When I told friends we were going to Europe for a month, they were excited and a bit envious. Then they asked me who would be looking after the kids while we were gone. "We're taking them with us," I replied. Their happy smiles turned upside down. "Travelling with toddlers? That's awful!"
But I disagree. I love to travel with toddlers. They have an infectious joy for discovering new things, they make us slow down and look around more, and they are greeted with smiles and affection everywhere we go.
We have travelled with toddlers (who grew to children and preteens and teens) many times over the years for a total of almost 300 days of travel. We've travelled through 16 European countries (and one in Africa and one in Asia), nine Canadian provinces, 43 American states and both coasts of Mexico. We've flown and driven, camped and hotelled. My youngest was on his third passport by the time he was four. My daughter has been on 39 flights. And my middle child celebrated his sixth birthday on a piazza in Rome with the entire street singing to him.
Given the choice, I would always choose to travel with my children. It enriches their lives and knowledge of the world around them. And we don't downgrade our travel experience for them - they see what we want to see. Museums, art galleries, castles, festivals, wineries, medieval cities and ancient hill towns - it's all part of the travel experience. So we stop at a park for an hour - no problem - after all, it's in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower!
If you feel your children have ever held you back from travelling - they haven't. You have. So open your mind and just go!
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