It has been nearly half a year since we arrived home from our almost-month-long trip and, boy, I sure am happy about being grounded at home right now.

You see, traveling with your family is no walk in the park and I truly salute families who do that long term and with multiple kids in tow, too. You might be wondering, why do I not love traveling with these two people (partner and kid) around? Well…

1. There’s so much mess to deal with

Have you ever changed a dirty diaper? Now, imagine doing that inside the small toilet cubicle inside an airplane many thousand miles from the ground. Thankfully, it was my partner who did that. Or, what about doing that along a mountain trail with nothing but the moon to light your way? Whew, got away with this one, too, and just passed the clean diaper. 

Crazy, right? I mean, seriously, what parent in their right mind would even want to make their struggles ten times more difficult than it already is?!

And, may I just add bringing along a toddler on potty training — and you find that no bathroom is located nearby? Good luck with the explosion, hopefully it’s just pee.

2. Packing light is impossible

Babies may not even be half your size but their pack is definitely three times bigger than yours. If you aren’t breastfeeding, you’d have to bring along the bottles and the formula milk. If they aren’t potty trained yet, then you’d have to pack the diapers in.

Of course, babies change about a gazillion times every day so you should at least bring two to three days’ worth of change to make sure you get the soiled ones washed and dried just in time. And then there’s the toys, the food, maybe even a backpack carrier…ahhh the list is endless. Your weeks’ worth of items will probably just fit inside your carry-on pack.

3. Cheap travel is nearly 3x more expensive

It’s hard enough to find a promo fare you can take by yourself but booking for at least three people?! I’m not sure how the transaction even goes through. Then again, an airplane ticket is only the beginning. You might also have to consider paying for two additional people for accommodations (thankfully the little one can usually get in with no additional charge), food and attractions.

You’d probably end up saving a lot more if you stayed inside the house…probably.

4. Where’s the peace?!

And speaking of staying inside the house and staying sane…how will parents ever get a break when they travel with their families?! At least being inside the house means you have walls and rooms to separate you from other people if you wanted to be alone. However, most accommodations usually come with just one room, especially if you are on a budget. If you do get lucky and your spouse or partner allows you, you might just be able to enjoy some peace inside the bathroom even if it’s just for a few minutes.

5. Limited choices

If there’s one thing I hate about bringing a little one with you, it’s not being able to do EVERYTHING that you want while traveling. Drink alcohol? Nope. Ziplining? Nope for toddlers. Bungee jumping? Skydiving? Paragliding? Riding on an ultralight plane? Surfing? Naaah, don’t even think about it. You can’t even close your eyes for a few minutes if your toddler isn’t asleep yet.

Bringing a huge backpack carrier while catching your MRT ride? You’re one crazy parent.

6. You get the crazy looks

Then there are those people who just can’t help but set you those judgmental stares without even trying to be discreet about it. Why are you even bringing a small kid under the heat of the sun? Why are you letting them get all sweaty? Why are you letting them run around and risk getting their knees skin and bruised? Why are you even a parent? Why, why, why?

7. You can’t argue with your partner/spouse

Your kid will be around everywhere you go so chances are, they will see everything that you do including argue. Would you even dare argue in front of a toddler? And even if you did argue (and did that in the middle of the road, too), how do you go about it hating the other person? Do you walk out? What if the other person has all your travel money and you don’t and they don’t find you wherever you decide to go? What will people think, seeing all of you with huge backpacks and shouting at each other outside a mall in a city that isn’t your home?!

Hahahahaha.

But the truth is that, I do love traveling with my family and I miss it a lot. In fact, we were just talking about how “simple” things felt when we were just cooped inside a small single room, dozing off so our toddler could also have her afternoon nap.

We aren’t rich, we have a one-income household, we have a loooooot of bills and loans and a mortgage to pay for. But, honestly, when you’ve been stuck inside the house for too long, you long for a new environment so, as irresponsible as it may sound, you forget your worries for a while and take that much needed break.

Plus the lessons we learn and memories we make as a family is, cliche as it may be, truly priceless.

About the Author

Pam is an outdoors-loving millennial momma who loves to hike, trek and camp in the beaches and mountains with her partner and their 3-year-old daughter. When not exploring the great outdoors, she moonlights as a freelance writer specializing in the travel, parenting, personal finance and digital marketing niches. You can also follow her via social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!