How early should you travel with your kids?

We hear this all the time – I would love to go to XXX but my kids are too young to travel. They (won’t remember) (are too immature) (don’t like new things) (fill in the blank). Our experience? Start early and never look back. It’s the best education that you can give your kids outside (and maybe inside) of school. Travel creates the best memories that your family

can share for the rest of your lives.

We started traveling with our kids soon after they were born so, to them, it was always normal. We joke that our youngest, Kayla, walked to London for her first birthday. She wanted to walk up and down the aisles of the plane both ways across the Atlantic (we live in New Jersey). She was happy. She was quiet and did not bother anyone. We were a little hunched over, but none the worse for the wear.

Celebrating Kayla's first birthday at the Hardrock Cafe in London.

Why London for her first birthday? We thought that the trip would be a better memory for the family than having a traditional birthday party which is quickly absorbed into the dusty bin of same old same old memories. Guess what? Twenty-one years later we still talk about how she blew a kiss to the hostess at the Hard Rock Café and got us a table for her birthday dinner.

Twenty-one years later and Kayla thinks that a flight to Europe is a short hop; that a 20+ hour flight is no big deal; that different cultures are cool; that she can’t wait for the next adventure. Her world view was shaped by the experiences we gave her growing up (she had been to five continents before she went to Florida). Word of warning, so shaped was she that she studied International Service and lived in the Middle East for six months during undergrad. So, she is looking for her next adventure. Ryan (our oldest) and Felicia (our daughter in law) are planning on Portugal and Japan next year. We are planning and planning and planning.