Toddlers without borders
I’m no expert, but within the past year, I’ve taken my toddler and twin babies to Guatemala, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Philippines.
Adjust your expectations 🏞️ Part of what makes or breaks an experience is how it compares to your expectations going into it, right? Well, expect traveling around with a kid to be different. In general, you’ll go slower and do less, and you’ll probably spend more time in your rental or in city parks. It’s not such a bad thing. Kids are naturally gifted at helping us relearn wonder and curiosity.
Match your ages with your places 🗾 There are many places that are high on my list because of hikes and nature… Nepal, Peru, for example. But they’re not happening anytime soon as family trips because two of my kids barely started walking! (Also, Peru almost had a coup a month ago, so there’s that.) On the flipside I bumped Guatemala up because of its proximity. Places I can anticipate being child-friendly… Japan, Costa Rica, Netherlands, might get a boost. Of course, that depends on what you come to do. There’s a side to Dutch tourism that isn’t kid friendly at all, of course.
Balconies are your bestie 🌆 My kids tap out around 7 PM. Unless we have a reliable sitter on the trip with us, that means we’re also done going out for the day at that time too. If it’s kind of a bummer not being able to interact more with your destination, the balcony will at least help you be more outside… and maybe you can grab a local wine or takeout or something. If space is an issue, you can talk at a normal volume, be a bit more integrated with the location, while still being responsible with your kids and all that.