Family suggesting vacation to exotic places with 14 month old

[Anonymous]

It really comes down to whether you'd enjoy it. I would not enjoy traveling with my 3 year old or 3 month old. The kind of vacations we like to do involve a lot of all-day hiking, often in lousy weather. Have hiked all over England and Scotland and loved it. We have a limited amount of money for international travel and I'm not going to spend it on something that we won't love. Which pretty much eliminates international travel for us -- at least with kids -- until the kids are 12 or so. Given how much money we're spending on day care, that's probably a good thing!

I took my first trip abroad at 17, to Japan. DH didn't go abroad until he met me, in his late 20s. I lived in Japan for several years and have traveled a reasonable amount in Asia and Europe. Nothing compared to what a lot of people do, but enough to get outside the US and see different perspectives. Not going as a small child did not affect my interest in other countries and cultures. Do what you want to do; the kid will be fine either way, so it's really about what you want for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Having done a lot of international travel with infants and toddlers, you just need to know that you'll be exhausted to the bone and the time changes matter. I would go with Costa Rica to minimize the time change.

[Anonymous]

I think 12-18 months are the hardest time to travel. Can you negotiate a trip to Costa Rica when the child is two?

[Anonymous]

Totally depends on the setup of the trip. Currently traveling in France with 16 month old. Have an amazing apartment in paris and she adjusted to the time fine. Slept on the plane with a Fly tot and had her own seat.

I would not do india or South Africa - flights are too long and time changes are too severe. I would try to avoid anything with over 7 hours of time change. I also would not do a hotel - kid needs space to move around and you need a full kitchen. Rent an apartment/house. And search specifically for places with cribs bc bringing a pack n play will be an enormous PITA.

Now who knows how our DD will adjust to the time when we get back, but I've found that with travel she is usually back to her regular schedule within 2 days.

[Anonymous]

I just got back from overseas with my 2.5 yo. No.thanks. It's not fun! It's just parenting a toddler in a different location plus an unfamiliar setup and new food and sleep challenges. We were in Seoul (we live in Tokyo), and it is cool to experience a new country, but I was basically taking him to parks, playgrounds, kid cafes (AMAZING btw, why don't we do this in the US?) in Seoul-I call it "mommy tourism" haha. I do the same thing in Tokyo, and it is a different way to experience a country, but it was a lot of work and stress!

[Anonymous]

I took my twins to Lake Tahoe, California when they were 18 months old and the trip was basically a waste. They had fun, but no more fun than they would have had doing things around here. Turns out going to a playground in CA is the same as going to one here, except you had to pay a lot more to get there and have to bring a ton of stuff with you. I'm not against traveling with my kids, and we've flown several times since they turned 2 and driven all over the east coast, but for me, 18 months was too young to be worth it and I wouldn't do it again. We also did the Outer Banks when they were 5 months old and again when they were 14 months old and neither of those trips were worth it either, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

I just took my 14 month old overseas and had sooo much fun. Honestly. It was work but no more work than usual, and we had a great and relaxing time.

I think it depends on the kid, the parent(s), and the location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just took my 14 month old overseas and had sooo much fun. Honestly. It was work but no more work than usual, and we had a great and relaxing time.

I think it depends on the kid, the parent(s), and the location.

Where did you go?

[Anonymous]

14 months is honestly just a terrible age for travel. They have just started walking and want to walk everywhere -- which is an enormous PITA on the plane (and other places). They are just really getting the hang of eating adult food but also starting to have preferences. They probably still need two naps. It would frankly be MUCH easier to go with a 10-month-old who isn't walking yet and can still be sustained with a bottle of formula or a good nursing session.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have always loved to travel and so does DH. Taking our then baby - now 11 year old to exotic places has always been a part of her life. We were in Kenya when she was 12 months old, Iceland when she was two. Scotland, the northern isles, pretty much every year. China when she was 3. (amazing trip). She is a comfortable and happy traveler which is exactly what we wanted for her. Every year we plan an abroad trip. Lived in Austria for two years when she was 7 to 9 where she attended local German-speaking school. We are going to Senegal in August this year.

But you do what feels most comfortable for you and your family, OP. Travel isn't for everyone, I know. But Costa Rica is lovely and a great place to take a baby/toddler.

Does anyone else find posts like this to be bit classist?

"Travel isn't for everyone, I know". Rolling my eyes hard at this. You mean like people who don't have as much money as you? My family is fortunate enough that DH and I earn enough money that we can take international trips regularly, but so many people love to travel and cannot afford to. You sound incredibly unaware, PP, or perhaps knowingly elitist.

Seriously. Just because I am not interested in taking a 30 hour flight with a 1 year old doesn't mean I don't travel. I met my husband in Paris, we have spent a lot of time with his family in Eastern Europe, and I ate so much steak in Argentina that I didn't eat red meat for years. This is also about actually being able to enjoy the experience, which I doubt I would with my thoroughly unhelpful parents.

Amazing. Replying to a classist post with an even MORE classist response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just took my 14 month old overseas and had sooo much fun. Honestly. It was work but no more work than usual, and we had a great and relaxing time.

I think it depends on the kid, the parent(s), and the location.

Where did you go?

The south of France.

[Anonymous]

Vacation: a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday.

No such thing exists when a toddler is around. It's really just you lugging all the kiddie shit halfway around the world so you can all be tired and cranky in a different time zone.

[Anonymous]

i think it sounds amazing. we took our 14 month old to 2 weeks through southern spain. it was great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vacation: a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday.

No such thing exists when a toddler is around. It's really just you lugging all the kiddie shit halfway around the world so you can all be tired and cranky in a different time zone.

*I* won't have fun chasing our 3 y/o or changing an endless array of diapers on our 5 month old. But my spouse sure will!