Travel is now so commonplace. And going on a vacation with baby in tow is also rather common.
We also tried to travel with baby in tow when our oldest was about six months old. However, it was not a pleasant experience AT ALL. We were rather traumatised.
Unlike most babies and toddlers who scream and fuss in the aeroplane, he was an angel baby flying out and back into the country. But he cried incessantly during our short 3-day stay in Perth, Australia. Every single night. In both places that we stayed at.
We originally booked for a five-day stay but because he cried all the time we cut short our stay. It was an experience we didn’t forget for a long while, so much so that we never travelled out of the country for another six years or so, until 2004.
However, when we tried again with four children in tow, it was a much more pleasant experience. Who knew? And since then, we have been going on short to medium-haul trips with all the children ever since. And we have realised that travelling with children can be a whole lot of fun and adventure ie you never know what’s going to happen when! if one is mentally and physically prepared.
If you are contemplating travelling with your baby or young children this coming year-end holiday season or perhaps during next year’s Chinese New Year long weekend, here are some things you may wish to consider.
7 Tips for Going on Vacation with Baby and Young Children
1. Expectations
Firstly, we have to manage our expectations. Going on a vacation with a baby or with young children is not going to leave you rejuvenated unless you plan to bring along a caregiver (ie maid or hands-on grandparents). Or, if you are going to Club Med, have children willing to be dropped off at the Children’s Club.
Also, if your baby does not like new environments, it can be stressful. You have to learn to go with the flow and readjust/retrain when you return home. Therefore, now is the time to decide if the trip is going to be worth it. Coz the readjustment when you are back home can be a pain.
You have to see vacation with baby or young children in tow as a time where you get to do life in a different setting. And if you are lucky enough to stay in a nice hotel, where someone else cooks and cleans up after you. If you choose to stay in an Airbnb or a self-catering apartment, then sorry, you’ll still be cooking and cleaning.
2. Plan and Prepare
You need to plan and prepare for all parts of the trip and not just what to do when you are at your destination. This means that whether you are travelling via car or aeroplane or ferry, you need to plan and prepare activities and maybe even food for your children DURING the travelling from home to your vacation place.
Do not assume that excitement about the vacation will occupy them until they reach their destination. Nowadays, with the plethora of blogs and websites, it is easy to find free activities that you can print off to occupy your child.
Or you can buy cheapie toys that you throw away after the vacation for the novelty touch. Vacations used to be the only time I allow our younger children to play with playdough. Yes, I am a meanie but the thrill of playing with something new keeps them occupied for a long time.
This prevents your child from being a nuisance to the other travellers. Do not allow them to kick the seat in front of them or run up and down the aisle if there is no space. Everyone understands a child’s discomfort but we need to understand other passengers’ discomfort too.
If it is a road trip, you need to plan for toilet breaks and for them to get out of the car, run around and stretch out their legs. If your child suffers from travel or sea-sickness, prepare for it. Decide if you are willing to medicate for this and if not, what would your alternative be.
What about babies? You pray, sister! Seriously though, try time travel time with nap/bedtimes. At least part of the travelling time will be spent with them asleep. Even if you have to carry them. Personally, nursing was a lifesaver! For when they were babies and toddlers.
3. Food
To me, it is much easier to travel with a nursing baby. Food won’t be an issue since the milk bar is open 24 hours, seven days a week! And it is always fresh and at the right temperature.
I have learnt not to bother with baby food and the like when travelling with babies under a year old. Less stress on everyone. Besides, in an unknown territory, mommy’s breast provides comfort and nourishment all at one go. Baby will just taste and sample whatever food I am having off my plate while breastmilk remains the main food.
If you are more hardworking, you can buy fresh food from the supermarket and cook it in the mini crockpot (slow cooker) you bring along. Or do what I did for my girls and myself when we had a severe eczema outbreak but still wanted to attend church retreats in Batam and Bintan which is to cook and freeze food and heat them up in the hotel room using an electric induction stove.
If there are no allergy outbreaks, we just go with the flow when on vacation. Since we usually only go on three to four-day vacations in nearby countries, it is ok with me if they decide they will only eat bread for those 3 days or ice cream after every meal the entire vacation. It is, after all, a vacation – a break from the norm.
But if your child/ren is very picky about food, make sure you check with the hotel that there would be suitable options for them. Otherwise, you may have to scramble last minute to find things they can eat. And no one wants to deal with a hungry kid, especially on a holiday.
And it should go without saying that food offered while travelling to the destination should not be easily spillable nor the type that crumbles into a million pieces once a bite is taken. #justsaying
4. Clothes
Since our trips are usually just three to four days long, I assign one outfit per day plus one set of pyjamas. If accidents and messes occur, I will wash it in the sink with travel wash (available at most pharmacies).
And since our trips thus far are to beach resorts in Malaysia and Indonesia, it has been a breeze to pack. Now if we were travelling to a colder climate, it would be much more complicated. Plan and prepare for the weather.
Since clearing a huge load of laundry after a trip is not something to look forward to, I try to be as organised as possible when packing to come home.
Clothes are sorted out according to whether they are light-coloured or dark-coloured. Then once home, I can immediately put one load into the machine without needing to sort them.
5. Medication & Supplements
I always bring a standard stash of medication for both adults and children. These include fever/pain medication, antacids, carbon pills, antihistamines (we have allergy sufferers), antiseptic creams and bandages.
I would also bring along our usual vitamins and supplements that we take on a daily basis.
6. Naps
I have learnt to insist on short naps for the younger ones even on vacation or the meltdowns at dinner time are just not pleasant for everyone. Even if it is just for 30 minutes.
Since we need two rooms for our family size, this is much easier to manage then if we had only one room. Either I send the older ones to the next room and be quiet while I settle the younger ones to nap or Henson takes them out of the room and I stay behind to make sure that the younger ones nap.
If your baby or toddler can nap in the stroller, more power to you since that means the rest of the family can still carry on with their activities while he naps. Win-win for all.
7. Go with the Flow
Learn to go with the flow because babies and young children are just that: babies and young children – all with minds and preferences of their own. If we go with a relaxed mindset, we will all enjoy ourselves better and that was the biggest lesson I learnt after our disastrous trip with our oldest some 21 years ago.
There are lots more things you can plan to make your trip enjoyable and as hassle-free as possible when on a holiday with young ones and these are just a few things I have learnt after travelling with young children and I hope they give you some ideas for your planning.
Just remember to commit everything to the Lord and go with the flow.
PS: Travelling with a baby at the crawling stage is physically trying and tiring for me! I often advise parents with babies to travel before the baby can crawl or wait until the baby is walking confidently! It is very tiring to keep a crawling baby off dirty floors.
Edited and updated. Original post was first published on 29 February 2008.
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