Family Album

The Adventures of a Mother Traveling Alone with Her Child

Meet the story of this mother who has traveled to over 40 countries with her son. Pure inspiration to give you that extra push you needed

By Sut-Mie Guibert

This could be a typical story of a family that loves to travel and visits several countries, were it not for the specific case of Renata Oliveira having divorced when her son was still a baby, which made them, from an early age, a single-parent family of mother and son. Those who travel with children as a couple, in groups of 3, 4 people or more, may not imagine the difficulties that such a situation imposes. And those who know or imagine the condition of traveling alone in the company of their offspring(s) may think of some difficulties. However, get to know the adventures and tips of this Mother (yes, with a capital letter, please) who has always explored the world with her son with great courage. There’s nothing better than an inspiring story to motivate other mothers and families.

How did they start traveling?

Renata began traveling with her son Breno very early on, taking him on a plane when he was just months old (on this first occasion, accompanied by her mother, as she needed both moral and physical support). After that, she thought a trip to Disney would be most suitable, since the place is entirely kid and family-friendly, with all the infrastructure adapted for little ones, which is true. But she didn’t imagine that a trip to Orlando would require so much organization, preparation, and that the places would be so crowded.

Therefore, after such a trip (which was excellent, by the way), it became easy to imagine many other destinations that were on the traveler Renata’s wish list. She decided to expand the range of destinations beyond those known for being child-friendly. From there, mother and son didn’t stop and together visited over 40 places, some quite distant like the Philippines, Laos, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Galápagos, Atacama, Iceland, California, not to mention Brazilian paradises… the list is long! We can imagine all the experiences, memories created, and strengthening of bonds that this entails. But what are the “secrets” to the success of these adventures?

The main one was not to be afraid! Not to be afraid, including of people’s judgment. Socially speaking, we still live in a patriarchal society that finds it difficult to accept that a mother can be professionally successful, resolved, and adventurous. In society’s eyes, the traveler Renata would have to give up her dreams of visiting new destinations. And, in fact, the opposite happened: having a child was never an obstacle for her to travel; on the contrary, discovering the world together with Breno became an objective. Renata takes no greater pleasure than showing all the beauties and diversities to her son. She knows that not being intimidated by potential difficulties, being a positive person, showing this confidence and strength to her son is essential. The gain is always much greater for both in every sense: autonomy, courage, strengthening of the relationship… From being seen as a “crazy and irresponsible mother,” she became the mother everyone wants for themselves, the one who takes them along on the best trips and provides the best experiences. And what if she adopted us? 🙂

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How many benefits!

“There are numerous, of course. But something very interesting is that I’ve raised an independent, autonomous boy, and that’s very important for him. Because, from an early age, he knew how to go through the procedures of a trip, check in, pass through security, passport control… but he also always served himself in restaurants, ate what I ate…” Renata asserts, recalling an episode in Paris where she ordered pasta for him and a Croque Madame (ham and cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top) for herself, and was surprised when, at the next meal, he again requested a kids’ meal and he refused: “I want to eat like you, I want the same food.” Today, he’s already thinking about traveling alone with friends and will certainly be someone confident about traveling.

“The bond that is created is also very strong. We have a very strong connection because it’s always just him and me on trips; just the two of us speaking Portuguese, sharing things. One has to take care of the other. And today he already helps: “Let me get the suitcase from the conveyor belt.” I’m loving this new phase (laughs).”

The most interesting thing is that Renata estimates that all of this didn’t happen solely because she has an only child. The investment made in travels, which is considered as education, would have been the same, even if there were more children. “If I had other children, I would do it all over again!” she asserts, certain that travels go beyond adventures. They transform relationships and generations.

Some objective tips from mother to mother:

Dressing your child in bright colors in crowded places (like amusement parks).

Giving special attention to documents, vaccines, and especially the International Child Exit Authorization (fortunately, now this authorization can be included directly in the child’s passport).

Keeping a notebook with key contacts (always in the same place) in case of problems (if the mother gets sick or injured and the child finds themselves “alone” in a country with another language). It’s important that she can contact the travel agency and family members. Having a reference to speak to in Portuguese.

Always having a local SIM card, even if it’s in the mother’s phone, so the child can always use it in case of need.

Being mindful of “exotic” foods, asking for less pepper, fewer condiments, but without being overly anxious, as it’s also interesting for the child to try new flavors and be immersed in a different culture.

With children, destinations with lots of nature, open spaces, animals, and related activities such as hiking, diving, snorkeling,… are worthwhile. Destinations that the adult wants to visit but also have interests for the child.

Having guides in Portuguese makes a difference because the child becomes more interested and can ask their own questions and clarify doubts. They learn more.

With teenage children, having commitments: a museum afternoon and a leisure afternoon. The mother can wander around and shop while the child has a leisurely afternoon at the hotel.

As initial experiences, traveling in a group with other families is worthwhile, so the mother will feel welcomed, have the support of the group, the child has the company of other children, while adults can also dine, drink wine, and have other conversations. Soon, the mother will feel more liberated, gain confidence, and get the hang of it.

“That connection is really cool. I realized that we are very close-knit, very connected. And a big part, I think, came from these trips, right? From us knowing that we only had each other, that it was just me. So he helped me a lot, always. This whole thing was a partnership that was built over 11 years”