Going On Vacation With A Toddler
<p>Vacations are a great time to spend quality time with your family. But it can also be stressful trying to plan out all the little details. The best vacations are those which cause the least amount of stress. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of things you should know about going on vacation with a toddler. Taking a family vacation with a toddler isn’t exactly like going on vacation by yourself, obviously. W e just got back from Jamaica and I can tell you one thing, don’t ever leave your toddler at home again. That being said, there are some steps you can take to have a successful trip that is enjoyable for the whole family, including the little one.
I have always enjoyed going on vacation, but now that I am a dad of two with a very limited amount of vacation time I try to get the most out of my free time. When my wife told me she was pregnant with our second child I thought “well, this just killed our chances of regular vacations.” Oh how wrong I was. When traveling with a toddler, it’s important to take a lot of essentials. To help you plan for your travels we’ve created this helpful survival tips list.
Going On Vacation With A Toddler
Are you planning a vacation with your family? If you are a parent of a toddler, stop planning right now! The first tip to stay sane is to never label it a vacation. Once your child is no longer a baby, remove all expectations of your child napping in the stroller or laying on your chest all day. You are going on a trip with your toddler. but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable. Here are some tips for a fun family trip with a toddler.
Choose Your Vacation Destination Wisely When Taking a Toddler
Trips with toddlers are different than trips with babies. Pre-toddler, you may have been able to walk around a museum, go for a hike with your baby in a carrier, or sit at a restaurant while the baby sleeps. With a toddler, your activities need to be scheduled between nap time and mealtimes and you shouldn’t sway too much from the regular bedtime routine.
Beach vacations are better suited for toddlers than sightseeing vacations. Most toddlers love to play in the sand and splash in the water. Plus, beach days tire everyone out so the whole family can get a good night’s sleep.
Think About Sleep Arrangements Before You Book
When you have a toddler, you should forget stylish boutique hotels or cozy B&Bs. Your priority is sleeping arrangements. If your toddler normally sleeps alone, putting him in your room might confuse him or keep him wanting to play all night. Also, putting your toddler in your room means lights out at their bedtime, and then you and your partner are left sitting in the dark.
So, what are your options? You could rent a home with multiple rooms or get a hotel room that has a one-bedroom suite so your toddler can sleep in a pack-n-play in the living room. If you can’t find that, a hotel room with a large closet with vents on the door may be sufficient. The few hours at night without your toddler will keep you sane, and make your trip so much more enjoyable.
Get a Balcony
You will be spending a lot more time in your room with a toddler than you would otherwise since there are nap time and an early bedtime. Toddlers may also need time to unwind. Get a room with a balcony to help avoid going sit-crazy and actually enjoy your time.
Don’t Torture Yourself in Restaurants Every Night
Toddlers and good restaurants aren’t the best combinations, but you all still need to eat. Some nights you can plan to go to family-friendly restaurants, where your kid will be entertained with crayons and filled with food from the kid’s menu. Other nights, you can plan to do take-out from nicer restaurants so you can try some good food. You can bring the food to a park for a picnic or find a grassy area in your resort. Some hotels have BBQs where you can grill your own food. This casual dining is fun for the whole family.
Vacation Clothes and Toddlers Don’t Mix
When we were younger, part of vacation excitement was buying new clothes. With a toddler, most of your clothes will be untouched, and the clothes that you do wear will most likely get stained. As for your toddler, choose comfort. She can wear the same few outfits over and over again. Her clothes will have things like watermelon juice and grass stains all over it.
Consider Babysitter Options
Many people bring babysitters or relatives on their vacations so they can spend time with their kids, but also have some adult time to relax and go out for nice dinners. Bringing a sitter from home can be costly since you are paying for their vacation, and bringing relatives might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Many resorts offer babysitting services, or you can find local sitters. You can ask the concierge about the childcare options.
Some resorts offer childcare during the day where kids do group activities with “camp counselors.”
On our first family trip as a family of four, my toddler refused to go to the resort’s day camp, and all four of us slept in one room. It wasn’t a relaxing week at all, but watching him splash in the water and gleefully run around in the grass made it worth it. We created wonderful memories and were better prepared for the next trip.
Remember the days when you panicked about your infant’s first plane ride? Turns out babies are amateur hour. If you want to know the true meaning of pain, just plan a summer vacation with a little person roughly one to three years of age.
After a half-dozen successful trips with my infant daughter, I was lulled into a false sense of security about this whole traveling-with-child thing. I had my foolproof bag of tricks for the flight, a manageable packing list and a trusty Ergobaby carrier. I dispensed advice to moms with smaller babies like a pro. So I did not hesitate to book a low-key beach getaway to Florida shortly after my daughter’s first birthday. How hard could it possibly be?
We were hardly out the door when the truth hit me like a bottle of milk launched by a 1-year-old practicing her newly-discovered throwing abilities. And no, that’s not a metaphor. Here’s what traveling with a toddler really looks like.
1. Those travel-with-baby tips that used to work? They no longer will
Back in the day, the boob or bottle would pacify your baby instantly. Now, your breastfeeding days are past, and your toddler thinks bottles are for throwing. Back in the day, she would nap in a sling or stroller while you did your thing. Now, she screams in the sling or stroller while you hide your face in shame. So get ready to throw out your travel playbook and start from scratch.
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2. Sightseeing and toddlers don’t mix
Pre-toddler, a day in your vacation may have included a museum or two, a picturesque hike or walk, a new restaurant, some shopping and a show at night. My husband and I managed to keep this up through our daughter’s first year, using a clever combination of baby wearing and babysitters. Now? We got to choose one activity per day—if we were lucky. And, of course, it had to be safe for a very mobile toddler, not scheduled during naptime or after bedtime or at mealtime, and not too far from the hotel.
3. If you want to stay sane, put the toddler in a closet
Forget stylish boutique hotels or cozy B&Bs. Your #1 priority now is a separate place for your progeny to sleep. If he usually sleeps alone, bunking down in the same room might destroy his already-fragile vacation sleep schedule. And even if he does manage to sleep fine, you’ll be forced into lights out at 8pm.
So, what to do instead? Rent an Airbnb with multiple rooms. (Bedrooms not necessary—my kid recently slept in a laundry room). Or get a hotel room with a handicapped-accessible bathroom, which should be big enough for your Pack’n’Play. (Downside: no nighttime bathroom runs). Even a large closet with vents on the door will do. The few hours of couple time you get after the little monster is sleeping may well be the highlight of your trip.
4. Spring for a room with a view…because that’s where you’ll be spending most of your time
As previously mentioned, you and the toddler will not be doing much sightseeing. What will you be doing? Spending hours in your hotel or vacation rental. We retreated to our beachfront condo for many reasons—nap, lunch, toddler overheating, toddler too wound up and needs calm place to unwind…you get the picture. The ocean view and the sound of the waves helped us avoid going crazy and actually enjoy our cooped-up-inside time.
RELATED: 4 Family Vacation Goals You Should Probably Rethink
5. Take-out at the playground will be the apex of your dining experience
Toddlers and good restaurants rarely mix, but you all still need to eat. So, what do you do? Sure, you can take your two-year-old to a generic kid-friendly restaurant that looks, feels and tastes just like the generic kid-friendly restaurants at home, down to the packet of crayons and the extravaganza of fried items on the children’s menu. But even typing that depresses me. As an alternative, did you know that most fancy restaurants will do take-out? So go ahead, grab a few boxes from the hotspot all the young people are flocking to, go find a baby-friendly park or playground, and have a picnic.
6. Don’t get too excited about your new vacation outfits. Actually, don’t bring your new vacation outfits
I’m one of those people who enjoys buying a couple of cute new outfits to wear on vacation. This year, I even bought some for my little girl. Most of these new clothes lay untouched in the closet, along with my jewelry and most of the contents of my make-up bag. I wore shorts and a t-shirt that I didn’t mind ruining when my daughter smashed berries in my lap. She wore the same two rompers over and over, because they worked best for crawling and high-speed diaper changes in unfamiliar places.
7. Planning for a babysitter? Think again
On our first family vacations, my husband and I would leave the baby with relatives or a new sitter, scoring some much-needed couple time. This time, our one-year-old physically clung on to me for the better part of the week. With her stranger danger instincts on high alert, she made it clear she’d be damned before she let me leave her with someone she’d never met. Au revoir, dinner reservations at fancy French restaurant.
This is the bit where I get to say that, despite all of the above, vacationing with our toddler was magical and amazing and totally worth it. And, I’ll admit it was heart-meltingly adorable to see her discover sand for the first time and bob in the waves on her tiny raft. But still, if any of the grandparents offer to take her for a week so hubby and I can go travel on our own, I won’t be turning down the offer.