#3 - Travelling with Babies vs Toddlers
I used to think about holidays and it would fill me with excitement and anticipation… now I think about them and I have a very brief fleeting moment of glee until I remember I have a 3 yr old which means it won’t be anything like a holiday. Well not the carefree kind we used to experience anyway..
It will just be another week in a nicer setting. And even longer days on a beach holiday.
My husband and I went on our first holiday as a threesome in Portugal when my daughter was 9 months old.
At that point she was still breastfeeding and on soft food and literally did not sleep at night for longer than 2 hours. She would lay on my chest all night, feeding, like a sweet, ravenous fiend. I was like a human snack bar, she was living the all inclusive dream.
Naps were occurring twice a day at that point , also on me... always.
She wouldn’t fall asleep and nap in her pram like other kids so we’d have to rush back to the room and it was just a lot of work…
Twice a day I found myself pinned under a snoozing baby, desperately trying not to wake her up, my neck gradually getting stiffer in whatever position I was stuck in.
Cherry on top was she also had eczema which was and still is triggered by heat so that was joyous…
We had little glimmers of fun , took cute pictures of her in her swimsuit and floatie but a lot of it was hazy because of lack of sleep on my part and worrying about her constant scratching, hydrocortisone at the ready.
I had 3 different sun creams with me in case of any reactions, fans, lotions and potions galore, most of the suitcase was filled with her creams, food pouches and medications, a pharmacy on wheels even..
When I would once think about daily outfits, the baggage weight allowance is taken up by her stuff so it’s basic flip flops, thsirts and shorts for me.
As she got older the plane rides got harder but the actual holiday a bit easier as she became more independent.
When they start to walk, trying to get them to keep their seatbelt on is a mission.
The longest journey we ever took was a flight to Jamaica when she was 2.
She got terrible heat rash on that trip but that’s another story!
I scoured Amazon and went on a shopping frenzy for anything that promised 5 mins of distraction. Novelty is the key.
Colouring books
Pre Loaded I pad (screen time was relaxed for survival)
On the plane we bring:
Travel pram
Bib
Wet Wipes
Anti bac wipes
Nappies
Folding changing mat
Plastic nappy disposal bags
Change of clothes in case
Cutlery
Calpol
Piriton ( she has food allergies)
Water bottle
Snacks, lots of them.
Cuddly Toy
Muslin
Where we used to avoid the seats near the toilets now it’s not so bad if we’re closer to them. Never thought I’d say that.
As she gets older, it gets easier. The more people we travel with the easier it is
Kids Clubs at resorts usually take kids from 4+.
Despite the sleepless nights and general toddler angst, we have our Instagram posts/ phone albums to remind us of the good times and how utterly adorable they really were in that point in time and how we couldn’t fully appreciate it because of all the stuff going on in our heads.
So perhaps the new normal is enjoying and appreciating our holidays in retrospect!
Happy Travels!