Why I Travel with a Baby (And You Should, Too!)

“But they’re not even going to remember it!”

People are often shocked to hear about all the places that I have traveled with my kids. I get all kinds of questions – about the logistics, about flying with a baby… but the one I get most often is why?

Why take your kids to all these amazing places that they’re not going to remember? Why spend the money on babies who can’t possibly appreciate it? Why not enjoy your vacation with your partner in peace?

As it turns out, there are many reasons that I travel with my littles. And if you’re considering whether travel with a baby is right for your family, maybe these insights will help.

It builds flexibility.

There’s nothing like traveling across the world to throw you off your sleep routines. And your eating routines. And, well… any routine you might possibly have going.

That’s terrifying, I know, but it’s also very freeing. My oldest daughter has been on a number of trips in her short 2 and a half years, and each time it’s completely thrown her off whatever schedule we had going at home.

But you know what? I’m okay with that. In fact, I appreciate the flexibility it has built in her. She is not so set in her “normal” that I fear changing anything. I know that she can handle any shift, because she has handled it every time we’ve traveled and returned home. Yes, it can be messy. Yes, it is sometimes much more of a challenge than other times. But my toddler understands (in her little toddler way) that things change, and sometimes you just have to go with the flow.

They gain exposure to different cultures and lifestyles.

Sure, my infant is not going to come home from our current trip to Israel suddenly able to explain the history of the Western Wall or the traditions of Shabbat in Jerusalem. But every culture treats parenting a little bit differently, and there is so much to be gained by exposing your children – however young – to people who interact with them in a new or different way.

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Spend a day walking around a Southeast Asian country with a baby, and try to tell me that your baby hasn’t experienced interactions that he or she would never have in the States. Seriously. Try it. It’s the most incredible thing to see how people in that part of the world react to babies!

I still want to travel the world.

I love to travel. I have a long list of places that I want to see, and then don’t even get me started on all the places I’ve been that I’m dying to return to.

I honestly thought that having kids would be the end of my traveling days, but that obviously did not turn out to be the case. (Here I am with a Travel-with-Kids blog, after all).

I couldn’t just give up traveling because I had kids. I’m fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel, and I’m not willing to give that up without good cause.

Leaving your kids at home when you travel is nice here and there, but it raises all sorts of logistical questions. For one thing, I don’t really have anyone that I feel comfortable burdening with my children for more than 2 or 3 days. Grandparents are great, but they’re not all able to take on two babies for a week while we gallivant.

And if you’re breastfeeding? Then you’re talking about pumping, storing, and transporting how ever many days’ worth of milk. Not to mention building up enough of a stash before you leave to tide your baby over. And will the time spent away from the breast impact your nursing relationship? Hopefully not, but it’s a risk.

But honestly, for me it just comes down to this: I hate pumping.

I would miss them.

It turns out I really like my babies. Weird, right? I mean, there are times when I might actually give my left arm to get them to take a nap and stay out of my hair for half an hour, but when it really comes down to it, I can’t stand to be away from them for long.

I have been away from my oldest for 2 nights, and it was incredibly hard for me. I have not been away from my youngest overnight. I can’t imagine being away for a week or more.

I don’t AT ALL mean to imply that you are a worse or less loving parent if the idea of being away from your babies excites you – more power to you! We’re all different, and some parents really benefit from some r&r away from the baby. Just not me.

The pictures are amazing.

Nothing garners “likes” better than a baby lounging on a beach. Or frolicking in the mountains. Or posing cheekily in front of the Eiffel Tower.

It’s not only for social media, though. Our trip photos are always the ones I treasure the most. I love to look back on their cute little baby faces in so many amazing settings, and it seems that those are the ages of their lives that I remember the most acutely.

Photos of my babies on vacation grace every wall of my house, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Honestly, it’s not that bad.

When it comes down to it, the good of having my babies with me far outweighs the bad. Yes, there are challenges. Flying with babies sucks – but here’s my advice to make it suck less. You won’t have all the time for romance and relaxation that you’d like – but why not consider getting a sitter for a few nights while you travel?

You won’t be able to do everything that a place has to offer, and you might have to go at a slower pace than you’d usually travel.

But none of that is a deal-breaker for me, and I don’t think it should be for you, either! If you want to bring your baby along, it’s really not as hard as people think. Just be sure to plan very well and adopt a laid-back approach before you even leave.

You’ll make memories that will last you a lifetime, and hopefully your babies will get a little something out of it, too.