Top tips for toddler beach hols please!

[Lavender14]

So I'm a lone parent and decided to brave it and take ds away on holiday by myself. It'll just be a few nights at a beachside hotel in a popular holiday resort so nothing crazy but I've never taken him away on my own before and now I am actually terrified!

Logically I know that I parent him fine here so there's no reason why I can't parent him fine anywhere else but I would love it if people could give me their top tips for travelling with toddlers (especially solo) so I can feel prepared going! Anything from juggling carrying everything to the beach while holding his hand, to keeping him occupied poolside to navigating food (half-board) and the actual travelling and entertaining myself quietly in room in the evening when he's asleep early.

Ds is only 2 but he's the size of a 4 yo so difficult to carry any distance by myself. I will bring his pram and snoozeshade. Any tips to help things go smoothly and I'll be really grateful!

See if you can get snacks and drinks to keep in your room.

I braved all-inc last year with a toddler.

On a number of occasions I think I was the only starving person in the resort. If he was asleep or having a massive hissy fit (change of scenery sent him loopy for a while...) I couldn't get to the plentiful food that was about twenty metres away.

Take some sort of big rucksack or pram bag so you can have beach stuff ready to go and make sure you can carry it and him simultaneously if possible.

Maybe it was just my kid that was ultra clingy!

Backpack not tote bag

Choose your battle, routines will go out of the window and he will go back to his ways when you are back home.
Keep some snacks and drinks in your hotel room.

I pack different bags - a beach bay, a toy/book bag and a clothes/nappies bag, keep it organised!

I also get my DD some new books to read at hotel/caravan whatever so there's something new for her. We keep her low screen (tv only).

Don't forget the teddy they cuddle and that once they go down (7ish!) You're stuck in a room with them in the dark (DH and I made this mistake, that's why we do caravans or airbnbs now.

Don't forget baby cutlery/crockery. Places often don't have anything light/small/plastic!

Don't pack nappies/wipes other than for journey, buy them there to save packing space.

Talc for removing sand at the beach. A couple of all in one UV suits to reduce the need for suncream.

Name stickers on toys for around the pool.

Take a book and a reading light for the hotel at night for you, or a kindle. Or, if you’re not a reader, tablet and headphones to watch TV.

For the beach- I recommend a backpack plus microfibre beach towels. These roll up really small.

Buy pool/beach shoes early and get them used to walking in them! Make sure they have some form of heel strap (toddlers can’t walk in flip flops with out them).
A poncho towel is really handy for little ones so you don’t need to worry about them dropping it or dragging round the floor.