Vacations and babies

dancer7889 · December 2014

DH and I really want to go on a vacation this summer bc last year we just visited a bunch of family. What kind of vacation would you recommend with a one year and few month old? I really want somewhere that has some form of daycare that we could use for a day or two/dinner but a lot of places I've looked at (and cruises) don't take kids til they're two. I'm up for about anything- I just need to get away for a few days!

Cruise? Beach? Cabin? Theme park? Pros/cons to these who have taken young kids?

SmittyPants · December 2014

I once read that vacationing with little babies is like having all the stress and none of the conveniences. We go to visit in laws every year and have since DD was a baby. It's a pain. I'd look for something as close to having a house as possible. That way you'll have places to put all the stuff you'll need and hopefully a separate room you can keep quiet for naps and whatnot.

kimberpoo · December 2014

We plan to go to macinack (sp?) island in MI this coming summer, but my mom is coming along as a 'babysitter' so we can go out to dinner and stuff. maybe a cheat, but hey! it was her idea.

I live in northwest Indiana and we've taken baby on a few trips to Michigan already. nothing overnight, but long day trips. hiking through the state forest, out to the beach, out shopping the boardwalk stores, etc. had a blast. we've started getting him to sleep pretty well in the pack n play (in the bottom 'playpen' part, if that makes sense) and I think we could just bring that along on any trip we decided to take. I'd just bring my stroller, his clothes, the pack n play, a few toys/pacifiers/diapers/etc., and powdered formula. I've got a nice little system going for day trips for food...a small bag with a few empty bottles, bottled water, and segmented formula travel cups (like 3 servings per container). works pretty well and is very portable.

I'm outdoorsy, so besides macinack I plan to try and take LO to a few state forests (maybe rent a cabin instead of our usual tent camping), a museum, zoo, lots of beaches for day trips, and more hiking than a normal person would want to do! haha. lo is nearing 30 lbs so I'll either be getting a good hiking backpack with a frame for him, or sticking to flatter trails that our jogging stroller can handle.

summer after next I plan to try kayaking with him and more in-tents camping!

kimberpoo · December 2014

oh and I'm sorry, I don't have any recs for baby sitting/care while out. maybe team up with some friends and take turns watching the kids while the other couple does an activity?

pepperedmoth · December 2014

I definitely recommend teaming up. Traveling with family while in China meant that I got to stay out late upon MULTIPLE happy occasions (boozing and dining with my sisters and BIL mostly!) because my parents preferred to go to bed earlier and they watched A.

I've also gone alone with A to three different multi-day church gatherings. There was childcare at all of those. You might look into a structured retreat that would similarly have childcare.

Natty13umppo · December 2014

We traveled A LOT with DD1 before she was two. She was a pretty easy traveller.

If you can swing it, bring a family member for all or part of your vacation. On one vacation, the grandparents were with us for part of the trip and it was just the 3 of us for the last part. It worked out well.

I have no experience with using hotel babysitters, but I know a lot of places (particularly more upscale places) can set you up with one.

Speaking of hotels, when we travelled with DD1, we spent a lot more than we used to on hotels because we were IN the hotel room a lot more than we were pre-kids due to naps and early bedtimes. I recommend a suite with a DOOR! (A lot of properties will advertise being suites, but there is no separation (wall) between the living area and sleeping area.) This allowed DH and I to stay up in one room while DD was sleeping in the other. (Picking the right hotel and protecting sleep for DD was the biggest challenge for us when traveling....YMMV)

Another alternative to getting a hotel with a suite is looking for a house to rent. Depends where you are going and for how long. I haven't done it, but talking with DH, it might be what we try when we are brave enough to travel with two. :P

At that age, I'd recommend doing things that YOU like, but are LO friendly. For example, we went to Disneyland when DD1 was 10months because *I* love Disneyland. It certainly was a different experience with a kid, but I still had fun and DD had fun, too. (If you DON'T like Disney, I certainly wouldn't recommend taking a kid at that age.) But if you are going somewhere with a zoo, aquarium, children's museum, park.....if any of those things are interesting to you, it's a good place to go with a LO. Depending on your LO's tolerance for being in a carrier and/or stroller, you can walk around outdoors just about anywhere you like......stroll cities, the beach, state/national park trails...

dancer7889 · December 2014

bennieangel said:
A few month old? Are you expecting!? Did I miss this announcement somewhere? Congrats!!

No advice

Haha no... A year and few month old, as DD who was born last feb, not two separate babies.

Thanks for all the responses. DD travels pretty well but I just don't want to be stuck in a hotel for 2-3 hrs for nap every afternoon and back by 8. I've thought about mil coming along, as she's the only grandparent who could come, but I don't think I could handle it. It's a lot to think about! I like the idea of getting a cabin, so there'd be separate areas to help her sleep. I just need to pick a place and start looking around.

SurpriseAt39 · December 2014

bennieangel said:
A few month old? Are you expecting!? Did I miss this announcement somewhere? Congrats!!

No advice

Lol. That's what I read the first time through too.
A one year old and a few months old.
Then I re-read. Oops.

I have no advice at the moment. When I'm thinking clearly I may come back with thoughts.

smchik · December 2014

I would say any trip you would take w/o (except to a romantic all inclusive for adults). We have two kids and take them everywhere. You don't have to work around their sleep and schedules if you don't want to. Kids can be more flexible than you might think. We have done international trips, resorts, renting spaces. My one advice would be to do more than a hotel room (rent an apartment/house). It gives you more space to spread out, you can each have your own room so you aren't having to be quiet when they sleep, and never under estimate the power of a washing machine and small kitchen(ette)! It can also be cheaper than a hotel in many places.

vacsx2 · December 2014

We are going to Club Med in FL in February and they have a Baby Club Med, which is why we picked it.
Haven't been yet, but are looking forward to it. https://m.clubmed.us/qaresortsheet?qa_resortselect=SANC

pepperedmoth · December 2014

Well it really does depend on the baby re: schedules. Mine is very flexible with his schedule as long as we remain attentive to his needs.

I have been able to happily ignore specific nap/feeding times so long as I am extra-closely tuned in to his cues and am willing to stop what I'm doing to attend to them. It doesn't seem to bother him at all.

So OP, just know your baby. It is not universally true that babies are absolutely wedded to their schedules.

pepperedmoth · December 2014

Oh and I REALLY second getting a house, though! we were stuck in one hotel room this trip with A, and it was hard because I had to be lights-out when I put him down.

Then halfway through I realized we had this huuuuuuuge bathroom....so I put his PnP in there. Weird but it worked!

lindsey1031 · December 2014

Jt7dreamz said:

Totally agree with @farmrsboywife‌ @lovethatdirtywater‌ and @bennieangel‌

I also agree. My kid's sleep needs to be worked around. There is no pushing that aside - and though he might be okay to be an hour or so later than usual, I would feel like I was being unfair to him.

We travel often - every 6 - 8 weeks. We bring familiar items (toys, blankets, our dogs!) and a few new toys to help keep busy in the car. Another thing that is essential to us is a separate room for him to sleep. This we make EXACTLY like home - same white noise, same books, same temperature and darkness. My kid sleeps beautifully when we travel...so far.

I should add that I have a friend who has a baby that is just a month younger than mine. She never works around his sleep and he seems to do okay - so it definitely depends on the type of baby!

Aliki · December 2014

I'm a traveler, so having kids wasn't going to stop me. I don't think traveling with children is a pain, as long as you're realistic about your expectations. Like, you don't get to go to night clubs and raves and drink till you pass out, but that was never my vacation style, anyway.

I like to see new places, try new restaurants, take a lot of photographs, get in touch with nature.. and kids are pretty amenable to all of that.

My children sleep in strollers and carriers (Ergo, Bjorn, or Kelty backpack). We don't go back to the hotel for naps, they just sleep as we explore.

I don't bring special food for them. When they were very young, just breastfed. When they got to solid foods, they just ate food off my plate at restaurants.

As for where-- that depends on what you like. I think anything is fair game!

We live in NJ and we took my DD1 to Central Oregon when she was 1 year old. Went to Crater Lake, explored state parks, drove out to Eugene.

At 1-1/2 years old, took her to Chicago for a city experience, where we went to museums, observatories, lots of city walking and shopping on Magnificent Mile, and lunch picnicking in parks. Also took her to Boston around that time, she liked going to the aquarium and walking the streets of Boston.

Been to Florida beaches, to hang in the sun and play in the sand.

Shannendoah Valley in Virginia, as well as Eastern Tennessee, just for some good BBQ, cave explorations, and lots of hiking of the national parks.

CruiseGirl28 · December 2014

We're going on a cruise in April, and my MIL and bet husband are coming.

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