Should You Put Your Travel Plans on Pause When You Have Kids?

Travelling costs a lot, is time-consuming, and is full of uncertainties, so why even bother with travelling, right? Let alone, travelling with a toddler, which is even harder…

Well, we might be biased but there is a debate to have and we could argue well with both sides.

Though travel involves many inconveniences, especially when travelling with a little one, there are things that usual daily life just cannot offer your family.

Why travelling is important for families?

As the family is taken out of the familiar routine and into a whole different world, the ups and even the downs strengthen the family bond.

Specifically, travelling with small children forces adults to travel slower, thus enjoying everything more and not missing out on the little details that matter. When travelling, the family truly lives in the moment.

Still, we are not oblivious to the challenges of travelling, either, which is why below you will find both advantages and disadvantages of travelling with toddlers.

This should allow you to make your own opinion about why you’d be willing to continue travelling even after the little ones come knocking into your life.

4 Advantages of travelling with toddlers

exposing kids to different cultures
opportunities to develop language and social skills
positive memories that will stay with them for life
toddlers acquire important character skills

1. Exposing kids to different cultures

There are many benefits to diversity exposure and what better way to do it than to take your toddler abroad? Exposing kids to diverse cultures at a young age will teach them that we may look different but we’re all the same and that diversity is something to be celebrated.

Diversity exposure also strengthens their social skills, builds self-confidence, and increases their awareness and appreciation. From early developmental stages, kids learn the inclusion of diverse beliefs and cultures.

In a world where borders become more and more blurred between countries and cultures, it is great to teach your toddler from an early age to be more receptive to those who speak a different language.

According to research, children who travel are open to imitation regardless of language, which demonstrates their willingness to learn. If you expose your toddler to seeing and hearing different languages, they will take in way more than you can imagine.

3. Positive memories that will stay with them for life

As memory is so selective, you never know what your toddler will remember for life. However, travelling creates distinguishable memories, which have a higher chance of being unforgettable, compared to your everyday routine.

Instead of planning a strict itinerary, if you allow your toddlers to be spontaneous and just have fun, together you will create meaningful memories or even develop lifelong traditions.

Creating memories that toddlers can reminisce on as adults also serve them well in the form of lower stress levels and better mental well-being.

4. Toddlers acquire important character skills

Responsibility, adaptability, and flexibility are just a few of the many skills that toddlers learn and develop through travelling. It is very rewarding for you, as well, to see your kids learn and grow in front of your eyes.

While everyday life has its way of developing a growing child, travelling offers a wider range of lessons and opportunities within a shorter amount of time. Not only that, it includes the whole family, so you experience and make memories together.

We are also aware that travelling is not all sunshine and rainbows. Alongside all the advantages there are some disadvantages to travelling with a toddler. When toddlers are born, families decide to skip travelling for a reason. Or a few…

5 challenges of travelling with toddlers

potential for jet lag
difficulties in finding suitable accommodation
safety concerns
extra luggage requirements
other challenges (whining, boredom, sibling rivalry etc)

1. Potential for jet lag

If travelling within your zone would be sustainable and fun, I’m sure everyone would do it. Time-zone travel is worrying and often takes away hours if not days from your trip. Jet-lagged toddlers are agitated and will make you feel like wasting precious time on a time-sensitive trip.

However, with thoughtful planning, you can minimize the effects of jet lag and preserve the investment of family time together. Though there is no way to avoid jet lag altogether, there are great suggestions by specialists that you can follow.

2. Difficulties in finding suitable accommodation

Without the comforts of their bedroom with a familiar pillow, toys, and lights, it is usually challenging for a toddler to adjust to a hotel room or an Airbnb place. You might get stuck in a pitch-black room with your toddler, hoping they will doze off soon, so you can have a toddler-free hour.

If you’re a family with multiple children, finding accommodation comes with extra challenges. Finding accommodation for 4 or more family members can get very expensive.

3. Safety concerns

This one is hard not to worry about. Your toddler is the most precious being in the whole world, which is why exposing them to additional safety hazards is the last thing you want to do.

Travelling, unfortunately, involves many unavoidable safety concerns such as food poisoning, viruses, motion sickness, earache, accidents, etc. However, even these scary safety concerns should not discourage you from travelling. All you have to do is be extra cautious.

Check in advance with travel agents, airlines, and your accommodation for child-friendly suggestions. Research all the possible ways to avoid any safety hazard, what to do to avoid getting sick and use all available safety restraints on a car, bus or any other mode of transportation.

4. Extra luggage requirements

As annoying as it is, the little guy often requires more stuff to bring than they weigh themselves. All that extra luggage adds extra cost. Travelling with a toddler pushes your packing and organisational skills to the limits when you have to figure out how to fit a dozen different baby gear items into a 20 kg luggage and carry-on.

5. Other challenges (whining, boredom, sibling rivalry etc)

In the beginning, most of the things you’ll do while travelling will be your toddler’s first time. Unless your child is an adrenaline junkie, most likely they’ll be scared of doing something new every single time. It’ll require a lot of patience when dealing with their fears…

…Or whining. And boredom. And sibling rivalry… Okay, there will be many things that toddlers will do that are annoying but they do that all the time at home anyway, so all you have to do is just be patient and concentrate on all the positives of travelling with them.

In addition to that, simple, small adjustments and preparation can have a huge impact on the quality of your trip. Below you will find some tips that you can follow to avoid any mishaps and optimise your travel with toddlers as much as it is in your power to do so.

1. Be flexible

Surely you go abroad making an ultimate list of things to explore and where to play (if not, check out Trip With Toddler suggestions for your chosen destination). You are so excited to tick all of them off till the very first day of the trip when your toddler is cranky and reluctant to follow the plans.

A flexible schedule is what you really need to feel satisfied. It will create less stress for you and your family and lead to a happier trip overall.

Travelling with toddlers demands flexibility — in your schedule, in your expectations, and in your entire being. Going with the flow and listening to your toddler’s needs will actually create a more welcoming environment for spontaneous fun and less disappointment.

2. Book family-friendly accommodation

No matter how much you love your kids, 24/7 with your toddler gets tiring. Booking a family-friendly accommodation will save you from getting pissed off with your cranky toddler.

For example, a family-friendly hotel often has playrooms and children-only zones that are completely safe for all ages. Many of the soft play options may even have staff members to watch children. That’s your opportunity for some alone time to recharge.

Family-friendly places may also include baby gear like cribs or highchairs saving you additional packing space.

3. Plan out activities

No wonder a travelling planning platform suggests planning out your activities but we do truly believe that this helps out immensely. Having a list of playgrounds, restaurants, and other interesting places to visit makes all of the difference. It saves time and gives you more freedom to be flexible.

Trip With Toddler offers a number of toddler-friendly places to save on your activity plan before travelling to your chosen destination. Save it to your map and you can access all of your activities or locations at any point during the trip.

By using Trip With Toddler you’ll avoid wandering aimlessly and getting tired for no reason. If your toddler causes a change in your plans, no worries, all the activities are in one place for you to see and choose from for your next adventure.

4. Bring appropriate supplies

You might choose to rely on shops and minimal baggage, however, bringing essential supplies is highly recommended. Before every trip with a toddler, you should consider what to bring for comfort, safety, and fun.

It takes time and effort to narrow down the most useful things, however, it will be worth it in the end when you’ll have an occupied toddler during a 10-hour flight sitting next to you.

The list of appropriate supplies may vary according to your own needs and the type of trip you’re taking, however, our definitive list of things to pack on a flight with a toddler is a good starting point.

Don’t let toddlers discourage you from travelling

Travelling even without kids requires planning, time and effort, which is why we totally understand that toddlers might discourage you from travelling. As time flies quickly, it might be easier to convince yourself that all you need to do is just wait a few years till they get older.

However, those are the years that you will not get back. The time when your family can build a strong bond, learn to deal with things as a team, and respect each others’ wishes.

The challenges of travelling with a toddler such as jet lag, finding appropriate accommodation, safety concerns, luggage space, and others can feel overwhelming. However, if you take them one at a time and think of them as problems to solve using reliable help such as Trip With Toddler, it won’t be as hard as it seems in the beginning.

To summarize, planning and being prepared is the most important piece of advice that we could give. The more you do before leaving your home, the easier it will be once you’re across the ocean.

When you have another little person’s hand to hold, you cannot dive into adventures blindly, anymore. But don’t worry, they will bring plenty of spontaneity during the trip.

Just remember, once you take that first trip, the second and the rest after will get easier and easier. Just be prepared, be flexible, have a good attitude, and enjoy the journey with your toddler.