Going on a vacation with a baby.
So a few weekends ago was the first time we went on vacation with our 9 month old bubs. It was an adventure. My only suggestion is, be prepared for anything! Cause with a toddler or baby anything is possible. This is what I learnt...
Pack everything, even the kitchen sink.
Kids come with a lot of "stuff"...I mean like, alllll the stuff. We always used to travel pretty light before we had our little sunshine. But that is just a very, very distant memory now. Now if we leave the house without the kitchen sink, we are inevitably ill prepared to handle any situation and the universe may spontaneously combust at anytime! And Murphy's Law it wil. (Dam you Murphy.) I have cold sweats just thinking about it. So I literally started prepping for our little weekend getaway, about a week before the actual date. There were lists, upon lists. There were plans. There were even a few diagrams. My OCD was in its' element! Luckily for us we were going to a luxury resort, so we didn't need to pack the "big things" like; a cot, a pram, a highchair ect. All we really needed was her clothes, toys and food stuff (not forgetting the giant box of meds of course, so we were prepared for any sort of emergency). But even this took an army of preparation and just these few things packed our car to the brim.
Now if we leave the house without the kitchen sink, we are inevitably ill prepared to handle any situation and the universe may spontaneously combust at anytime!
As a parent one of my main philosophy is stay organised and prepared...then with a bit of luck things will (normally) run smoothly.
Like I said before, my un-diagnosed, OCD has always been a huge part of my life. I thrive on order, I like planning and I love to be prepared. When things are in order and I have a clear plan, I function way more efficiently. This usually leaves me with a huge sense of peace...rainbows and unicorns trotting around in my head. (Appose to my Hubster who literally packs his bag on the day we leave for our vacation! *Eeeeek*) Anyway I digress, so this vacation I knew I had to up my organization game. Now there was a baby to think about. And while we work seamlessly in our safe, little cocoon we call home, stepping out into the big, bad world without our home organization felt pretty daunting. I now had my bag to pack, sunshines' bag (including toys, toiletries, food, clothes...for any occasion, nappies, bum cream, bath stuff, monitors, bottles, snacks ect ect ect...the list seemed endless), as well the food we needed for baba (in case she couldn't eat the food that was cooked for us) and any additional extras we may need (trust - there were lots). Anyway I know I am coming across incredibly dramatic right now, I mean jeepers, its just packing a bag or two, relax your roll...But honestly it did take time and lots of preparation. But we did it. We got there in one piece after a 3 hour car ride, (12 days in toddler time) and the weekend ran smoothly with no disasters and very few tears. In all honestly it was incredible!
So this vacation I knew I had to up my organization game.
When travelling with children my main recommendation would be to plan in advance and being over prepared is never a bad thing.
Plan, plan, plan, organize, organize, organize. If you are prepared for anything, there will be no surprises. Your child will be calm and happy because their Mama is calm and happy, because, lets face it, it feels good to have your shit in order. There will be no stress, no anxiety and you will be able to truly enjoy every second of being away with your loved ones. Sure there may be the occasional bump somewhere along the road , but with your life in order you will be able to brush it off and move on, without it ruining you time away. Because if you are super prepared before, when you get to the final destination you will really be able to let your hair down and enjoy your vacation, no matter what is thrown your way. (I mean our little sunshine pooped in her little kiddie pool and somehow manged to gracefully smoosh it all along the bottom where she was sitting, being the prepared Mama I was, I cleaned that mess in blink of the eye and no one was the wiser). So breath deeply Mama. Hold that baby close. Gaze into your Hubsters eyes and savor the family time. You so deserve it Mama Bears!
So breath deeply. Hold that baby close. Gaze into your Hubsters eyes and savor the family time. You so deserve it Mama Bears!
Here are a few pics of our amazing safari vacation in the bush. We loved every second. Traveling with a baby does not have to be a stressful occasion Mamas. It can really be so relaxing and a much needed breath of fresh air.
"In the end kids won't remember that fancy toy or game you bought for them, they will remember the time you spent with them."
Kevin Heath
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