If you’re trying to decide whether or not to bring your child or children with you to their new sibling’s country of birth, you might find this list helpful:

The Cons

• Traveling might be too intense for your child.
• Your child might get sick (Ryland did. We gave him Cipro, and thankfully he recovered quickly. However, it was worrisome for us at the time).
• Your child will most likely be bored on the trip. This can be draining; trying to keep him/her entertained when you are busy with your new child and adoption arrangements, too.
• You quite possibly will have to deal with siblingitis much sooner than you’d care to. This could make a stressful situation unbearable as a parent.
• Emotions run high when in another country, especially when adopting a child. It might be too stressful for your child (depending on his/her age).
• Your child may not like the food in your new child’s country.
• Some countries have inadequate healthcare. You would have to settle with what is available if there were an emergency.
• You would not have any one-on-one time with your new child for bonding.
• You will have to worry about your child as you rush through airports. Depending on their age, this could be a real problem.
• Seeing poverty, if you travel to a poor country, could be very disturbing for your child.
• Having an extra child (or two) will make travel within your child’s new country more complicated. Many other countries do not make use of seatbelts and/or car seats. Not to mention the lack of traffic rules or traffic safety of any kind (I’ve been to Viet Nam, Thailand, Ethiopia, and Haiti—each country made road transportation an adventure never to be forgotten).
• It might be overwhelming for your child to be in a country where he/she does not understand the language.
• It might also be overwhelming for your child to be the minority if the people in your new child’s birth country are of another race.

Have you traveled with your child? What were the cons you experienced in doing so? Would you do it again despite the cons? If so, why?

The Pros of Sibling Travel List