“It's way too expensive and silly, but it makes everybody happy.”
Traveling with kids is as much a hassle for Hilary Duff as it is for any other parent.
The 37-year-old “Lizzie McGuire” and “How I Met Your Father” actress took to her Instagram Stories on Sept. 15 to share a photo of her raising a glass of wine while relaxing in a bubble bath.
In a text overlay, she shared what many parents are thinking anytime they fly with their kids.
"Like this if you ever wanted to leave your kids on a plane," she wrote over the photo, according to People. "Today I was close."
Duff, who shares three kids with her husband Matthew Koma, first became a mom in 2012.
At the time, she was married to former NHL player Mike Comrie. Duff was just 24 years old when they welcomed their son Luca — four years before the couple announced their split, according to People.
Duff and Koma started dating shortly after and welcomed their first daughter Banks Violet in 2018.
The couple announced their engagement the following year and tied the knot in December 2019 before welcoming two more daughters — Mae James, born in 2021, and Townes Meadow, born in 2023.
Despite her recent confession about flying with kids, Duff and Koma are no strangers to family vacations.
READ MORE: Ms. Rachel shares an ‘embarrassing’ confession about a recent plane ride with her kids
In July, Duff shared a video recapping one of their summer family trips on the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i — which she described as the “perfect setting for Townsie’s first steps.”
“The sleep was sleeping the dolphins were dolphining and every single one of us lived barefoot and sunkissed on cloud 9 for a week,” she added of the trip.
The family spent that week swimming, riding bikes, fishing, snorkeling, feeding ducks and “making wood fired pizzas like pros,” according to the caption.
More recently, the mom of four shared a recap of their trip to the Lake of Bays in Ontario, Canada.
The video shows Duff and her kids swimming in the lake, playing dominoes and Connect 4, paddle boating, fishing, playing in the sand, catching bugs and going on boat rides.
Hilary Duff isn’t the only parent who finds flying with kids stressful
While flying with kids might be stressful, the memories made on those trips are almost always worth it.
Perhaps that’s why roughly 85% of parents are likely to travel with their children at least once every year, according to a report by the U.S. Family Travel Survey — whether it be on the road or in a plane.
One recent survey, conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Welch's Fruit Snacks, asked parents to describe what they struggle with the most when traveling with kids.
The answers included everything from keeping their children entertained to dealing with tantrums, finding a bathroom when needed, being asked “are we there yet?” and the inevitable screaming.
And while many parents delay or avoid traveling on a plane due to the stress it provides — evidenced by a survey conducted by Love To Dream — there are plenty of ways to minimize the stress and anxiety.
According to Jennifer Lee Loy, a former flight attendant, bringing a device with your child’s favorite shows and an activity or book that they haven’t tried before is a must when flying with kids, per What’s Up Moms.
But parents also need to plan for when those things don’t work.
ALSO ON MOD MOMS CLUB: Robin Wright reveals her one ‘huge regret as a mother’ during her marriage to Sean Penn
According to The Flying Mum, parents can also keep their kids busy on a long flight with coloring books, small knick knacks at your local department store, “search and find” activities and plenty of snacks.
