

Best,
Ernie

Good post, Derek. We spent 4 months in Thailand a few years ago when the kids were 2 and 5 years old. For vacation and family rehab only. It was the best time of our lives so far. Wonderful for us adults to be fully present in the children's lives and experiences. But just as important was to see how well the children responded to having parents who did not always have something else to do. We experienced the adventure together. The journey created stronger relationships between all of us. Now the children are over 20, but we still like to travel together. And the parents are still a couple <3

I love the expressions on both of your faces.

We travelled for much of the year when our first son was 12-24 months. We stayed in 42 different "homes" over the year. It was wonderful, and he was the perfect age. He would fall asleep in his stroller on the way to lunch as we explored different cities, so my wife and I would first have a nice quiet lunch together, and then a fun time with him as he explored new foods after waking up.

He was often more fascinated by things like sewer gates and pebbles than the Colosseum, but it was so special to explore with him.
☺ — Derek

It is a real great to travel with a baby.
I brought my 5-year-old son to many parts of China. Unfornately, we couldnot travel aboard because of Covid-19. I am planning to bring him to walk on derset 108kilometers within 4days. It seems a crazy travelling. I am planning to make it true.
Bless us!

My babies are now old enough to drink beer. ☺

Other than car trips into New York City to visit "Grandma", we didn't travel when our children were babies. Our first "cross the ocean" trip was to the Atlantis Resort in 2009. My "babies" were 8 and 10 at the time.

islandinthenet.com/tag/bahamas/

My wife is from India, and I'm from the Caribbean. She's from India, and I'm ... how do you describe a culture. We don't have to travel to experience diversity.

> Pack only for the journey. Get everything else after you arrive.

ROTFL at that one.

For India, our friends and family who did travel with their babies to see family packed suitcases full of baby formula and bottled water and medications, etc. For the Caribbean, my friends and family who did travel with their babies to see family packed bags with American snacks etc. Getting everything else after you arrive does NOT work in these places.

A ticket to the island where I was born was over $2000 round trip and involved sitting in an airport for hours - about 8 hours of travel. They got an international airport three years ago. Travel alone would have cost us $8000. Roundtrip tickets to India are not cheap either.

I'm sure we could have travelled more, but both my wife and realised it would be too much shit to carry, too much to consider, etc. The project was too large.

In 2014 we took our almost one year old and two teenagers to Spain for three months in three different cities. It was an amazing trip and I would do it again.

We haven't traveled anywhere in two years, because we would not comply with masking, testing or vaxxing. But we did travel by car to another state and moved there by the end of 2020.

I hope many pathways of private untraced travel will be available on the black market soon, can't wait;)

My oldest just turned 18. My youngest is 12 with a 14 and 15 in between. I’ve been traveling with them (planes/trains/automobiles) since they were 9 months old. They each got Frequent Flyer numbers before they even received their birth certificates. This past summer they have now been to all 50 states (with pictures of them in front of every “Welcome to [insert state]” sign, along with Canada and Mexico (all of North America). It wasn’t my intent to hit all 50 but we had so many that when Covid hit, the roads were empty, gas was cheap and lodging was quite affordable, it was hard to resist.

I don’t fully know the memories or the long term effects of all this traveling but I do know they’re highly informed about this country, they’ve seen and experienced an incredible amount, they’ve listened to some great music and they’ve bonded as siblings. We had reasonable road rules as it pertains to devices which certainly helped them take in the scenery. This summer will be the last road trip of its kind (just driving straight across this time) The oldest is now off to college and I don’t see any more family road trips, like we’ve done, in the future but I’m sure there will be variations.

Keep it up. There’s a rhythm to the road that the earlier one learns it, feel it, the easier it is to expand on it and show kids just how great this land actually is. Now we’re trying to figure out what’s next (7 Wonders? All the continents?) Who knows. All I know is I’m super Platinum member at Best Western and the kids have had a blast and clearly have an advantage over many of the kids their age. Keep it up. It’s gonna be great!!

This if my first time to leave a comment. I have an almost 1-year-old daughter and another one to be expected this winter. 2-under-2 life is waiting for me and hubby.
I hear about friends and coworkers going to travel, I always thought, it's just not for us around this time with little kids. But your article motivated me to go out and explore what the kids see in their eyes! Thank you for sharing like always :) I love reading your articles.

We spent three years traveling around the world with a pre-schooler. My second child was born en route in Wellington. In China the locals saw us as parents not tourists. In India the local women criticized me for breast feeding. Nestle had more prestige. My oldest daughter started Grade one when we got back. She had some kindergarten in NZ. This was from 82 to 85. Our cost $18k…the amount of money we would have spent on a house in Long Beach, CA. We met the Dalai Lama at his home.

Beautiful!

I am about to take my young-ish (5 and 8 years) kids on a cycle tour next week. I am so excited...

It may be type 2 fun for us all at times (something you don't enjoy at the time but do in hindsight and are glad you did it) but nonetheless, it'll be a worthy adventure. Of that I am sure.

Thanks Derek. It's lovely to be back (on your site. As I was looking for something I wanted to recommend to a coaching client that you said... about getting rich)

James

Derek - thank you for this post!

I have taken my daughter on planes since she was 3 months old.

Will she remember all those trips? Maybe not - but I will!

Plus you are helping your kids build life skills by traveling - of curiosity, adventure, wonder, thinking on your feet, meeting new people, and learning that we are all ONE!

I can't imagine regretting traveling, but I would regret NOT doing so.

Derek, thank you so much for this great post (and all the others you have published).
They are so helpful to me!

To anyone who reads this:

My husband and I wanted to travel for a few years now. In 2020 we wanted to start but then Covid came along - last year I got pregnant and therefore we only traveled short distances due to the risk of getting covid and getting my unborn in danger - therefore I was so excited to finally be able to travel once my baby is born (already having this blog post in mind).

Now, my baby is 6 months old and the doctor says we should not travel because babies can only be vaccinated against maleases when they turn 11-13 months old.
He scared us so much!
It's not so likely to get infected by maleases but if you do it is really dangerous - especially for such a young baby.
We are really not sure what to do.

I am a bit afraid that there will always be the next thing preventing us from travelling the world.

I was thinking about all my "mentors" - What would they do? - How would they decide? I really don't know.

Has anyone any recommendations for this decision process? Any books, blog posts,...? How would you handle the situation - do you have any thoughts on that?

Thank you in advance!

I thought you wouldn’t share the baby’s face until he decides on his own, in one of your article’s photo explanation.
He did. — Derek

What a great post to inspire more female digital nomads like me to consider about having baby while still keeping my lifestyle 💜💜💜