Before moving to Europe, I truly believed that traveling with kids meant doing everything ourselves. Every meal, every meltdown, every bedtime, every moment. Beautiful, yes, but also exhausting. Parents don’t get a break. They show up day after day, rain or shine, in sickness and in health. That’s the vow we take to our children.

People love to say traveling with kids is just parenting in another location. And honestly, that’s not a bad thing. Parenting doesn’t stop when you travel, nor should it. But parenting with support feels entirely different than parenting alone. Living abroad in Italy showed me something different. It showed me what travel feels like when parents are supported too.

It’s not about escaping your kids. It’s about supporting the whole family. While the kids are painting, playing outside, making friends, and being cared for by trained caregivers through safe childcare while traveling abroad, parents get a moment to breathe. To rest, to swim, to have a quiet coffee. To sit next to each other without a toddler climbing on their head. And something beautiful happens when parents are rested. You show up calmer, more patient, and more present. Not counting minutes until bedtime, not running on empty, and actually enjoying the moments together. These experiences understand that family travel isn’t just about keeping kids entertained. It’s about caring for parents too. Because when everyone in the family feels supported, everyone thrives. It’s still parenting, just with a village.

Even saying the words “babysitter abroad” made my stomach flip. In another country. In another language. In a place where I didn’t know the systems. My brain ran through every possible what-if scenario. What if my child cried the whole time? What if they didn’t understand each other? What if something went wrong?

If you’ve ever hesitated to hire a babysitter while traveling, you’re not dramatic. It just means you care. After all, you’re a parent and these are your people. Our nervous systems are designed to protect the tiny humans we love most. Of course it feels scary.

While living in Tuscany, we discovered Tripsitta, a platform that connects traveling families with fully vetted childcare in Europe and trusted babysitters abroad. Not just in Italy, but also in places like France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe. Instead of scrolling through random sitter listings or relying on word of mouth, everything felt thoughtful, professional, and designed specifically for families who are far from home and searching for safe childcare abroad. I even got to chat with the founder, Emmy Yoshida, who shared her origin story about moving from the U.K. to Italy and trying to find childcare.

Still, the first time a sitter arrived, I hovered. I over explained routines. I apologized for nap schedules. I probably asked too many questions. After all, this sitter was going to be watching my baby, my everything. And then something beautiful happened. They played, they laughed, and my baby settled in. He put his arms out for the nanny, feeling welcomed in her arms, and my mama heart melted. We had two sitters we used while in Tuscany and they were both absolutely amazing. Warm, calm, attentive, and clearly experienced with children.

When parents are constantly exhausted, travel becomes something you survive. When parents are supported, travel becomes something you savor. In so many parts of Europe, childcare isn’t seen as a last resort. It’s seen as community, as care, and as part of daily life. And it makes sense. We were never meant to do everything alone, not at home, not on the road, or anywhere else in parenthood for that matter.

Your hesitation and nerves are normal. Before our European travels, I reached out to Tripsitta to see what sitters were available in our area. I watched their videos, read their biographies, and even scheduled two video calls with our sitters in Italy while we were still in the United States. The company is based in Florence, Italy, which made their vetting process feel especially thoughtful and thorough, with caregivers who truly love working with children. You don’t have to hand over your kids for full days. Sometimes an hour is enough to breathe again. You can even bring the sitter with you to dinner so you can all be together while having extra hands. It’s completely up to you how you choose to feel supported.

Somehow, we’ve been taught that good parenting looks like exhaustion. That rest is selfish. That needing help means we’re failing. What I learned abroad is the opposite. Support doesn’t make you less present. It makes you more.

Support doesn’t make you less present. In fact, it makes you more present. Finding safe childcare abroad in Europe didn’t just change our trip. It changed how I think about family life.

Because when parents are rested, kids get the best version of us. And that’s the real gift.