A Note on Travelling with Tots

Henry had been to 11 countries by the time he was five months old. Transitioning from travelling as two adults, to travelling with a baby meant we made subtle changes to our itinerary, but it was not unlike carrying around an extra piece of really important luggage. He didn’t move, didn’t need toys or elaborate entertainment; he just napped in our carrier and when he woke up we’d stop for a coffee to let him kick and play and coo at the locals.

At 16 months we took Henry to Scotland and it was busy but awesome. We did things we never would have done without him that we absolutely loved — a hike through the mountains to see reindeer in their natural environment, and a full day of fun at the Glasgow Science Centre to name a couple. The trip was seamless because we always had one person to entertain a busy toddler while the other parent figured out travel details.

Balancing two kids with two different needs is a game.changer. Most of our conversations go like this:

“Ok. Henry will be up from his nap in about 40 minutes and will want a snack. What do we have? Perfect, hummus and chips, a banana and a yogurt. Ok, that takes us to 3 pm. But Tom will have had his last bottle at 1:30 so he’ll want to eat again at 4:30, so we’ll need to pack his milk. Do we have a clean bottle? Wait, did you pack the backpack yet? I think we should put extra pants in as it’s raining and Henry can’t resist a puddle” and so forth.

So, to counteract the chaos, something we’ve started is alone time breakfasts! Tyler will have 30 minutes of alone time and then come back and give Henry his breakfast while I have my 30 minutes of alone time. It’s the perfect chance to chill out, stare at the scenery, eat slow and then come back ready to start the day.

Here are a few norms of travelling with a toddler and a baby: