Going on a holiday for the first time with your baby can be an exciting time. Holidays with children are quite different to your holidays pre-kids, but this new adventure can be just as fun. To ensure you get the most out of your family holiday, there are some things you can do.
Here are our Top Tips for a First-time Holiday with Baby:
- The resort nightclub may no longer be an option, but your first family holiday is a great opportunity for a decent rest. Think in terms of early nights, early morning beach walks, and early dinners. This is your chance to go back to bed to read after the first morning feed, or an afternoon nap when your baby naps.
- Consider a holiday with other people with a similar aged baby – then you might be able to do a swap and have a grown up night out each.
- Choose your accommodation wisely. Self-catering is definitely the way to go when you have a small baby. Free reign of the kitchen to prepare bottles, solid food and cook your own meals. Being able to put your baby to bed means you can still share a romantic dinner or sit outside on your porch or balcony for a glass of wine, without worrying about a baby sitter, or creeping around a hotel room so you don’t wake the baby.
- Choose the ‘Family Friendly’ option. There are some amazing family-friendly resorts that offer all the luxuries of a pre-kids resort, but also options that will suit your change in lifestyle. It’s likely they’ll have a safe water area for your baby, there will be cots, safety gates, nappies and change tables available, early meal options (if meals are part of the package) and family friendly activities.
- Go long haul. Your baby will never be this compact again. Consider flying further, as the older (and bigger) they get the harder long-haul air travel becomes. Long haul flights with toddlers can be hard work, better to go when they are young enough to sleep any where. You won’t have to pay for your baby’s flight either, from the age of two children pay full adult flight fares.
- Ensure you have some ‘quiet time’ in your day. When traveling out and about, it’s important for baby still to nap. Provide a calm ‘sanctuary’ for your baby by draping a blanket over the stroller or use the hood of the baby carrier to minimise unfamiliar stimulation (sights, sounds, strangers). Comfort them with the soothing sound of your voice by holding them close in a carrier, or with soft touch to make them feel secure.
- Wear Your Baby. Your baby will still be small enough to wear on your body with a baby carrier. Using a baby carrier means you can negotiate from busy airports with your hands free, go beach walking without worrying about sand getting in the wheels of your stroller. Walk freely through local markets and visit far flung places knowing that your baby is safely tucked up next to you. You can enjoy that authentic travel experience in the rice paddies of Bali or the beaches of the Maldives – visiting places that you couldn’t do if you had to take a pram.