Travel Mom: with a carriage in the world

Many people cease to travel after the birth of children. St. Petersburg Eteri Kobelnitskaya and her husband Konstantin, on the contrary, began to ride the world to the world after the appearance of the Son: for three years of life, Demida was visited in nine countries and 38 cities. During the US trip a year ago, they had a daughter Amelia. But this event did not make a reason to change the nomadic lifestyle.

ETERI – not only Travel Mom, but also by the blog of mytravelbaby, in which she tells about family trips and inspires other parents on space on the planet. Her website "With a carriage in the world" in November 2013 was awarded the "My Planet" award as a blog with the most interesting content for travelers. We have already published the practical advice of Eteri on how to optimize the journey with children, and now talked to her about her personal experience.

How to decide on a journey with a small child

I, like many, tormented the thought that the little child was extremely dangerous flights, terrible acclimatization, and in the "other reality" people live for children. I thought that our with her husband the last non-standard independent travel would be a monthly pregnant trip in China and Thailand, and then only good hotels in secure places – and when I would be five years old.

But circumstances changed my plans. My first child was born in the summer of 2010, just when the peatlands burned and there was nowhere to go from smoke and heat. I decided that it was impossible to torment my child, and found a way out: flutter to the sea to Turkey. Then I started looking for information on the Internet on traveling with babies. But did not find anything like. All information has come down mainly to the Council not anywhere. Then the idea of ​​creating a blog arose.

After the first swim in Turkish shores, I realized that the child does not exclude traveling. And by the time, when my daughter appeared on the US journey, I was already sure that it is important for children to open the world around along with parents.

Travel Statistics

Our son is the fourth year, and he was already in nine countries, 38 cities, on five islands, first made his first journey for a month and a half. Made about 32 flights, went about 15 trains, eight long-distance buses, made approximately nine auto equipment. He spent eight months of his life in Asia, six months in the US and now spends the second month again in Asia. He went to Florida on Safari, rode a boat in Cambodia between the houses of people who live on the water, played in an unusual religious amusement park in Saigon, looked at New York from the height of the Empire State Building Skyscraper and ran through the forbidden city in Pekin.

Our daughter is almost a year, she was in three countries, six cities, on the two islands, traveled on three aircraft, two ferries, bathed in the Siamese bay.

Budget

We work remotely and rent an apartment in Moscow. Now, with the advent of the second child, almost all responsibility for our family budget lay on my wonderful husband’s shoulders. Our profession with her husband allows you to earn remotely. He is a programmer, I am a journalist. There are a lot of professions that at first glance seem not remote, can be such. For example, a doctor or teacher can give remote counseling on Skype. Motivation and placement of priorities is very important.

Bright impression

The most interesting and unusual what happened to us is the birth of our daughter. We planned that she would be born in Florida, signed a contract with a maternity hospital in advance. But the girl decided everything in his own way and was born in an hour from the moment the fights in the apartment leased by us, right in his hands to his dad, before the arrival of the brigade of 911 and our doctor. Seven months passed, and we are still impressed by this magic.

Attitude towards children in different countries

For all the time travel, I have never met parents who would shout on children and especially raised her hand. In the US, this is generally an illegal – child can pick up guardianship.

I do not remember any problems with the surrounding people in transport, I try to always take children so that they are not very noisy. The problem arose only in China, and not so much because of the child, how much because of the mentality of the Chinese. We drove with a one-year-old son on the night train from Shanghai to Shenzhen, and we and my husband sold tickets to two tops in different coupe. For all the time the trip with us no one wanted to change, so I had to sleep with a child on the top shelf.

Children of the world

Children in the USA eating a huge amount of sweets and fast food. In kindergarten in Florida, where our son went, Potatoes Fri, pizza and all kinds of snacks. So I cooking food at home and sent a child to the garden with her. By the way, to arrange a child in kindergarten in Florida does not require great efforts: enough certificate of examination of the pediatrician, certificates of vaccinations or refusal and timely payment.

It seemed to me that in countries where both parents worked (for example, in the US decree only three months), the culture of nursery and early kindergarten. Early communication with peers for general development is cultivated. In countries where clan values, mutual assistance and affection of generations are developed, to kindergarten, it is customary to give a child from three years.

Fiasco

Somehow, traveling around Cambodia, we arrived at the sea resort of Sihanoukville and got into the most height of the Khmer New Year. A lot of people came to the holiday, so there were almost no places in hotels, and the remaining cost some unrealistic money. In advance, we managed to order overnight in some trickling gest: This place was just awful and not at all for a child. As a result, we wandered two days in unsuccessful search for housing and fled to a quiet town with French charm – Campot. In Campot, we drove very strange, paying $ 20 for a taxi for a 100 km path, and my husband and the child were sitting on the back chair of a small car, and on the front two seats were placed four men not the smallest set, two of them were on one driver’s chair! I still wonder how the driver masterfully coped with the wheel and pedals, despite his seat, another person was sitting.

How travel affects children?

Travels make my children more flexible to changes in the external situation, they do not cause stress of the change of daily rhythms and rituals. While I see more advantages: it is the opportunity to learn from others to communicate, and existence in another language environment, and training in different kindergartens on different teaching systems. Of the minuses: I am still not sure that there will be no long-term relationship for children. Although the son already has regular friends whom he sees in Moscow and often recalls them, but so far to judge early.

Perspective

While we did not find the place on the planet, which would be completely ours. In the future, most likely, we are somewhere we invoke, but where – while it is completely incomprehensible. Although I know several families with school children who transferred them to distance learning. In any case, we will try to further conquer our planet.