Traveling with the family can be overwhelming, but not if you're prepared with the best travel tips, family hacks, and sweet gear. If you're someone who loves to travel but need a little kick in the butt to take your kids with you, Monet Hambrick from The Traveling Child is your girl. From budgeting to packing to best destinations, she surely is the family travel guru!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are you from originally? Where do you live now?

Hi! I'm Monet Hambrick, a 30 year old mom of two living in South Florida with my husband. I'm originally from New York but have lived all over the US. I have my Bachelors and Masters Degree in Sports Management but I'm not using either as I work full time in HR as a recruiter.

My passion is traveling which is why I started my blog, The Traveling Child.

How many kids do you have? How old are they?

I have two girls who are 2 and 4 years old.

How long have you been blogging for? What inspired you to start The Traveling Child? Did your husband think you were crazy for wanting to travel with your young kids?

I've been blogging for 2 years with a big push from my friend Paula. She knew I traveled with the girls and thought sharing our experiences could be helpful for other parents or those looking to start a family. He didn't think I was crazy at all, he loves to travel as much as I do and traveled as a young child himself.

What is the main goal of The Traveling Child? What kind of information can a reader expect to find on your blog?

The goal is to inspire parents to travel the world with their kids while providing tips to make it easier and affordable. Readers can find information on how to book flight deals (like the $580 round trip flight we got to Australia), how to keep kids entertained on flights, the itineraries for all the trips we've gone on and a lot more.

What are some misconceptions about traveling with young kids?

The biggest misconception is that they are too young to remember.

Kids remember much more than we give them credit for, my 4 year old still talks about our trip to Thailand over a year ago and she speaks about it in detail.

I'm all about living for today, I don't know what our future holds so I want to enjoy traveling now while I know we can instead of waiting until the kids are a certain age and what if we don't have the ability to travel then.

You are helping tons of families travel with their kids! What are 3 tips you would give to a family traveling with young kids?

1. Don't overthink it, just go!

2. Children live everywhere

3. Yes, traveling with kids can be difficult at times but so is being a parent at home. Why not deal with the challenges of parenthood while laying on the most beautiful beaches of the world?

What are some common mistakes families make when traveling with kids?

I see a lot of families overpacking, kids don't really need that much. Always see what you can buy at your destination (diapers/wipes) or what your hotel/vacation home provides (pack n play). Re-wear bottoms and wash on your trip to limit the amount of clothes you pack.

We know you are a big fan of EzPacking. Do you have any tips on how you use EzPacking to organize your family’s suitcases?

We each have our own color packing cubes. This helps me easily identify who's clothes are where. We can organize based on items so all the tops, bottoms etc. are in one cube or organize outfits by the city we will be in (if we are visiting more than one city on a trip.)

What are some of your favorite travel destinations?

Botswana, Thailand, Costa Rica, Cuba and Japan.

What are some of your favorite travel products?

Besides our EzPacking Cubes, my Ergobaby Carrier is hands down my favorite. I also love the kids BuddyPhones (kids headphones), and my SmartMove car seat transporter.

 

What is your favorite part about running The Traveling Child?

What warms my heart the most is when a parent reaches out and tells me how so many people told them traveling with their kids would be impossible but then they found my blog and did it and it was the best thing ever.

I love making connections with people and I feel like I am truly making an impact on parents and future parents lives. I love that my travel tips aren't solely for parents but that I have plenty of childless readers that have benefited from my tips.

l just love inspiring people to travel.

Every parent's situation is different and deciding to make a travel decision is hard, but that fear is just a feeling. You'll get over it when you're chilling on top of the most beautiful mountain. Thanks to Monet, hundreds of families have taken the leap to start traveling more with their kids. They couldn't be more thankful and happy that they did!

If you want more of the good stuff from Monet, check out her awesome travel blog here! Also, be sure to follow her on Instagram @thetravelingchild to stay updated with the best budgeting tips, destinations, and travel gear. 

Thanks to Monet for interviewing with us! Cheers to more traveling with your kids!

P.S. Looking for more travel tips? Check out our post on The Best Travel Tips: 100 Ways to Travel Smart (er)!