Traveling with Young Children: What Our Family Has Learned

Traveling with children is one of those things that sounds simple in theory and much more complicated in practice.

As a family of six with four young children — ages seven, four, two, and eight months — traveling has become a regular part of our life.

All of our extended family still lives in Oregon, so even after moving to Ave Maria, we expect to continue traveling back and forth several times each year.

Over time, we’ve learned that traveling with children requires a different mindset. It isn’t always easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding.

Starting Early

One thing that has helped our family tremendously is that we started traveling with our children when they were very young.

Our babies have taken their first flights at just two months old, and since then we’ve continued flying regularly — usually at least three times each year.

Because of that, flying has simply become a normal part of life for our kids.

In fact, they absolutely love it.

Airports feel like an adventure to them, and airplanes are endlessly fascinating. Watching their excitement when we board a flight is one of my favorite parts of traveling together.

Choosing the Right Way to Travel

When we moved across the country to Florida, we decided to try something different.

Instead of flying, we rented a Class C motorhome and made the cross-country journey by road.

It was certainly an adventure and a memorable experience for our family. Traveling slowly, seeing different parts of the country, and sharing that time together created some wonderful memories.

But if I’m being honest, I still prefer flying.

It’s the way we’re used to traveling as a family, and it allows us to reach our destination much more quickly — which can be a gift when traveling with small children.

Going forward, flying will likely remain our primary way of visiting family.

Learning to Travel Light

One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned over the years is the importance of traveling as lightly as possible.

When you have young children, the list of things you could bring feels endless.

Car seats.
Strollers.
Pack and plays.
Diaper bags.
Snacks.
Extra clothes.
Comfort items.

It’s very easy to feel like you need to bring half your house with you.

But over time we’ve learned to prioritize functionality over quantity.

We focus on bringing only what we truly need and letting go of the idea that we must be prepared for every possible situation.

Traveling lighter makes everything easier — from navigating the airport to settling into our destination.

The Joy of Family Visits

Despite the logistics and occasional chaos, traveling with children has always felt worth it to our family.

Being able to visit grandparents, cousins, and extended family members is something we deeply value.

Those relationships matter, and the memories created during those visits are something our children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Traveling with young children might require a little extra patience and flexibility, but the time spent together with family makes it meaningful.

Making Visits Easier for Families

Our experiences traveling with young children have also shaped something new for our family since moving to Ave Maria.

When families come to visit grandparents here, they often face the same challenge we’ve experienced while traveling: bringing everything a baby or toddler might need.

Strollers, pack and plays, high chairs, and other baby gear can quickly become overwhelming to transport.

That’s one of the reasons we started Her Mantle Baby Co.

Our goal is simply to make visits with grandchildren a little easier by providing clean, safe baby gear delivered right to the home.

It’s a small way we hope to serve families in the Ave Maria community and help them focus on what matters most — spending time together.