Can you be a digital nomad with a baby?

I wanted to find out if having a baby as a digital nomad is feasible so I did some research.

Being a digital nomad with a baby is absolutely possible. There are, of course, some added difficulties. Travelling by plane will certainly be more tiring as you have to care for the baby rather than being able to relax. You’ll probably struggle to travel light because of the extra luggage needed to care for a baby. Once the baby gets older, you’ll most likely need to home school them because they can’t attend normal schools.

If you plan to live a nomadic lifestyle with a baby here are the things you need to know.

Travelling with a baby

Sometimes travelling alone can be difficult. Travelling with a baby adds some new things to be worried about.

It’s not all bad though! One nice thing about travelling with a baby is that often times you’ll be able to skip lines in the airport and airport staff are usually really helpful and accommodating. (Don’t be afraid to ask for help!)

If it’s your first time taking a baby with a particular airline, you should call them before you go to check that you aren’t missing anything important. For example, they might require you to bring the baby’s birth certificate.

Should you take your stroller through security?

My advice is that you should, whenever possible, check in your stroller before you go through security. (Honestly - not bringing a stroller at all would be most convenient.)

Lugging around a big and cumbersome stroller is more effort than it’s worth in places as busy as airports - you are better off with a baby carrier that you can strap to your chest.

If you do bring your stroller through security, sometimes you’ll be asked to fold it up (ask for help!) and put it on the belt with the rest of your luggage, other times you can just walk through the full body metal detectors with it - it depends on the airport.

Flying with a baby

Ideally the baby will sleep during the flight, so it’s best to book flights during their nap time for shorter flights. For longer flights, you can book them to be during night time from wherever you are boarding from.

You can prepare by trying keeping them awake and entertained while going through airport security and waiting for boarding so they can more easily fall asleep when it’s time to board the plane.

Again, the flight staff are generally really helpful and will find you an empty seat for the baby if you ask and one is available.

I recommend not to bring many toys on board with you - they are more things to lose and you can entertain babies with random things on the flight like cups and napkins.

Don’t stress too much. At the end of the day, you can’t control what a baby will do while flying. Stressing about what other people on the flight think when the baby starts crying doesn’t help anyone. It’s best to just focus on the baby and do the best that you can do.

You need more gear when travelling with a baby

There’s no way around needing to bring more stuff when you travel with a baby.

You’ll need:

• Baby wipes
• Diapers
• Baby food
• Blankets
• Extra clothes
• Toys
• Stroller

I always recommend travelling light - if possible only with carry on luggage. With a baby, that’s probably not going to happen.

In most cases you’ll be able to buy consumables easily in the destination country so, if you are comfortable with it, only bring a few days worth of them to get you through the journey.

When travelling with a partner at least you’ll have more hands to help!

Legal requirements when travelling with children

When travelling to another country with a child, you’ll need extra documents and paperwork.

In some cases you won’t need all of them, but planning ahead is the best way to ensure things go smoothly. Again, call your airline to double check that you aren’t missing anything.

Passport

If you aren’t flying internationally, the child won’t need a passport - a birth certificate will be enough.

When flying to another country, children (of all ages) need a passport. You might be able to get away with just a birth certificate when travelling by land or sea, but I’d still recommend getting a passport.

Child travel consent form

A child travel consent form is proof that the parents of the child give permission for them to travel. It must be signed by both parents and will allow the child to travel without them.

The most important thing to keep in mind when travelling with your own child is that when only 1 parent is present, you’ll still need signed consent from the other parent.

Details of the consent form varies by airline and destination country so be sure to check exactly what’s required.

Proof of relationship

You’ll also need a proof of relationship to the child to prove that you are indeed the parent. For example, you can use a birth certificate with your (the parents’) names on it.

If either parent has changed names since the child was born, you’ll need legal evidence of that too.

Schooling while travelling

For older children, you need to think about schooling.

When living a nomadic lifestyle, it’s unlikely that your child will be able to attend a proper school. You’ll have to take up the responsibility of homeschooling your children while travelling.

Homeschooling children can be a good opportunity for education. At the end of the day, 1 on 1 teaching is more efficient than having 1 teacher per 30 students.

That being said, homeschooling won’t provide the social benefits of regular schools so it’s important that you give your child opportunities to interact and play with other kids whenever possible. Though while travelling they’ll probably end up having more opportunities for social development than kids that attend a normal school.

Obviously to home school a child you’ll need somewhere quiet to study. If you’re used to sleeping in hostels and working out of coffee shops, you’ll need to do something different. At this point it’s well worth investing in more stable accommodation. Try looking for rental condos that will let you stay for a while. It will be better for you and for the kid.

Conclusion

For those already living a nomadic lifestyle that are planning to have a baby, my advice is to not let that stop you. Yes it will be more work, but having a child is rewarding and can make travelling more fun (sometimes).

From what I’ve seen online, people that actually live this kind of lifestyle with their children think it’s great. Though for the sake of everyone’s sanity, it’s best to stay put for months at a time instead of visiting a new country every other week!