A mum and dad have revealed how they took their baby to 17 countries all before her first birthday.
Jacob Aldridge and his wife, Harmony, believe that all parents should be doing the same, too.
The pair, both 44, took up full-time travelling in July 2019.
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And when they welcomed Josette into the world, now aged six, it didn’t stop them from taking to the skies.
Now, the family-of-three have visited over 25 countries – including Italy, Austria and Iceland – with 17 of those all before the little one’s first birthday.
And they’re now urging other parents to get their kids on a plane before they’re able to walk.
“The sooner you start, the easier it will be,” the business consultant told What’s The Jam.
“Our daughter has been on dozens of flights.
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“She has her routine.
“She’s comfortable in the space and I definitely think that’s because we started early.”
Josette took her first flight to Paris at just three months old.
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Her 25th passport stamp will be Vietnam next month.
Jacob, who hails from Brisbane, Australia, believes infants and toddlers don’t get to see the world because of unnecessary stresses.
He said: “Many parents fear reactions from fellow travellers.
“We’ve packed TimTams to apologise to our neighbours [before].
“But in practice, everyone is supportive; either they understand, they’re grateful it’s not them, or they’re distracted by something else entirely.”
To get little ones accustomed to the skies, he has a few suggestions.
Jacob said: Whether it’s an overnight flight or new hotel, our evening rhythm stays similar.
“Dinner, bath, book and bed.
“We travel with the same toys, music and books.
“So there’s consistency if not the environment.
“Jet lag and timezone management become much harder when you’re trying to convince a toddler to stay up an extra few hours or nap earlier than usual.
“[But] there’s no point being frustrated when a child wakes early or wants to sleep late.
“One of my fondest travel memories is a late-night walk around the cliffs of Santorini carrying a seven-month-old who was wide awake while the rest of the family needed sleep.”
Jacob is sharing his travel experience as research from Love To Dream, a sleep suit company, found that half of parents delay or avoid flying because they’re worried about how their tot will sleep on a plane.
He previously revealed how he squirrels away £781 per month in a bid to keep his travelling lifestyle afloat.
Not only that, Jacob also uses the FIRE method – Financially Independent, Retire Early – in a bid to quit his job for good in the next few years.
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