Why is vacation with young kids so miserable?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
Idk- when we take family vacations with dh’s family, his sister without kids complains incessantly about “noise in the morning” (ie until she wakes up at noon) and having to go out for early dinners a couple of the nights we’re they’re so they can join. They definitely don’t travel to spend time with the kids apart from a curated Instagram picture. I don’t necessarily fault them for that, but yeah- they are not coming for the kids. |
Anonymous
| OP, the kid is to go away with another family so that all the kids can play together. We have been going to the beach since kids were born, and it's always fun for them. They play in the sand love the water, and i get to enjoy watching them. Not stressful at all. |
Anonymous
|
Our first is going to arrive in a few months. What are the pro tips for taking a driving beach or bay trip during the first year (other than bringing a nanny)? It would just be the three of us
Thinking ocean/bayfront accomodations, preferably in a hotel with a suite so the baby can sleep w/us in the other room in the evening. |
Anonymous
We did this when my firstborn was 10 months. It was nice to get away for a change of scenery, but that’s all it is. Especially if it’s your first (solo) vacation with a baby. Also a difference between a small infant who will sleep in a stroller during dinner, and an older crawling infant. |
Anonymous
My husband and I took ours to the beach when he was 10 months old. With the sun/sand/loud wind and waves, we maxed out on the beach after an hour. We went early in the morning or late afternoon when the sun wasn’t as intense. He was a massive baby so we used a hiking backpack rather than a carrier to get him down to the beach. Also didn’t bother with a swimsuit as he stayed under the umbrella most of the time. He had a minor GI thing on that trip so the sandy diaper changes on a sensitive bum and worrying about keeping him hydrated were not fun. We had a nice time on that trip, but time on the beach was the least enjoyable part of it. I definitely wouldn’t make sitting on the beach the sole focus of your trip. We had a much more enjoyable (still brief) beach visit at 20 months. I like vacationing with my kid. My standards are low and I’m thrilled to be somewhere other than our small apartment. It also helps immensely that he is a good sleeper. |
Anonymous
| PP asking for tips and thanks. Not expecting to be able to sit on the beach for any extended period of time. Will get a place with a nice enough balcony that we can sit out a bunch and take in the scene. |
Anonymous
Have a separate space to relax outside of where the baby is sleeping. Hotel with a suite, etc. Doesn't have to be fancy, just a door that closes. Train your child early to get used to noise and light during sleep and be able to tune it out. Never tiptoe around the sleeping baby. Keep the TV on. etc. Do one thing outside the room per day, not much more. E.g. head down to the beach for a long stretch. Don't overschedule your day. The most annoying thing about beach vacations with infants is all the sunscreen. Bring hats and find some kind of device that will allow them to sit in the shade (little tent or curtain, etc.) I found vacations with a baby, in retrospect, to be more relaxing than one with a toddler. The sweet spot is around 2-4 months when they are in the "luggage phase" of being immobile and generally portable, not cranky from teething quite yet and kind of sort of on a schedule, and you aren't up ALL night. |
Anonymous
|
I went on vacations with 3 kids only two year apart (1 set of twins). I never found vacations more difficult. Maybe it was all about managing expectations, but I didn’t have any difficulties (at least no more or no different from non-vacation time).
One things we did though was never eat out. We would cook where possible or order in. We brought toddler gates with us to the beach. |
Anonymous
Take grandparents with you so you get some breaks (but also you will be absolutely FINE if you do it on your own with one small baby! totally fine. You will just switch off and it is all good), go in with low expectations for how much time you'll actually be at the beach. Stay somewhere where the place you're staying is relaxing in and of itself because you will be there way more than you normally are on a vacation. So, make sure it has a balcony with a nice view you can read a book on while baby is napping, for example. I said this in another post but embrace early mornings and get out for sunrise if you have a baby that wakes early. It is special! Definitely go! It is easiest under 6 months before they are crawling and into everything, then I find beach better after a year when walking. Between 6 mo to a year is probably the least ideal (crawling baby in the sand who likes to put things in their mouth.. not ideal) but we still did it! Pre-covid we took our 5 month old cross country by plane, then road tripped into Canada. Hiked. Spent time with friends. Went to a wedding. Great, great memories. I carried that baby everywhere and we had a grand time. We also took him at 9 months to a resort in the Dominican Republic. Much more time spent at the pool then beach because they are still on two naps at that time - so cleaning up the sand off baby is a pain. He also got a GI bug while there like the other poster but somehow I pretty much only have great memories of that trip (that one had grandparents and aunts and uncles so lots of help). |
Anonymous
| Another tip for first-time mom - baby carriers are wonderful for travel |
Anonymous
So, that is all to say - even with a GI bug and not much time at the beach I still would do it again for sure!! You just have to have the right expectations. It's about the MEMORIES and getting out of the day to day grind. But you'll still have a baby and they'll still need to eat and sleep and generally be on some sort of schedule that is different from an adult schedule. But yeah, under six months with my first I could just have him on me and he would nap, easy. Second was not as flexible in that way so you also can't know til your little one is here! Some are wayyy more flexible than others (so don't pat yourself on the back TOO much if you get a flexible one  that just means you got lucky!)
|
Anonymous
| Thanks. So - nice multi-room accomodations with a balcony and pool to hang out on/at. |