Key takeaways
- If you're the patient, you need a second adult whose only job is the children, from surgery morning through at least the first several days.
- Ask your surgeon about lifting restrictions before you commit; they decide whether bringing young kids is practical.
- Choose lodging with a separate bedroom, an elevator, a kitchen, and an on-site pool or common area so the kids have somewhere to go.
- Count back from the first day of school and leave a buffer; Colombia's January 11, 2027 holiday and Dec. 24–25 and Dec. 31–Jan. 1 affect clinic schedules and travel.
- If a child holds Colombian nationality, check Colombia's minor exit-permission rules before you travel.
December and January are tempting for a medical trip. School is out, many workplaces slow down, and taking the whole family along can feel easier than arranging weeks of childcare at home. Plenty of parents do it. But a recovery trip with kids is a different project from a recovery trip alone, and it works best when you plan the children's days as carefully as your own.
This guide is for a parent who is the patient, traveling with one or more children during the winter school break. It covers who looks after the kids on surgery day and during the first rough days, how to choose lodging, what children can realistically do in Medellín while you heal, and what to settle with your surgeon before you book. It doesn't cover procedures on children themselves.
Start with the honest question: should the kids come?
Before you plan logistics, decide whether bringing the children helps your recovery or competes with it. The answer depends on their ages, your procedure, and who else is coming.
| Situation | Usually workable | Think harder |
|---|---|---|
| Who's coming | A second adult whose only job is the kids | You're the only adult, or your companion is also your caregiver |
| Children's ages | Older kids and teens who can entertain themselves and follow rules | Babies and toddlers who need to be lifted, carried, and held |
| Your procedure | Dental work or minor procedures with quick recovery | Abdominal, breast, or body procedures with lifting limits and drains |
| Trip length | Fits comfortably inside the school break with buffer days | Return flight lands the night before school starts |
The lifting question is the one parents underestimate. Many surgeons restrict lifting for a period after common procedures, and a three-year-old doesn't understand why you can't pick them up. Ask your surgeon for your specific restrictions and how long they last, then picture an ordinary day with your child under those rules.
If you're the patient, someone else needs to be fully responsible for the children from the morning of surgery through at least the first several days. Your companion can't be at your bedside in recovery and at the hotel pool at the same time. If you can only bring one adult, look seriously at whether a different date, or leaving the kids with family, is safer.
Map out who does what on surgery day
Surgery day is the pinch point. You may need to be at the clinic early, you'll be under anesthesia or sedation for part of the day, and many clinics want a responsible adult to collect you. Some procedures involve an overnight stay. Children usually can't wait in surgical areas, and long hours in a waiting room are hard on everyone.
Work out the plan in writing before you fly:
- Confirm the clinic's rules. Ask what time you need to arrive, how long you'll likely be there, whether you'll stay overnight, who may wait for you, and whether children are allowed in the building at all.
- Assign roles. Decide who goes with you to the clinic and who stays with the kids. If one adult has to do both, plan for the kids to stay at the lodging with a vetted sitter during the procedure and the adult to be at the clinic for discharge.
- Write down contacts. Give the children's adult the clinic's address, the international patient coordinator's number, your surgeon's contact, and the name of the hospital that would handle an emergency.
- Prepare the kids. Tell them in age-appropriate terms that you'll be sleepy and sore for a few days, that you'll need to rest, and that they can't climb on you. Kids cope better when they know what to expect.
- Plan the first 72 hours as "quiet days." Food delivered or simple meals, screens and games ready, and no outings that depend on you.
If you're thinking about hiring childcare locally, vet it the way you would at home: references you can actually check, a meeting in advance, and clear rules about outings and phones. Ask your clinic's international patient department whether they can suggest options, and see how those departments work so you know what's reasonable to ask.
Choose lodging for two jobs at once
A recovering adult and active children need different things from the same space. The layout matters more than the décor.
- A separate bedroom for you with a door that closes, so you can sleep while the kids are awake
- A second bathroom if possible, since recovery can mean slow, frequent bathroom trips
- An elevator and no long staircases between the entrance, your room, and the common areas
- A real kitchen so meals and snacks don't depend on going out
- A pool or common area where the other adult can take kids without leaving the building
- Short distance to the clinic and a pharmacy, so follow-up visits don't take half a day
- Quiet at night. December in Medellín can mean music and fireworks in some neighborhoods, especially around Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve
An aparthotel or a furnished apartment in a building with a front desk often hits that balance. Medical recovery houses, which are designed around the patient, are usually not set up for children; check before you assume. Our recovery houses guide explains what they offer. For neighborhood trade-offs, compare El Poblado and Laureles for recovery; Laureles tends to be flatter and calmer, while El Poblado is hillier but has more short-stay buildings with amenities.
December is a busy month for travel within Colombia and for visitors coming in. Book lodging and flights early, and confirm in writing whatever matters most to you: the elevator, the second bathroom, the pool hours.
What the kids can actually do while you heal
The other adult needs a plan for the children's days, especially in the first week when you're mostly in bed. Medellín in December has a festive mood, and the city's Christmas lights, the alumbrados (holiday light displays), are a big draw for families. They can also be very crowded in the evenings, so they're a good outing for the kids and their adult, not for you in your first days after surgery.
Build a mix of low-key and outing days:
- At-home days: pool time, board games, movies, a few school-break reading or homework sessions, simple cooking together
- Short outings: parks, malls with play areas, the Metro and Metrocable rides that many kids love, nearby museums
- Bigger outings: day trips for the kids and their adult once you're stable and someone can stay with you, or you're comfortable being alone for a few hours
If you're tempted to fold in your own sightseeing too, read our guide to combining tourism with a medical trip. The usual rule is that your touring belongs before the procedure, and the kids' touring can fill the recovery stretch.
Timing the trip around the school calendar
Your children's school dates set the hard edges. Count backward from the first day of school, not the last day of break, and leave a buffer. Your surgeon decides when you're fit to fly, and that date can move if recovery is slower than expected.
A few Colombia-specific dates to factor in:
- Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day are when clinics and offices are most likely to run reduced schedules. Don't plan surgery or a key follow-up right on top of them without confirming with the clinic.
- January 1 and Monday, January 11, 2027 are national holidays in Colombia (New Year's Day and the moved Epiphany, or Reyes Magos, holiday). That second date creates a long weekend when local travel picks up.
- Return flights in early January can be busy as visitors head home, so book early.
For a broader look at seasons, see the best time of year for a medical trip to Colombia. And plan the length of stay with how long to stay after surgery, then add a margin before school restarts.
Paperwork for traveling with children
Bring each child's passport and your own, and keep copies. If a child is traveling with only one parent, or with an adult who isn't their parent, carry a signed letter of consent from the other parent or legal guardian and a copy of the birth certificate showing parentage. Airlines and border officers can ask questions, and having the paperwork on hand avoids problems.
Colombia has specific exit-permission rules for minors who are Colombian nationals and for foreign minors residing in Colombia. If any of your children hold Colombian nationality, even alongside a U.S., Canadian, or UK passport, check the current requirements with Migración Colombia or a Colombian consulate well before you travel, since they can affect your departure.
Also complete the Check-MIG form for every traveler, including children, before you fly. Our Check-MIG guide walks through it.
Health basics for the kids
While you're focused on your own procedure, don't forget the children's health coverage. Check whether your family's travel insurance covers the kids for routine illness and accidents in Colombia, and where you'd take a child for urgent care. Pack any regular medications they take, in original packaging, with enough for the full trip plus extra days.
Talk to your children's doctor or a travel clinic about routine and travel vaccines before the trip, especially if you might add a side trip beyond Medellín. The CDC's travel health pages for Colombia are a good starting point for that conversation.
Finally, make sure the other adult has everything they'd need if you were unavailable for a day or two: the kids' passports, insurance details, medical information, and a way to pay for things. If you'd like help thinking through a family trip, you can reach us through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Can my kids stay with me at the clinic on surgery day?
Usually not in surgical or recovery areas, and many clinics discourage children in waiting rooms for long periods. Ask the clinic directly about its rules and plan for the kids to stay at your lodging with another adult or a vetted sitter.
Is one adult enough if I'm the patient?
For most procedures, not really. The adult who brings you home from surgery and helps you through the first days can't also supervise children full time. A second adult dedicated to the kids is the safer setup.
Do my kids need special documents to enter Colombia?
Each child needs a valid passport and a completed Check-MIG form. If a child travels with only one parent, carry signed consent from the other parent and a birth certificate. Children with Colombian nationality face specific exit rules, so check with Migración Colombia or a consulate.
Will clinics be open over Christmas and New Year's?
Many keep working through December, but schedules often thin out around Dec. 24–25 and Dec. 31–Jan. 1. Confirm your surgery date and every follow-up appointment in writing, and avoid scheduling key visits right on those days.
Official sources
Please note: This article is general information, not medical advice. Every patient is different. Talk with a licensed physician about your own health, risks and options before making treatment or travel decisions.