A first holiday with your baby isn’t always great, what’s your advice?

Written by Linda Jones on February 23, 2010 · 15 Comments

A choppy tide can await winter UK holidaymakers.
BLOGGER Aqeela offered this post for Have a Lovely Time and it has brought memories flooding back of the first holiday we spent with our baby twins- in a rainy Welsh caravan park. Surrounded by sick and poo, we might as well have been at home.

I wished the whole week away as I stood at the sink scrubbing bottles. Can you remember your first holiday with children. Was it a success?

And what tips would you offer to make it one?

Aqeela writes:

We’ve just come back from a week away in Cornwall. I’d been looking forward to spending some time there for ages – it has been two years since we last went and we are ‘supposed’ to go every year really. I just love it there, we’re not really ones for going abroad, and as I have family in Cornwall it makes sense to go there. Plus the scenery, the villages, the harbours, the beaches, it’s all just wonderful. I always come back feeling so inspired, and ready to get rid of the bad habits and incorporate more of the good.

But this time was different, no longer just me and my hubby, waltzing around gardens, flying the kite on the beach, spending whole days wondering the little cobbled streets, trying hard to stick together through crowds of tourists. Nope, this time there were three of us. It was Dave’s first holiday.

A first holiday with your baby isnt always great, whats your advice?

In my head, I had visualised a wonderful treat, Cornwall at Christmas, glittering baubles and twinkling fairy lights, Christmas trees in shop windows, hours huddled together on beaches whilst managing to keep out the cold, hot flask of tea in hand. You know, a romantic getaway, love hearts surrounding our little family as Dave gets his first taste of ice cream and we’re just so happy together.

Unrealistic? Moi?

Let’s just say, we certainly won’t be going on holiday with a baby again! The routine goes out the window (I kind of expected that anyway but i didn’t think about how that may affect our holiday), the nights were sleepless (until the last two nights), we didn’t manage to leave the bungalow until midday (pretty normal for me when we are at home but not something that you want when your on holiday and the daylight disappears at 4pm.)

Plus, this time of year in Cornwall turned out to be not as magical as I’d envisaged. On our visit, there was hardly a Christmas tree or decoration in sight! In fact there was hardly anyone in sight.

Most shops and attractions were closed for the winter. I guess the good thing to come of that is that we spent much less than we anticipated! And it was nice to not have to battle through crowds.

But it certainly was good to see my family again. And they had a lovely Christmas tree up too (Dave loved that!). And I am still inspired by all the old stone houses, the simple way of life, the little fishing villages where you feel transported back to days of old. If you want olde worlde charm then Cornwall is the place to be. And I love all that, so despite a few let downs here and there, I’m still glad we went. At least we know now. Babies (and winters) in Cornwall just don’t mix!

What do you think? Should Aqeela and family try another holiday while Dave is a baby or should they stay put?

Where would you recommend they visit for a more magical time? Realistically, where can families afford to go?

Categories Blogging, Child friendly Britain?, Cornwall, Days out, Independent holidays, Wish you were here?

Karen Kirk

As a mother of five, going on holiday when the three youngest was a nightmare because of money being tight, camping was our only option. When Fred was a baby we had a successful camping weekend (yes I couldn’t have faced a week!)
I think it was because we chose a lovely campsite with shops, pubs and a railway close by. We also bought a map and decided to take baby in the back packer rather than the buggy – this was great, Dad and I took turns carry baby which made it easier.
We had rucksacks that we put our stuff in and another for baby. We had researched before we went to find a family friend pub for lunch and had a great time walking from our campsite in Ashurst to Lyndhurst and back.
The older kids had their bikes and the campsite was quite safe so they spent time riding or playing football.
We’ve always found camping in The New Forest to be successful for us – our kids can now walk for miles and go to sleep nice and early so Dad and I enjoy a quiet evening around the camp fire.
So my top tips:
research before you go so you know family friendly places
ruck sacks – one for baby and one for you
dump the buggy – using one of the back packs for baby gives you more freedom
try camping – being in the outdoors is fab and means you can avoid the crowds
try the New Forest – we love it!
Though I am only a weekend camper – never managed a week – it’s not the kids. I just don’t think I could stand Dad for that long! lol
http://itsasmallworldafterallfamily.wordpress.com Victoria

It’s a bit of a shock to the system when all your previous ideas of what a holiday entails get thrown out of the window when a baby comes along isn’t it? I have numerous tales of sleepless nights and huddling on beaches in the British winter, with the baby crying because it was so cold. Don’t give up holidays, but do adjust your expectations. So the routine goes pearshaped, you will get it back, I promise. So you can’t meander down allyways looking in shop windows for more than five minutes because someone needs feeding NOW! You still get the chance to spend time together as a family in a location you love, which has to be worth it. Accept that you will have sleep issues and build in rest time. Accept that British beaches in winter are not the ideal places for babies. Try spring or early summer, before the schools have broken up and places get too crowded and expensive. Accept that your routine will go to pot, but take the opportunity to spend the extra time exploring. Once I made peace with the various issues I had with holidays, they didn’t seem so bad. I love travelling with my children, viewing the world through their eyes makes it seem such an exciting place.
http://www.thegreenfamilia.co.uk Brenda

We have always travelled with the kids from babies, but we preferred to travel abroad with them as both my hubby and I craved a bit of warmth on our faces and to be honest the kids were happier and easier to look after in the sun. When you go on holiday you need to adjust your expectations and go with the flow, yes routines will fly out the window, yes there will be tears but if you can accept it, you will all have a happy holiday. I am lucky that my hubby is great with the kids on holiday and he has instilled his love of water into the kids and so now that they are older I get left alone and they all go off and do their watersport thing!
Holidays are a brilliant way of introducing your children to different aspects of life. My kids have been very fortunate and have visited many many places, and have so many memories and have experienced so many different life cultures that it has given them a great base in life.
So please do not be put off, try another venture and another one until you find what works best for your family.
http://www.kdistart.co.uk/livingwithkids Liz (LivingwithKids)

I think the point about holidaying with babies/young children is that the routine will always go out the window – that’s the point, you’re on holiday. But I would never discount another holiday with your baby based on your experience of holidaying in Cornwall in the winter! I would try somewhere like Centreparcs next time, because they have lots of brilliant pools for little ones, and because the pool is under a glass dome it doesn’t matter what the weather’s like, plus there are lots of lovely walks (and you can hire one of those bikes with the special baby carrying thing at the back). Don’t give up – just remember you have to slightly adjust your expectations when you’re travelling with babies and children x
http://www.havealovelytime.com/camilla Camilla

I think you have to put your first holiday with a baby down to a learning experience. You don’t know what to expect, you’re not totally sure what you need to take with you and your expectations can be widely different from the reality. Plus the weather at winter time couldn’t have helped!
Try again in May or June when it’s warmer and prices are lower. Don’t have huge expectations, just have a nice time. Most of all, don’t be put off!
http://aqeelas-house.blogspot.com aqeela

Wow, some quick responses there! Its good to hear everyones advice, you are all so right. It certainly was a learning curve and it was one of those things that had to be experienced to know how it would all work out. We wanted to go to Cornwall when little Dave was just 2 months old and i think that may have been even harder. We’re not ones for going abroad but perhaps a summer holiday in the UK would have made a huge difference.
Aqeela xx
http://www.gotyourhandsfull.com Linda

We went to West Wales when our girls were about nine months and it poured with rain, it wouldn’t have mattered if it was brilliant sunshine, there was so much involved in looking after the two of them, we would have been too tired to enjoy it, I can see now we were unrealistic in our expectations but thankfully, we have had some fantastic times – staying in the very same caravan – since.
It does get easier, I promise! I really hope you can enjoy some fabulous holidays with your family as Dave gets older, however close to home. xx
Libby

We didnt go away until our first was 18months old. Unfortunately, his father worked long hours and had no idea about how hard you have to work to keep equillibrium at home, never mind in a caravan away from your usual comforts and routine essentials! The result was 5 days of hell with me being pulled between the 2 (5 not 7 because we came home!). I think its not a holiday but added pressure to ‘enjoy yourself’. After this I went away with my sister and her children so we could have a child friendly time,share the burden and a bottle of wine in the evening … that worked fine for us!
http://www.suburbanmummyuk.com Nat

Oh DEAR! I am from Devon and although no family live there we have been a few times with my daughter and then once my son arrived we took them both. sounds like the trip was OK, maybe take holidays closer to home? Break the trip up a lot? Have no expectation on what to do on each day, you have to be relaxed and me well I am not a routine mummy (is this bad?!) I mean yes they have lunch around the same time each day and head to bed same sort of time but overall we’d laid back. Make the day with lots of breaks and a few options.
Our first few holidays were when my DD was 3 months old and then 8 months old and we were still living in Australia we had to do 6 hours driving which is nothing there lol and then yeah we just hung about and relaxed. Life changes so much with kids and holidays!
I’d go again in a heartbeat, don’t let one bad time stop you from another good time
Karen Kirk

I had a flashback to when Bee was about 4 and Harmony was one. We didn’t want to go abroad so I decided we’d go to Blackpool. OMG it was awful!!!
I’d chosen the guest house through Daltons Weekly – oh what a dive!
We’d gone up from the Midlands via National Express and both kids spent the time on the coach vomitting.
And the weather – all it did was rain! The next year we went to Corfu and had a great time.
Jezzer

Our first family holiday with both boys (then 2 months and 18 months) was to Wales in Sepember, and it was certainly more gruelling then we expected. Our main mistake was the accommodation which was just not child-friendly, or particularly well-located. For our second holiday we went to St Ives, Cornwall (out of season) and researched the acccomodation much more carefully. It was far more successful – all the shops and restaurants are open all year, it was noticeably milder then the midlands where we live, and there was lots to do with the kids. We also tried driving down in the evening with the boys in pyjamas which worked well – they slept all the way. Going back in June and Sept this year to make the most of the beaches!
tapdiva

Our first holiday after our son was born was to Center Parcs. It was not the cheapest option but everything was so clean (a bit of a thing of mine) and child friendly that it helped. And it didn’t matter what supplies we forgot to take – the on-site shop stocked it! I don’t remember it being traumatic – we’ve been back several times since – but I could not have faced a holiday abroad or anywhere far from home in those early days, so it worked for us.
http://profile.typepad.com/littlestuff Littlestuff

The first holiday is always tricky. You are no longer a couple, and can no longer holiday like one – and yet, you don’t really know any other way, and so your expectations are very different.
Flexibility is the key – routines will be shot, so embrace the freedom. it Doesn’t Really Matter. Things you anticipate will be fun will end in disaster – just laugh and move on. you’re on holiday, after all, and there’ll be other things which will be unexpectedly creating joyful memories you will treasure.
Self catering cottages have become our favoured way to holiday with the children – camping became too hard to contemplate after no.3 was born (but very successful with 9mth old no.1), and a cottage gives us the space and privacy to relax – plus a washing machine and tumble drier. Never underestimate the power of those.
Holidays are about relaxing, taking time out and exploring yourselves as a family. you can’t do that if you try and inflict your usual routine into a new setting – if you just let it go the holiday will flow easily, and you’ll find yourself far more relaxed.
Yes you still have to do the cooking, laundry, nappies and sleepless nights (always more of those away from home) – but make use of the chip shop, the child-friendly pub and the opportunity to pull the car over in some pretty spot when the baby nods off and take a snooze yourself. You’re on holiday after all!
The next holiday will be far easier as you will be far more prepared and know what to expect – and you’ll love every second, whilst merrily planning the holiday in 16 years time when you get to wander the alleyways and have quiet evening dinners again.
http://www.jobeaufoix.com Jo Beaufoix

AhhhhhI think it’s all already been said. I reckon now you’ve done it once and you know what you ‘don’t’ want to happen it can only be easier. Holidaying with kids takes more planning, but it’s lovely too so don’t give up. I camped with my two for the first time last year and it was fab. They’re 9 and 5 now so definitely easier than your little monkey, but I wouldn’t do Winter with them so you were very brave to try.
When we holidayed with mine as babies we did manage to keep a little bit of their routine but it wasn’t easy, and mine were both nightmare sleepers so I really sympathise. We ended up having a ‘wait and see’ attitude, and just hoped for the best. We’ve had some lovely holidays though and you will too.
http://www.facebook.com Georgina

One of the best holidays my husband and me had was when we took our sons Jack, then aged four, and Lewis aged just 12 weeks old, to Majorca.
I had quite a tough pregnancy with visits in and out of hospital and Lewis was born by semi-emergency C-section so by the time he was 12 weeks we all felt we could do with a little rest and relaxation.
We stayed at the Hotel Bonaire, Cala Bona, in Majorca in September 2008. Because it was out of peak season the cost was very reasonable for a four star resort and the weather was perfect for small children. The added advantage of Majorca being that it is only a two-and-half-hour flight.
We stayed there for 2 weeks on a half board basis. This is a Family Extra aparthotel so they have great facilities for families. The rooms have seperate bedrooms, lounge, dining area, kitchen with fridge, microwave and cooker and bathrooms with baths – perfect for babies.
There is no need to take all your baby stuff as for a small charge you can pre-book bottle sterilisers, bottle warmers, cots etc…
They had kids club galore for Jack and a creche which was run by UK qualified staff who were lovely and great with Lewis. By taking advantage of these it meant that we could have some “grown-up” time.
The food was delicious with absolutley loads of choice and a special easy reach kids counter which served kids favourites such as chicken nuggets, pasta, fries and fish fingers – Jack loved being able to help himself. So no cooking, cleaning or washing up – heaven.
As well as a beautiful outdoor pool, and childrens pool, there is also a heated indoor pool which we used on some of the cooler days.
Cala Bona itself is a pretty little fishing port, very beautiful and not too touristy or tacky like some other parts of Majorca. In fact we love this place so much we have been there three times. The whole holiday cost us about £1,500. I would say take advantage of the fact that you can take your baby away for next to nothing and you don’t have to work around school holidays while you can! The break was worth every penny – the kids were happy so we were happy and we felt like we’d had a rest.