Options
Holiday with 18 month old
Hi all,
We'll be going to Spain in August with our son who will be 18 months old by then. I'm starting to worry about how we'll cope with him in holiday. The last time we went he was only 5 months old so u could put him in his tent and he'd stay there. He was still exclusively breast fed so that was easy too.
How will I manage him in the sun? He's very active but I can't let him run about in the sun ior be in the pool all day. What about food? He's a good eater but will he eat the stuff they have over there? What about water? I'm told babies can't have bottled water cos of the salt but he can't have tap water either.
What about the plane, how on earth will we keep him entertained?
Im starting to think it was a bad idea. Can parents who've taken their toddler abroad reassure me and give me some tips please?
Thanks x
We'll be going to Spain in August with our son who will be 18 months old by then. I'm starting to worry about how we'll cope with him in holiday. The last time we went he was only 5 months old so u could put him in his tent and he'd stay there. He was still exclusively breast fed so that was easy too.
How will I manage him in the sun? He's very active but I can't let him run about in the sun ior be in the pool all day. What about food? He's a good eater but will he eat the stuff they have over there? What about water? I'm told babies can't have bottled water cos of the salt but he can't have tap water either.
What about the plane, how on earth will we keep him entertained?
Im starting to think it was a bad idea. Can parents who've taken their toddler abroad reassure me and give me some tips please?
Thanks x
0
Comments
Only you will know the answer to this question, However if you can get it here then you can probably get it there
We've been to Menorca with an 18 month old, the flight wasn't so bad, just make sure you've got plenty of activities, do you have a tablet with some peppa pig videos or some toddler apps, might come in handy, take some crayons and paper too.
How long is your flight? Is it night time or day time...if your lucky you can get your little one to sleep on the flight.
There's a lot to explore at 18 months and your right that you can't relax easily, so you and your partner might have to take it in turns to watch over him.
The beach is great as digging holes and building sand castles can be great fun at that age.
Its worth getting a sun suit with a hat, they do long sleeved ones, they keep youngsters cool and protected from the sun, make sure you get plenty of sun cream too - the spray on mist ones are the least hassle to apply.
Where are you staying - self catering, hotel, all inclusive? We stayed all inclusive so there was plenty of choice in the buffets and plenty of ice cream etc...
Make sure you get plenty of photo's as at 18 months the holiday will be forgotten by the time they are 2 - so plenty of pictures to remind them of the plane, the beach the hotel and the smiles!
We didn't have any problems with bottled water - I've never heard about salt content being high - but maybe you can shop around different brands shops .
Most of all have lots of fun!
Most airlines let you take a push chair at no extra charge - well worth taking for tired little legs!
I'm really not sure, he doesn't gave packet foods we make everything from scratch for him at home. We're self catering but I'm not sure how much we'll be able to make for him plus we'll prob mostly eat out.
There's plenty to plan and don't worry if you can't fit it all in, it's your holiday so it needs to be taken a nice relaxing pace for all of you!
You'll have a great time...
Last year we flew to Australia with 3 kids all under 5, so a short flight to Spain will be over in a flash!
Thanks for the tips, they've all been really useful xx
The Sun - suggest getting a sun suit, and of course a good sun hat. Put them in it in the morning, and let them wear it all day. Not many exposed bits are left to put sun cream on. A decent UV beach tent is also worth considering.
Food - go self catering. Buy stuff in the local shops and cook it yourself. This means they get to eat at a time that suits them, and you know they will eat it. The stuff you can get in the supermarkets there is not much different to what we get here. Going self catering does not mean you cannot eat out - you can always feed him early, then go out and have something in a taverna.
Take something to do in the evening - scrabble was mentioned - if they are in bed early, its nice sat outside on the balcony with a bottle of the local stuff and a good book or a game.
Are there mossies where you are going?
First thing to remember is that people in these countries have babies / toddler too, so all the stuff you need is available to you. Food wise, we went all inclusive (mainly) and there was always something she could eat, and he learned to love a few new foods. At that age, they can (more or less) eat the same food as an adult, and the hotels aren't trying to poision adults or kids.
Afternoon naps, when the weather is at it's hottest, in your air conditioned hotel room. A sun suit, good hat, and good sun screen and you will be fine.
In the evenings, she came for meals with us, and we took the buggy so she could sit down / go to sleep if she was tired.
She also drank bottled water, without any problem.
Chill out, and have a lovely holiday, they love kids abroad, and your hotel will be set up for them.
Plane was fine as well .... reading books, colouring books ... and you will be landed by the time you know where you are.
I'll reply to your thread when we get back
If it's booked, it's not that easy.
We gave our 18 month old bottled water for 2 weeks and he was fine. Kept him covered up and put factor 50 on him constantly and he was fine. Only problem we had with him was at meal times because he wouldn't sit still but that was it.
Take plenty small toys and surprise things in your flightbag and some toddler friendly snacks. Also take a spare set of clothes for the flight in case of accidents, and at least one nappy more than you think you will need!
We gave him bottled water, no problems. We ate out a lot and took our own bowl and Tommy Tippy type cutlery out and usually just divvied up some of what we were eating into his bowl. He ate rice and fish out of the Paella, entertained himself for ages chewing deep fried calamare rings! Albondigas (meatballs) are a good bet, lots of fruit (peeled). All the restaurants/cafes have high chairs and all love to accommodate the needs of toddlers, are happy to rustle up a boiled egg or scrambled eggs for example. They will wash your toddler dish after the meal and bring it back, often with a complimentary ice lolly or similar:).
He was fine in the sun, though we used lashings of Factor 50 and kept him out of the sun midday to early afternoon. An all in one sun suit and a hat with a neck flap is a good idea as you know the bulk of him is covered.
Definitely take a buggy. You will need it everywhere and sometimes they are happier in the buggy than a high chair, at least you have the choice. And take a sun parasol for the buggy if you don't already have one. We didn't and spent the first two days looking for one as its not the kind of thing you can find in normal shops. Eventually we asked a taxi to take us to any baby shop he knew in a nearby town!
The thing I found the hardest was the potential hazard of all the marble and stone floors, and stone balustrades everywhere. You need eyes in the back of your head to constantly stick your hand out to avert a fall as all the foyers, bedroom floors etc are tiled. If you have a duplex apartment you will have to invent ways of blocking the stairs. You need to be constantly aware of the hazard of open French windows onto patios and check the railings on any balconies as they don't always conform to the building regs and some are wide enough for a toddler to squeeze through .:o
A 'Mr Bump' type freezer gel pack is a great addition to a first aid bag as its good for soothing all sorts of things, from overheated brows to insect bites.
You will have a great time. We did, and even survived a delay of one and a half hours stuck on the tarmac at Malaga while they sorted out some minor problem with the plane.
why, unless there is anything specifically health wise that you have to watch out for both the child and family will be fine. As mentioned then have children there are well and they standard of living is pretty much the same as the UK so toilet facilities, water, etc won't be a problem. Bottled water is fine for children, check with local if tap water is drinkable, they will be able to advise.
As for food, I'm not sure what you mean by 'will he eat the stuff they have over there? ' Again very similar to over here, you can get pretty much everything that you can get over here and a ton more healthier stuff if you want.
Activities wise, have a look on trip advisor to set your mind at easy. if you are staying in a family resort then there will be plenty to do and TBH mine just loved being on the beach. As mentioned a sun suit might be a good idea because it can get very very hot in summer. Remeber, suncream, hat and plenty of water. And TBH, I would probably stay indoors between midday and 2 or 3 o'clock as well.
Aside from that, just use your common sense, relax and enjoy the trip.
I've discovered a new prob this weekend tho, it seems as if our son has developed an allergy to his sun cream! He was fine wen we used it last year but this year, he's broken out in a rash
Exactly the same problem we had the first couple of times we took our little one away but we found that in Greece and Spain, the restaurant and bar owners were only too willing to play with her for 15 minutes or so to let us eat in peace or else they brought our food up separately so we ate in shifts.
Thanks for the advice but he doesn't have a bottle anymore. I'll take him some water on in a sippy cup tho, hopefully do the same job.
I asked for a recommendation on sun cream while we were in boots getting an antihistamine for him. She said it was a case of trial an error but also said it could just as easily be a heat rash and reaction to the sun rather than the cream. I've put some on the top if his leg today where the sun can't get to, I'll check it tomo n see if there's a rash.
Could be an expensive do, I'm not brave enough to ask if I could swap it. Might ask if they've got samples tho.
He's not too bad at meal times so long as he's got his own food and can feed himself. Just the evening meal wen he's getting cranky n ready for bed I'd be worried about.
You'll be fine in Spain, and I'll doubt you'll be very far away from a Carrefour or a Dia supermarket, where you'll be able to cater for all of you easily.
Bottled still water will be fine, but if you're worried they have plenty of baby juices in Dia.
Sun cream and a sun suit is a must, and I'd suggest if little one is still napping then try and get them down during the hotter parts of the day, like midday.
We solved the evening meal problem in the end by feeding him before we went out and then letting him fall asleep in his pushchair! He slept through most meals after that.