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Vacationing with a newborn + toddler? (1 Viewer)

Otis

Otis

Footballguy
Anyone ever do this? It possible? We're losing our minds through this NY winter and I'd love to use some travel points to get my wife and I (and we'd have to take the kids) to Puerto Rico for a 3 day weekend. A little sun would be good for everyone. I'm thinking of doing this when the newborn is 3-4 months or so. The toddler will be 3 and is getting to the point where she can fend for herself somewhat.

Am I nuts for even considering this? What the hell do parents with babies do, just never vacation for like 5 years??

TIA

ETA - we would stay at a high end hotel which has some reliable babysitting services, so it's possible my wife and I could get some beach time/a dinner alone one night. I'm assuming these things are safe at the top hotels, but I'm sure Mrs. O will refuse and assume the kids will be kidnapped. Thoughts?

 
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Seems like a LOT of work for a 3 day excursion. My two are slightly older (4 yr old and a 14 month old) and we are thinking we may try a plane this fall.

 
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We did a similar trip with similar ages. It was brutal. But our older kid was more clingy/less independent than yours might be. We spent the whole time taking care of the kids and not enjoying ourselves as much as we had hoped. Oh yeah, our oldest also didn't like sand. Sand. At the ####### beach. So that didn't help.

Took the same trip with them at 6 & 4... it was fantastic.

 
Can't imagine being able to get a relaxing vacation in with a 4 month old. Need too much attention.

You're like 6 months away from pulling it off.

 
Get a couple of bottles of Benadryl for the kids, your favorite adult beverage, a sun lamp and call it a good day until the youngest is two.

 
This sucks. I thought money was a cure all. What about paying for a nanny to come with us and watch the kids??

 
"Vacationing" with kids that age is just that: "vacationing". It is more like doing whatever you do around your house but at a different location, while spending more money to do it.

 
My wife and I have 5 kids: 5 year old, 3 year old twins, and 8 month old twins.

We've gone on 2 beach vacations with the 3 older kids. It's difficult, especially with 2 young ones. You can't stay on the beach all day (if that's your thing).

If you are going to a resort, where it is fairly easy to go from your room to the pool/beach, that would help, as you can go back for lunch, naps, etc & still be able to enjoy the amenities. I assume that the 3 year old can't swim on his/her own yet, which means that near the beach/pool, one of you will have to attend to him/her, and the other will need to attend to the newborn.

If the newborn is a good sleeper, he/she will probably sleep on the beach (the sound of waves always helped my babies to fall sleep), but make sure you have some sort of shade for them to be safe under.

I don't know what the hell we are going to do this summer. Going to the beach when the younger twins will be almost 1 year: crawling, maybe walking. 5 year old can swim, but the 3 year olds can't yet (but they love going in the water). We're going to have our hands full.

 
Do it. I took a 3 year old and a 1 year old to Hawaii about 5 years ago. 10 hours of flying. Was no problem.

Playing with them on the ocean and hanging out on the beach was well worth it. And let's face it: this is your life now. Vacations aren't what they used to be. Just go, and enjoy it.

Because the part you get from being away is all the OTHER stuff you are running away from: work, cell phone ringing all the time, doctors appointments, etc.

 
As mentioned earlier, if this is truly a 3 day weekend, as in...flight down on Friday, full day Saturday, flight home Sunday...not worth the hassle.

If you're talking about paying to bring a babysitter down with you, why not just pay her to stay with your kids at your house for the weekend, and get away with your wife for a few days?

 
If you do go to all the trouble, definitely make it more than a long weekend. The kids might be a pain in the ### those first couple of days because they're just getting acclimated, then you're turning around and going home. Make it a week and you have a better chance of having a few solid days of relaxation.

 
RUSF18 said:
As mentioned earlier, if this is truly a 3 day weekend, as in...flight down on Friday, full day Saturday, flight home Sunday...not worth the hassle.

If you're talking about paying to bring a babysitter down with you, why not just pay her to stay with your kids at your house for the weekend, and get away with your wife for a few days?
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Don't think the wife is comfortable leaving them with someone that long.

 
Otis said:
RUSF18 said:
As mentioned earlier, if this is truly a 3 day weekend, as in...flight down on Friday, full day Saturday, flight home Sunday...not worth the hassle.

If you're talking about paying to bring a babysitter down with you, why not just pay her to stay with your kids at your house for the weekend, and get away with your wife for a few days?
Click to expand...
Don't think the wife is comfortable leaving them with someone that long.
Click to expand...
So just go by yourself.

 
Only issue I see is that it's for 3 days....it's a lot of work for that short period of time. With that said, we've traveled with our kids since they were infants. My son is now 6 and my daughter is two. We are headed to the Bahamas this summer. The hardest part for us was getting the passports.

 
Beach vacation - infant can't be in the sun for long enough for you to have any fun whatsoever. Horrible.

Kids destination - one of you chases a toddler, the other pushes a baby carriage and takes pictures whenever possible

Shopping - your wife will want to go shopping at some point. She can't do much pushing a carriage by herself so you'll be asked to come along, and any time she want to try something on, you get left with a baby carriage and a toddler who wants nothing to do with staying within eyesight of the baby carriage

Drinking - one of you gets to drink, the other gets to be angry and resentful

Zoo -the toddler is barely going to recognize that animals are there. The infant is going to need constant protection from the sun.

Hotel - forget hotel sex. You're hoping that you can fit four people into a room that's made for one or two. Some hotels provide a dirty, used packnplay for a ridiculous fee. There's barely enough room for it when you consider all the bags of crap you need to bring for the kids. Tummy time on a hotel carpet is gross. Toddlers wanting to run around in an overstuffed room sucks. You're paying hundreds of dollars per night to be in a place that's worse than your house.

One place that really works for us is coco keys. I don't know if there's one near you but there's a few up here in mass. Indoor water park. Lots of toddler friendly areas. Hotel attached to the building. Arcade and snack bar. A real bar with a tv. Lots of yummy mummies in bikinis. You can do a lot worse.

 
bostonfred said:
Beach vacation - infant can't be in the sun for long enough for you to have any fun whatsoever. Horrible.

Kids destination - one of you chases a toddler, the other pushes a baby carriage and takes pictures whenever possible

Shopping - your wife will want to go shopping at some point. She can't do much pushing a carriage by herself so you'll be asked to come along, and any time she want to try something on, you get left with a baby carriage and a toddler who wants nothing to do with staying within eyesight of the baby carriage

Drinking - one of you gets to drink, the other gets to be angry and resentful

Zoo -the toddler is barely going to recognize that animals are there. The infant is going to need constant protection from the sun.

Hotel - forget hotel sex. You're hoping that you can fit four people into a room that's made for one or two. Some hotels provide a dirty, used packnplay for a ridiculous fee. There's barely enough room for it when you consider all the bags of crap you need to bring for the kids. Tummy time on a hotel carpet is gross. Toddlers wanting to run around in an overstuffed room sucks. You're paying hundreds of dollars per night to be in a place that's worse than your house.

One place that really works for us is coco keys. I don't know if there's one near you but there's a few up here in mass. Indoor water park. Lots of toddler friendly areas. Hotel attached to the building. Arcade and snack bar. A real bar with a tv. Lots of yummy mummies in bikinis. You can do a lot worse.
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yeah, this sounds about right.

And it's funny you started this Otis... I have a 5 week old and was already wondering when I could schedule a trip of any sort... it's been a bum winter and normally i take a spring break trip to somewhere like Turks and Caicos or Barbados or something... and not getting my beach time in is kind of bumming me out... i expected it... but still will be watching this thread with interest as not going on vacation for 5 years sounds suicide inducing.

 
Went for a long camping trip with three kids- infant, 4 and 6, in a small subcompact car and had a blast. It's all in your attitude! You can do it.

 
A three day weekend seems like more work than it is worth, and I generally agree with the idea with the poster that said you're going to be basically doing what you do at home, just paying more to do it.

That said, I once took a road trip from St. Paul MN to Hilton Head SC, driving, with a 12 month old, a 3 year old, and an 8 year old. Having survived that, I believe anything can be done that you set your mind to.

 
Otis said:
Anyone ever do this? It possible? We're losing our minds through this NY winter and I'd love to use some travel points to get my wife and I (and we'd have to take the kids) to Puerto Rico for a 3 day weekend. A little sun would be good for everyone. I'm thinking of doing this when the newborn is 3-4 months or so. The toddler will be 3 and is getting to the point where she can fend for herself somewhat.

Am I nuts for even considering this? What the hell do parents with babies do, just never vacation for like 5 years??

TIA

ETA - we would stay at a high end hotel which has some reliable babysitting services, so it's possible my wife and I could get some beach time/a dinner alone one night. I'm assuming these things are safe at the top hotels, but I'm sure Mrs. O will refuse and assume the kids will be kidnapped. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Traveling with a 3-4 month old is a piece of cake since they aren't mobile. The toddler is the bigger problem since they can move, fight you and don't want to sit still for very long. But a couple portable DVD players usually does the trick. We've been to CA and back five or six times in the last several years (kids 8 and 3 today).

 
Otis said:
McGarnicle said:
Otis said:
This sucks. I thought money was a cure all. What about paying for a nanny to come with us and watch the kids??
Click to expand...
Need pics of the nanny.
Click to expand...
Old one super hot. Solid 9. New one not so much. I'd have to find someone to bring. Actually, paying for the grandparents to join us isn't a completely terrible idea.
Click to expand...
If you can bring a nanny or grandparents.... totally different story.

 
It's doable but I think you have to scale back your expectations. Try to minimize travel times and plan your days with ample downtime.

 
wdcrob said:
Otis said:
Anyone ever do this? It possible? We're losing our minds through this NY winter and I'd love to use some travel points to get my wife and I (and we'd have to take the kids) to Puerto Rico for a 3 day weekend. A little sun would be good for everyone. I'm thinking of doing this when the newborn is 3-4 months or so. The toddler will be 3 and is getting to the point where she can fend for herself somewhat.

Am I nuts for even considering this? What the hell do parents with babies do, just never vacation for like 5 years??

TIA

ETA - we would stay at a high end hotel which has some reliable babysitting services, so it's possible my wife and I could get some beach time/a dinner alone one night. I'm assuming these things are safe at the top hotels, but I'm sure Mrs. O will refuse and assume the kids will be kidnapped. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Traveling with a 3-4 month old is a piece of cake since they aren't mobile. The toddler is the bigger problem since they can move, fight you and don't want to sit still for very long. But a couple portable DVD players usually does the trick. We've been to CA and back five or six times in the last several years (kids 8 and 3 today).
Click to expand...
I agree that the act of travelling (airport, airplane, etc) is much easier with the newborn than the toddler.

But sitting at a beach where you need to monitor their well-being (too hot or sunny, or mouthful of sand, etc) is easier with the older one. I found we had to spend too much time indoors to keep the baby at the right temp and comfort level... kinda defeated the purpose of going to the beach.

 
We went out to El Conquistador in PR last year with a 3 year old and an 8 month old. was a fantastic vacation spot, if you stay in the Casitas you can even get one big enough to give the nanny her own room

 
Otis said:
This sucks. I thought money was a cure all. What about paying for a nanny to come with us and watch the kids??
Click to expand...
If you go to FDR resort in Jamaica, they assign a nanny to you for the length of your stay.

 
We've made it a priority to vacation without the kids once a year. We have a 5 and a 3 year old girls. We've gone to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, Phoenix/Flagstaff, and this year will go to San Francisco and Yosemite. We take 4-6 days and leave the kids with my inlaws here in Chicago. My kids live spending a week with grandma and grandpa and it's really a good time for my wife and I to get away alone.

 
We took our first kid to Brazil and Mexico when he was 6 months and 1 year old, respectively. The flight part was fairly easy. When they get ambulatory is when the plane rides become challenging. It gets easier again when they are 4+.

 
Bayhawks said:
My wife and I have 5 kids: 5 year old, 3 year old twins, and 8 month old twins.

We've gone on 2 beach vacations with the 3 older kids. It's difficult, especially with 2 young ones. You can't stay on the beach all day (if that's your thing).

If you are going to a resort, where it is fairly easy to go from your room to the pool/beach, that would help, as you can go back for lunch, naps, etc & still be able to enjoy the amenities. I assume that the 3 year old can't swim on his/her own yet, which means that near the beach/pool, one of you will have to attend to him/her, and the other will need to attend to the newborn.

If the newborn is a good sleeper, he/she will probably sleep on the beach (the sound of waves always helped my babies to fall sleep), but make sure you have some sort of shade for them to be safe under.

I don't know what the hell we are going to do this summer. Going to the beach when the younger twins will be almost 1 year: crawling, maybe walking. 5 year old can swim, but the 3 year olds can't yet (but they love going in the water). We're going to have our hands full.
Click to expand...
OMG. Any time I think my home life is rough, I'll think of you.

 
Otis said:
McGarnicle said:
Otis said:
This sucks. I thought money was a cure all. What about paying for a nanny to come with us and watch the kids??
Click to expand...
Need pics of the nanny.
Click to expand...
Old one super hot. Solid 9. New one not so much. I'd have to find someone to bring. Actually, paying for the grandparents to join us isn't a completely terrible idea.
Click to expand...
Wait a sec. Your wife doesn't work, you have just the 2 kids and you have a nanny? She's got it made.

 
Bull Dozier said:
A three day weekend seems like more work than it is worth, and I generally agree with the idea with the poster that said you're going to be basically doing what you do at home, just paying more to do it.

That said, I once took a road trip from St. Paul MN to Hilton Head SC, driving, with a 12 month old, a 3 year old, and an 8 year old. Having survived that, I believe anything can be done that you set your mind to.
Click to expand...
I've traveled all over the world with my daughter while she was under five, but wouldn't think of flying somewhere for a three day weekend.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Agree w/ bringing grandparents along. We did that when JR was 18 months old and they were a huge help.

We take our kids to the Texas beach every summer but we refer to it as a "family trip" because it is definitely not a "vacation."

 
Dentist said:
bostonfred said:
Beach vacation - infant can't be in the sun for long enough for you to have any fun whatsoever. Horrible.

Kids destination - one of you chases a toddler, the other pushes a baby carriage and takes pictures whenever possible

Shopping - your wife will want to go shopping at some point. She can't do much pushing a carriage by herself so you'll be asked to come along, and any time she want to try something on, you get left with a baby carriage and a toddler who wants nothing to do with staying within eyesight of the baby carriage

Drinking - one of you gets to drink, the other gets to be angry and resentful

Zoo -the toddler is barely going to recognize that animals are there. The infant is going to need constant protection from the sun.

Hotel - forget hotel sex. You're hoping that you can fit four people into a room that's made for one or two. Some hotels provide a dirty, used packnplay for a ridiculous fee. There's barely enough room for it when you consider all the bags of crap you need to bring for the kids. Tummy time on a hotel carpet is gross. Toddlers wanting to run around in an overstuffed room sucks. You're paying hundreds of dollars per night to be in a place that's worse than your house.

One place that really works for us is coco keys. I don't know if there's one near you but there's a few up here in mass. Indoor water park. Lots of toddler friendly areas. Hotel attached to the building. Arcade and snack bar. A real bar with a tv. Lots of yummy mummies in bikinis. You can do a lot worse.
Click to expand...
yeah, this sounds about right.

And it's funny you started this Otis... I have a 5 week old and was already wondering when I could schedule a trip of any sort... it's been a bum winter and normally i take a spring break trip to somewhere like Turks and Caicos or Barbados or something... and not getting my beach time in is kind of bumming me out... i expected it... but still will be watching this thread with interest as not going on vacation for 5 years sounds suicide inducing.
Click to expand...
Seriously. Slap it high with our five week Olds.

 
Long weekend without the kids. Anything else is a poor return on your investment. They won't care about going some place new, may even dislike it, and it will negatively impact your experience,

 
You will spend several thousand dollars for a trip where about 30 to 45 minutes of the trip are truly awesome. That's a little more truly awesome time than you'd get at home. It's your call if it's worth it.

It gets better,but it will seem like that better time is a long, long time away

 
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