So, you want to travel with your family. As parents, I think we all know how stressful that first trip is with kids, especially when
it involves going through…. the AIRPORT. What to bring, what not to bring, is there anything that we can’t bring through TSA, how do we even manage getting through TSA? Maybe people were right when they said ‘travel before you have kids’. I’m here to tell you that traveling as a family is just as fun, if not more, than traveling as a couple, and that there are some family travel tips to make life just a little bit easier while traveling with them whether you have just one or a whole little travel crew.
What has helped us get through the airport?
Ergobaby Omni 360: This was our first family travel hack as parents. We traveled with our oldest when she was 16 months, and getting through TSA was such a breeze. If you don’t already know, when you get to TSA you have to break down your stroller and put it onto the belt to get checked, which means you have to hold your baby, take your shoes off, get all of your electronics out, etc. Long story short, it can be OVERWHELMING. To make life easier, I carried our daughter through the checkpoint because I could keep passports and boarding passes in the attached pouch, and have hands free for getting all of our bags and electronics onto the belt.
To be completely honest, I felt like I had mastered traveling with kids at that moment.
Ergobaby Metro+ Compact Stroller: When it came to traveling with two kids, we decided to use a stroller for our oldest so that she wasn’t running around in the airport crowds. Like I mentioned, when you go through TSA you have to break down the stroller, so if that’s the case, then what’s easier than a single hand fold? Easy to break down, and easy to pop back up once you’re through. Not only is the airport easier, but getting around your destination is so much more convenient when you don’t have to worry about a bulky stroller with multiple pieces, especially if you’re going to be renting a car as you don’t know how much trunk room there is!
SHOP ERGOBABY Compact Strollers
Ok, now we’ve gotten through the airport, and you can head to your hotel. Maybe after a long day of travel you want to catch some sleep before heading out for activities.
What has helped us maintain a good sleep schedule?
On The Move Walking Sleep Sack: Whether you’re staying in a hotel or an Airbnb, the room temperature might not be the easiest to control. We have loved these sleep sacks because they’re an easy way to keep littles warm if they are too young for a blanket. We use these at home for sleep, so of course we pack one while we travel too.
Now that we’ve ‘mastered’ the art of traveling as a family (I say mastered, but we all know you never quite know what to expect when traveling with littles), let’s talk about some of our favorite places to go, both within the USA and internationally. We have been blessed to explore quite a few places together, but there are a couple that we would go to over and over again.
Within the USA:
We recently got to experience the California Redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument. One thing that stuck out to us at the park itself was that the entire trail is fully accessible, so if you are worried about walking long distances, you are able to use your stroller as they’ve built a beautiful boardwalk throughout the park trails. Trust me when I say the scenery here is absolutely surreal. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away, but I was in complete awe.
Outside of the park itself, you have beautiful rolling hills and valleys, and San Francisco within a short driving distance. We’ve found that there are countless kids museums and activities to do as a whole family.
Internationally:
Being a multi-cultural family we have made it a priority to make sure that our
travel series which we will be beginning in the last four months of this year so that we can dive deeper into the continent’s history and how it connects to where Ghana is today.
Girls grow up immersing into where they come from, so going home to Ghana has been our favorite journey to make as a family. It’s incredible to see your children connect with their family and experience their culture. We are excited to continue traveling throughout the entire continent of Africa with our upcoming
We always talk about how important it is to bring kids to their homeland, so whatever your background is, we always encourage other families to put that at the top of your travel list. Traveling as a family is one of the most beautiful experiences to have, and although they may not remember the details, YOU WILL. Core memories are the ones that carry you and shape you, and traveling is something that will expand your littles minds further than you can even imagine. So get up and get traveling, you WILL get the hang of it, and I promise, you won’t regret it.
