Vacation or Frustration?: Tips and Tricks for Travel with Babies
Our “first vacation” with baby when I was 8 months pregnant in Jasper, Canada.
Don’t?
Ask a parent for travel tips with a baby and their tip is often “Don’t!” But in my opinion we can’t stop living when we have kids and often continuing to live life as you did before (with some adjustments!) is what gets your child/children to be more flexible in the first place. Just like introducing a variety of foods early can prevent a picky eater, taking your baby everywhere can help them get used to – well, being everywhere! Quality sleep is important but so is the ability to fall asleep in less than ideal situations. If the idea of going on a flight or a long car ride seems daunting, start with a day trip. Go away for the day to a Family Farm, family friendly hike, zoo, aquarium, museum, etc. Or try a staycation at a nearby hotel! Eat at a restaurant, do naps on the go – in the car, stroller, carrier, whatever works best – and see how well you handle it. For often it is us who need to work on how to handle it, not our kids. If you’re chill, you might just find that your baby is chill too. But getting past the fear of it all is the first step. Are you ready to take the leap?
Where to Start
The first step is to acknowledge that the trip will be very different than life at home. Our picture perfect wake windows and bassinet/crib naps (are they ever really even that perfect anyway??) won’t happen on a trip and that’s okay. Letting go of that ideal is your second step! As a Type A personality (any other control freaks out there? Hi there!!), I know how hard it is to give up control. Having children in itself is such a loss of control and you can send yourself on quite the tailspin trying to win it back. Or you can accept the fact that there are some aspects of parenting that will be in your control and some that simply won’t. Acknowledging that is hard but once you do, parenting becomes much more freeing! It’s still a struggle for me but I make a consistent effort to go with the flow.
What You Can Control
There are some things that you can control to make travel easier on your baby and yourself (read: less meltdowns in public). If you are driving, try to plan the drive during baby’s nap time so that it’s more likely that they will sleep on the journey (note that I said more likely). Set the stage for their nap. Buy some suction shades for the windows and white noise to help create a good environment for napping. If you are flying, the same rules apply. Try to book a flight during baby’s nap so that they are more likely to sleep and follow their nap routine, whether it’s feed, diaper change, sleep sack, story, etc. On car rides and plane rides your job is to keep baby entertained whenever they are not sleeping and things will go much more smoothly. Sit next to them, if possible, offer new toys that they have never played with for novelty (buy secondhand if your budget is low) and offer snacks if baby is old enough or breastmilk/formula. On a car ride stop every two hours for a walk, bathroom break, bite to eat or just to get a breather. If possible, try not to transfer your baby to a stroller so they can get a break from being confined. Instead, try to hold them or babywear and they’ll likely protest less when it’s time to get back into the car. Accept that on the go, naps cannot be scheduled as they can at home. Wake windows should go out the window! Baby can have the freedom to fall asleep when tired, whenever it happens. They make take little on-the-go catnaps here and there and they may take more and shorter naps than normal. As long as it’s not affecting their night sleep, go with it!
What You Can’t Control
Take a deep breath. Meltdowns will happen in public on your trip. Remember to try to be calm. Most people around you are parents and have been where you are at some point. When I took a 4 hour flight alone with a 6 month old and our little dog, the lovely ladies behind me offered to hold my baby so I could go to the bathroom, they smiled and chatted to him which helped keep him entertained while I was exhausted. While I walked the aisle with him as he was fussing, another lady shared her experience travelling when her babies were little. Most people don’t care and I don’t care about the people who do and neither should you! We’ve all been crying children at some point and people put up with us and now it’s your little one’s turn to be what they are – a baby!
Don’t Forget to Enjoy Yourself
Most of all remember that you shouldn’t have to take a vacation from your vacation! Give yourself and your baby grace. What happens on a trip doesn’t have to happen at home, do what you need to do to make it go smoothly and things will go back to normal when you get home. On my first few appointments and errands outside the home without my baby, I watched him sleep on the monitor and I texted my husband constantly to check whether he was okay. But what did this accomplish? My baby was fine! But I wasn’t fine! My mental health did not benefit from these constant check ins and it didn’t help my baby or husband. Be intentional. You decided to take a family trip and stressing constantly about naps and a crying baby isn’t going to be enjoyable for anyone. Yes, the trip might not go perfectly but I promise you’ll laugh about the mishaps later or at least have a story to tell! But what you will be left with are the memories and family photos. Make those memories and make them good ones.
Shannon is an avid traveler, having lived in 8 countries and travelled to 34 countries by the age of 34! She is a qualified Principal, French Immersion teacher in early childhood education, travel photographer and mother to an 8 month old baby. Join us on our next family vacation, we are doing a road trip from Germany to Liechtenstein to Switzerland and then flying to Amsterdam and then back home to Canada with our 8 month old. We also do family friendly hikes in the beautiful Rocky Mountains near Banff, Canada almost every weekend! Visit https://shannonseesworld.wordpress.com/ or follow us on Instagram at @shannonseesworld
