You get a lot of advice when you become a parent—from other parents and caregivers, perhaps from your own parents and older relatives, from social media, and even from well-meaning strangers who will stop you on the street.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, Mabel, I was not immune to this unsolicited feedback. But through all the “never do” and “you have to buy this” counseling, my friend, herself a mother of three, gave me the single best piece of advice: Travel with your baby when they are young. Like, really young. As soon as your body has recovered, book the trip and go.
Before my daughter was two months old, she had a passport; before she was nine months old, she had two stamps in it: France and the Dominican Republic. And as my husband and I planned these trips, we uncovered so many unexpected perks. As a lap infant, her airline ticket was free. Because she wasn’t mobile yet, we could travel hands-free with her strapped in her baby carrier, where she was happy to be snuggled against us.
We found hotels that provided complimentary cribs and toys. These little conveniences allowed us just enough freedom to occasionally feel like our old selves, lifelong travelers who got a thrill from ordering a coffee in a different language. These memories would fuel us, months later, during late-night feedings and crying marathons. But there would be no such memories for our daughter. On occasion, we wondered: Was it still worth it?
Value of early childhood experiences
“Childhood memories don’t generally start forming until ages three or four,” shares Alexander Schwed, learning specialist and curriculum coordinator at Dwight School New York. “This is due to a phenomenon known as childhood or infantile amnesia and is a normal part of brain development. However, significant synaptic pruning (the removal of unnecessary connections and the strengthening of those that enhance learning, attention, and memory) does still take place in early childhood prior to developing memories that we can consciously retrieve. Thus, our early childhood experiences play a pivotal role in emotional and behavioral development, even though we are unable to recall them.”
While a newborn doesn’t form lasting memories, we still gently rock them to sleep and choose the softest stuffed animals for them. We understand that being able to recall an experience isn’t the complete picture. With this in mind, travel can offer a child the opportunity to expand their palate with new flavors and ingredients, enrich their language skills, and interact with diverse cultures, all powerful milestones that shape their future views of the world. Plus, while all these benefits accrue for children with each introduction to a new destination, the parents, too, grow more confident in hitting the road with their baby and mastering the unique obstacles of family travel.
“Remember: Memory is only one element,” explains Schwed. “There is so much more happening under the surface that provides the foundation of a child’s future self.”
Trip selection is important
While babies and young toddlers might not have lasting recollections of some of their earliest journeys, wanting your child to have a memory of a trip is, of course, a valid desire. Especially considering the efforts that are often involved in trip planning. That’s where strategic trip selection comes in.
“I tell parents to save the trips tailored primarily for children—Disney World, educational trips—for later years,” says Kate Hesler, who has a master’s of education in school psychology. “Getaways where the focus is the child’s joy and discovery are worthy of a memory.” In the meantime, while you stow away these kid-friendly escapes for elementary years, there’s no reason to put off the trips that focus on the caregivers’ desires.
After all, there are experiences you do want your children to remember. Be calculating about what those experiences are, and plan accordingly.
It’s also worth considering who else might develop valuable memories as a result of your travels. One common reason many families travel is to visit grandparents and elderly family members who may not be around in the years to come. While you may not be giving a memory to your child, you are creating a multigenerational connection that is larger than any single individual.
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea with its Kids for All Seasons programming is among a growing number of hotels and resorts with programs and amenities geared towards younger guests.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Family travel has evolved
Another reason to travel with young children that helps offset their lack of memory? It’s easier now than ever. Skift’s U.S. Travel Trends Q2 2024 report reveals family travel continues to be the largest segment of U.S. leisure travel, with 46 percent of surveyors saying they were “very likely” to take a family trip. And travel companies are taking note. There are plenty of travel advisors, tour operators, cruise lines, and hotels and resorts that are ready to assist with a whole host of kid-friendly offerings that make families feel welcome and cared for.
The market for family travel gear has exploded, with strollers that fold to fit in an overhead bin, inflatable beds that allow toddlers to sleep in-flight, and ride-on luggage. Weary of carting your gear through the airport? BabyQuip, a baby gear rental site, delivers car seats, strollers, and other baby necessities to your arrival airport. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is even offering its support with the launch of its new program, Families on the Fly, which provides dedicated family security lanes at select U.S. airports.
Hotels have also expanded their offerings for families. The prevalence of kids clubs—like the Kids for All Seasons programming at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, which offers classes on cultural traditions of Native Hawaiians, or Camp Blackberry at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, with children’s activities like foraging, farming, and soap making—are growing in popularity. Luxury hotel brands such as Eden Roc are catering to multigenerational groups with larger spaces. For instance, the villa and suite accommodations at Eden Roc Cap Cana feature multiple bedrooms and private pools. Stefano Baratelli, executive director of Eden Roc Cap Cana, notes that the property’s VIBabies program includes a portable crib and a changing table, baby monitors, swim diapers, and babysitting services for families with little ones.
Cruise lines, not to be left behind, are welcoming young kids aboard with dedicated children’s programming and family-friendly cabin configurations. Parents with kids as young as six months who are cruising for the first time can feel comfortable on Explora Journeys ships, which offer family-friendly amenities including cribs, toys, and tiny robes. Or, for parents looking for a small reprieve, Celebrity ships offer a complimentary kids club for ages 0 to 17.
Much of the travel world has evolved to embrace the value of family travel, especially with our youngest humans in mind—hopefully empowering parents who are eager to share the world with the next generation. And while Mabel may not remember our afternoon nap on the left bank of the Seine River, our shoes kicked off and our backs flat on the grass, the evidence of her first croissant dusting her little fingers laced in mine—I forever will.
