Work travel before kids can feel exciting. Work travel as a parent can feel like a logistical puzzle—plus a lot of feelings.

Work trips are still a real part of many careers, and they may not stop just because you’ve become a parent. With a clear plan, dependable child care, and the right support, you can make travel days work for your family. Resources like Vivvi/ also come up in these conversations because some employers offer child care benefits such as backup care or care reimbursements that can help when a parent needs to be away.

These tips from Kimberly Didrikson, founder of Learning Motherhood, can help parents whose career goals include traveling for work.

Why work travel can feel so hard after you become a parent

Work travel often requires letting go of control at home—temporarily. For many parents, that loss of control can be especially tough, particularly if you’re someone who likes things planned and predictable.

It can also bring up guilt, worry, and anxiety about whether things will be done “the right way” while you’re gone. The reality is: they probably won’t be done exactly your way—and that can still be okay.

A practical plan for work travel days

A plan doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. The goal is to set clear expectations so your child, your home, and your caregivers have what they need while you’re away.

1) Make a plan with your partner, co-parent, or caregiver

Didrikson recommends making a plan for travel days so everyone knows what to expect. It’s not one-size-fits-all. Your plan should reflect your family’s needs and what helps you feel comfortable while you’re on the road.

Your plan might include:

• Lunches and dinners prepped or ordered in advance
• A set bedtime routine
• A written daily schedule to help caregivers stay aligned with your goals

Didrikson also emphasizes that every family’s make-up is different, and that employers and managers should listen closely to a new parent’s concerns around work travel because it’s that parent’s lived experience.

2) Invest in dependable child care

Dependable child care is a core part of a strong travel plan. Reliable care can make work travel feel dramatically more manageable.

If your employer offers a child care benefit—like backup care or care reimbursements, such as those offered by Vivvi/, learn what’s available and how it works. Depending on the benefit, you may be able to access backup care at your work destination and potentially travel with your child.

If your employer doesn’t offer child care benefits, focus on lining up trusted resources ahead of time. Set clear expectations with your caregivers and leave emergency contact information in an easy-to-find place. Even when a partner can take on most of the caregiving, added child care support can ease the transition.

3) Remember: new, trusted caregivers can be good for your child

Being away can bring anxiety that things won’t be done exactly the way you’d do them. Didrikson’s guidance is to expect differences—and to recognize that those differences can be healthy.

Allowing your child to learn with other trusted caregivers can help your child experience new ways of doing things. It can also be a meaningful opportunity for your partner, co-parent, family member, or child care provider to strengthen their bond with your child.

4) Build in time to reboot while you’re away

Even if guilt shows up, Didrikson encourages parents to treat some of this time as alone time. Parenting can be physically and mentally demanding, and time away can be a chance to recharge.

Use travel time to do small things that support you, like reading something unrelated to kids’ media or sleeping a bit later than you do when you’re on morning duty. Didrikson notes that taking care of your needs supports the kind of parent (and employee, spouse, and friend) you want to be—and that it’s something worth modeling for children.

5) Lean on other parents for support

You can like parts of work travel and still find it emotionally hard to be away from your child. Didrikson recommends talking about those feelings with your trusted circle.

If your workplace has a parent Employee Resource Group, this can be a helpful place to ask for work travel tips—or simply connect with people who’ve been through it. Didrikson also encourages parents not to ignore what they’re feeling and to address it with their boss, colleagues, and at home with their partner, co-parent, or supported caregiver.

More parent travel tips that make a real difference

Once the basics are in place, these smaller choices can reduce stress and keep routines steadier at home:

• Outsource what you can. If it fits your budget, consider meal delivery or a cleaning service while you’re away.
• Increase child care support before, during, and after your trip. Extra help can make travel weeks smoother for everyone.
• Stick to daily routines when possible. Encourage caregivers to keep familiar rhythms for your child.
• Avoid tough goodbyes. Long, emotional goodbyes can be upsetting for your child—and for you.
• Prepare your child ahead of time. Tell them what the goodbye will look like, and don’t linger once it’s time to go.
• Connect while you’re away. For longer trips, plan times to video chat. For older kids, postcards can be fun.
• Make the time away special for your child. Consider “travel rules” that empower your caregiver to add special playdates or a field trip to a favorite spot.
• Bring back a small gift if you want to. It doesn’t need to be big or elaborate—just something thoughtful.

What to keep in mind for employers and managers

Didrikson emphasizes two practical points for leaders supporting traveling parents:

• Listen to concerns without minimizing them. New parents’ feelings about work travel are real and personal.
• Remember every family is different. Support should leave room for different caregiving set-ups and needs.

Start with a plan, then give yourself permission to be human

You don’t need a perfect trip to be a successful working parent. A simple, shared plan. Dependable child care. Clear expectations. And support—from caregivers, colleagues, and other parents—can take work travel from overwhelming to manageable.

And if you’re feeling a mix of stress, guilt, relief, and pride all at once, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re doing something hard.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What’s the most important step to take before a work trip as a parent?

Make a plan with your partner, co-parent, or caregiver. A plan helps set expectations at home and can include meals, schedules, and routines so everyone knows what the travel days will look like.

How can dependable child care help with work travel?

Dependable child care can make work travel run more smoothly by reducing uncertainty while you’re away. If your employer offers child care benefits like backup care or care reimbursements, it can help to understand what’s available. If not, line up trusted resources, share expectations, and leave emergency contacts.

Is it okay if caregivers do things differently than I do while I’m traveling?

Yes. Didrikson notes that it’s normal for other trusted caregivers to do things differently, and that this can be healthy for children. It can also help strengthen the bond between your child and the caregiver supporting them while you’re away.

How can I support myself emotionally during work travel?

Didrikson encourages parents to use some of the time away to reboot. That might mean reading something for yourself, resting more than you usually can at home, and treating self-care as a routine practice that supports you as a parent and employee.

Where can I find support from other working parents?

Consider talking with your trusted circle or connecting with other parent colleagues at work. If your employer has a parent Employee Resource Group, it can be a helpful place to share work travel tips and feel less alone.