in saying no to a holiday....

[glitterkitten]

I'm coming up to a "milestone" birthday (December) and DH has suggested that as a birthday and Christmas present, we go on our first proper family holiday. so far so good, however i'm pretty sure i've decided against it for the following reasons;

1. DD will be 18 months old- not sure how she'll cope in the heat (she's been struggling the past few nights due to the heat)
2. Winter sun of any substance will require an 8 hour flight ish and the thought of trying to keep her occupied, quiet (ish) and prevent incurring the wrath of fellow passengers is already worrying me. We could go more short haul, but if the weather isn't great, what's the point to start with?

is there anyone out there who has flown with an 18 month old or dealt with the above and can throw me a glimmer of hope before i tell poor DH that it's probs going to be Centre Parcs instead!

Winter sun in a place like the Canaries will be guaranteed a very comfortable low 70's... and only a 3.5hr flight.

There will be lots of others flying with children, and you may as well make the most of being able to go out of high season now, while it is so cheap.

We go to Lanzarote every year, and in December you can get a fantastic price, it is very family friendly, and you will have a tan for Christmas!!

Go for it and stop worrying too much!

You should go on holiday, your DD will be fine in the heat, sunhat ,loose clothes and shade will help keep her comfortable - they have babies abroad too y'know :)

Plenty of people fly with young children, if your DD sleeps on the plane it wont be so bad.

Have a nice time!

Have you thought about Cape Verde? Just got back from Island of Sal last week and it was perfect. I would totally recommend hotel Riu Funana. Weather is brill year round but also has a nice breeze to it which stops that awful dry humidity. Evenings weren't too hot either.

Flight was 5.5hrs and comming home was night flight so kids slept most of the way.

Another vote for squeakytoy's suggestion. We had our first big family holiday with DS in January to Lanzarote (Gran Castilo Papagayo). The flight was ok, much helped out by the toddler on the other side of the aisle to us watching Chuggington DVDs and the parents letting DS watch too!

It was a fantastic holiday - DS was teeny and hadn't swum before, so we only went in the heated pool where it didn't matter he wasn't moving much and there were 2 playgrounds, 1 onsite, 1 opposite. The weather was perfectly warm but not too hot. The hotel was all inclusive, with buffet style meals, so could always find things (quite picky) DS could eat and I had no work to do at all (bliss!). Living/bedroom separated by sliding doors so we put the (provided) travel cot one side, shut the doors and DH and I could still chill out and relax without disturbing DS once he was asleep. Oh and all the waiters/locals seemed to really like children, so he was well looked after.

We loved it so much we're, very decadently, going back for longer later in the year. :)

Yabu

Tunisia is great for winter sun

I am off to Lanzarote in 28 days and I cannot wait!!!!

We took our grandaughter with us last year, and she loved it.

Hopefully OP is busy booking something

It is like the first time doing anything with your first baby, the thought of it is 100 times worse than the reality ends up being. We are getting on a plane tomorrow with 3 kids aged 5 and under and I'm 20 weeks pregnant. We have had to always fly with kids as DC1 was born overseas so we needed to fly back for grandparents to see her when she was 4 months.

If our December is as cold this year as last a week or two in the sun would be lovely : )

Go for it!

I'm really grateful for our suggestions and am about to google them. There's nothing like personal recommendations to put your mind at rest. I'm going to go for it and stop being such a wimpy first time mum. Any tips on entertaining a small child on a flight would also be welcome

I meant your suggestions!

We went to Singapore and my DS was 2, He was fab on the flight, Slept most of it then was just playing etc, It was 40 degrees and he coped a damn sight better than me!!

I would go for it.

Egypt should be good weather too.

Tenerife is only four hours and it is hot in the winter.

That's better OP - be a glass half full kinda gal! :o

Have a wonderful time!

My advice is to go for a late evening flight. Thats what we did, because the kids usually sleep through it.

Lanzarote (and all the Canaries) are very geared up to families, and you can buy anything you need out there too, including british brands if you really have to (expect them to cost a lot more though). Eating out is also very relaxed, you will always see pushchairs with sleeping children in the bars and restaurants.

We stay in Matagorda which is very pedestrianised, and has a great sandy beach, with no traffic allowed between the resort centre and the beach, and you can also do a walk by the airport which all the kids love as you can almost touch the planes as they come in. It isnt a noisy resort, you wont get gangs of 18-30's, or stag/hen parties, and there is a small zoo nearby, as well as a Ranch mini theme park with entertainment and animals.

We went to Tenerife at Easter and it was lovely. The dc are older but we took dd to Malta when she was 18 months and it was fine.

Took DS to Gran Canaria for Christmas at 18 months - he loved it!

We went to Sofitel Hotel, Taba Heights, Egypt for our tenth wedding anniversary in December a few years ago. PERFECT!

DD was 18 months old at the time.

Another vote for Canaries - Gran Canaria is really nice in December. Have a look at Hotel Orquidea Bahia Feliz - ideal for children/toddlers and only 15 minutes transfer from airport. Also a cheeky spa for mum ! Went about 7 years ago when mine were younger but you could check out on the trip sites to see whether it is still ok. Resort very small and quiet. You can get lots of family friendly hotels that will be ideal for toddlers in the Canaries.

If you manage to book something OP (and I hope you do - GO FOR IT!) then a pack of stickers as a starter is a must. I can't remember what I bought all in all for the flight, but I wrapped them in tissue paper (crumples into small balls and easier to dispose of) and that way, it gave my DD something to do before getting stuck into whatever I'd bought. Stickers were an easy and safe option - she loved sticking them onto the chair in front of her, onto me, DH etc and they were easy enough to peel off.

If I think of other stuff, I'll post.

YANBU!