I’ve travelled extensively, but I’ll be the first to admit when I have knowledge gaps. So we’re starting a series where we cover travel with children. Today, I want to share an interview with my friend Megan Ford who has a 15-month-old daughter. Megan and her husband have taken Kelsey on many trips throughout her first year, starting when she was eight weeks old. So I asked her for not only tips, but about the emotional side of things, what expectations did she have and how did those change throughout her first few vacations with her newborn.
Before we get started, I need to add that Megan is an incredibly organized millennial woman who has a clear set or priorities and hasn’t let being a mom take away from her interests in running, wine nights with friends and most importantly, travel.
What expectations did you have about travel with a child?
Honestly, I was a little discouraged seeing many of my coworkers and friends stop traveling after having children. Most people put a pause on that hobby until their children are grown, but we just couldn’t imagine waiting 20 years before visiting Mexico, Europe or the Caribbean again. Before getting pregnant we travelled everywhere, taking at least three or four major trips a year. We even gift travel instead of physical presents for birthdays and anniversaries.
I decided to do a little research and discovered The Bucket List Family and #TravelWithKids on Instagram. I have also been inspired by our friends Alex and Lori who have continued to travel with their little one and started when she was very young. Through all of this, I was motivated to give it a shot and armed myself with tips and confidence to get on the road again.
I booked flights to Florida before Kelsey was even born. People (okay, mainly family) thought we were crazy, but we couldn’t pass up such a great deal on Southwest. Thankfully, I delivered a healthy baby and we then focused on planning the rest of the trip, but it’s that important to my family. Once we had the first road trip (at eight weeks old) and flight (at eleven weeks old), we knew we could do this and adapt as she grew.
Do you consider Kelsey an easy traveller?
Absolutely! Reality has been so much better than I expected and we’ve adapted to our new routine pretty quickly. I believe starting her out young is what made her this way. Kelsey has already knocked off 11 states and will take her first international trip before her second birthday. She doesn’t mind her car seat for long drives and can easily entertain herself with books, stuffed animals and other toys.
When she was younger, she slept most of the time, allowing my partner and I to adjust to the stress of a new travel routine without having to also deal with a crying, running or screaming child. Navigating the airport with our carry-ons, stroller, car seat and a small human for the first time is stressful enough without that small human wiggling and yelling.
Now we’re able to roll with the punches, like when there isn’t a changing table at the restaurant or the flight is delayed after we’ve already boarded.
Do you prefer to travel with just your partner and daughter or with family and friends?
We love traveling as our little family so we have full control over what we do and how we spend our time, but we also love traveling with friends and family so we can sneak away and have a meal without her. She’s an easy traveller but you can never predict when a toddler will have a meltdown in a restaurant and it’s nice to be able to order and know you can enjoy the moment instead of worry if she’s disrupting the other patrons. Luckily our friends and family equally enjoy their dates with Kelsey.
Does having her impact where you visit, how you get there and what activities you do?
Yes and no. It does impact where we go because we want it to be fun for all of us. We love Colorado, but we’re not ready to take her on all-day hikes just yet.
We’ve taken her on tours, into breweries and wineries, and she does well. But at this age, we can’t do anything adventurous like snorkel, ride camels or zipline. We’re excited to watch her grow and try those activities with us for the first time. We always find entertaining things to do wherever we go -- it's just different than pre-baby vacations.
How has travel changed since you had Kelsey?
Well, it obviously impacts our evenings, making them shorter, but we get up earlier and get going so we’re really not enjoying and fewer hours exploring, just shifted earlier in the day. We certainly do more day drinking and try to bring a bottle or two of wine back to our place so we can enjoy it on the patio once she’s gone to bed.
Are you interested in traveling without her?
Honestly, this has crossed my mind, but when it came down to booking the trip, I just want her there with me. She's only little once. We want her to experience as many places as she can and create memories as a family. We want her to see other parts of the state, country and world to shape her perspective of life. As soon as she is old enough, we’d love to take her on a mission trip of some sort to help people less fortunate than us.
What trip are you looking forward to next?
We recently booked Kelsey’s first international trip to Cancun. We’re going with our friends Lori and Alex, who also have a young child so it should be quite the adventure.