This Mom's Touching Instagram Post About Traveling With Kids Will Hit Home for Every Travel-loving Parent

Traveling on your own can be daunting. Throw a kid in the mix, and it can feel almost impossible. But Instagrammer HaileyOutside, aka Hailey Terry, is here to remind you that traveling with kids is not only possible, but a rather welcomed part of the journey. 

“Tell me something you wish more people understood,” Terry wrote over a quick Instagram video of herself walking through an airport with a rolling bag, a backpack, and an adorable baby strapped to her front. She followed the question with these quick words of wisdom: “Babies are a vital part of society and allowed to be in public.”

But she wasn’t done sharing the good vibes there. 

In a lengthy caption, Terry shared that she was inspired to create the post after receiving countless messages from other mothers who say they often leave their children behind on their adventures, big or small, due to the worry their kids may annoy those around them. 

“The amount of messages I have gotten from moms saying they don’t take their babies on planes, trains, or just public places in general because they are worried about bothering other people is so sad,” Terry explained. “And the amount of comments and messages I’ve gotten from people saying I shouldn’t be taking my baby on a plane or in certain public places because it is rude and inconsiderate of others is awful.”

She continued by expressing that just because someone has given birth by no means relegates them to spending the rest of their days quietly inside as the world passes them by. 

“There is so much pressure to make sure babies are well behaved, quiet little angels, and it just can’t always be the case,” she said. “As moms, we have things to do, places to be, and babies to raise so they can take on the responsibility of being a functioning, contributing member of society when they grow up.” 

She then noted, she does her best to ensure her children do not get in the way of other people’s “good day,” but in the end, reminds everyone she is “a human being with my own mental health to worry about and continuing to live my best life with my kids in tow is a part of that.”

With that, Terry invited her followers to share their experiences, and boy, did they deliver. 

By the time of writing, the post had more than 165,000 likes and more than 3,000 comments. Some comments even came from adults without children offering to help. 

“As a childless adult, I will never discourage you from bringing your baby,” one commenter thoughtfully added. “Need me to carry something? Help you get situated on the plane? Play Peek a Boo with the baby the entire time? I got you, Sis.” 

Other comments came from parents thanking Terry for sharing exactly what they were thinking. 

“Oh man. I love this! This is something I’ve really really struggled with and people have been so rude to me and it’s given me a lot of anxiety when I take my kids anywhere,” one follower added. “I’m glad I’m not alone, and I hope one day enough people will understand this.” 

As for if she was surprised by the reaction to her quick little post, Terry shared with Travel + Leisure that no, she wasn't surprised in the slightest.

"I get a lot of people sharing their strong opinions with me about my kids and how I raise them online daily. Some are positive, and some are negative," she said. "I think we live in a time where convenience is the most important thing to people, and when something (or someone) gets in the way of that, it becomes unacceptable in people's minds. But in person, I find people to be kind to me and my kids and happy to have them around."

This, however, isn’t Terry’s only helpful post. In fact, she has a feed full of advice for parents traveling with their kids, from baby wear to camping gear and everything in between. So next time you feel unsure about bringing your kid along to see the world, take a look at her feed and remember you’ve got this and that you are giving them the gift of a lifetime of memories.