Traveling with little kids – Why Bother?

It seems like a lot of work, and truthfully, it is. But traveling with kids allows you to connect with the places you`re visiting on a whole new level. And when they’re really little, even more so. Maybe you’ll have to stick to places a little more on the beaten track, and maybe you’ll have to go slower and not pack as much in, but it’s still worth the effort.

“Why bother if they won’t remember it?” Why bother doing anything then? They can’t read, why read to them? They can’t talk, why talk to them? Silly, huh? Here’s the thing: Experiencing new places and faces is good for everyone, including baby. And YOU’LL never forget it. Not a minute of it. The tough bits fade and you end up laughing at most of them anyway.

“Why bother if they’ll be bored? They’d have more fun with Grandma.” Maybe older kids would be bored on a trip if you haven’t let them help with the planning or considered their interests when plotting out the itinerary. But here’s the thing with kids, they love their parents and want to be with them. Novel, right? And the younger the baby, the more they just want to be with you and only you. Cherish this time, as I believe it’s fleeting. And bored? Not when they’re tiny. As a toddler my daughter could be fascinated for hours by a scrap of paper. And my infant son thinks a plastic cup is the coolest thing ever. When they’re easily distractible, cherish this time too!

“Why bother? A baby is a lot of work.” Yes a baby is a lot of work. And a toddler is even more! There are naps, meals, diapers and routines to think about anyway, you may as well be somewhere nice/different/interesting. A bonus? Not being at home means no household chores, so you actually CAN sleep when the baby does.

So what’s the best part about traveling with babies? Once they’re a toddler, they know what to expect. And once they’ve traveled a few times, you get a kid that knows what’s appropriate on travel days, and that they’ll be rewarded with a great time somewhere fun with Mommy and Daddy. Repeated travel at a young age has created a great young traveler in our daughter, who’s 4. She’s been on 9 trips, and her baby brother’s been on a handful too. The problem we have now is not “Are we there, yet”, it’s “When can we go?!”

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Corinne McDermott is the founder of Have Baby Will Travel: Your Family Travel Guide for Babies and Small Children. Mama of two, she’s appeared on Canada’s top-rated talk & morning shows delivering tips on travel with tots, and her writing’s been featured in Canadian Family magazine. Corinne contributes to TheBump.com, Real Mom’s Guide, … Her advice has appeared in Today’s Parent magazine and on SheKnows.com. Recently, she’s been praised by TimesOnline.co.uk as a top Family Travel tweeter: @hvbabywilltrvl.