Going on holiday with our 1 yr old and 2 childless friends - what do we take?

[shinyshilling]

We're going on holiday to Spain with our 1yr old and a couple who don't have kids. They're very good friends but not that practical and realistic e.g "Oh you'll not need to take that much stuff". We're usually very calm and laid back and DD is really easy going, but...I'm worried about the amount of stuff we hike around with at home and won't have access to on holiday e.g

1. We have a massive all terrain walking buggy. Can't take that - can we hire a buggy from somewhere

1. The property they've chosen has no travel cot. Is it unrealistic to think she'll be able to sleep on a matress on the floor?

1. How do you sit outside in the garden and keep kids away from the swimming pool.

She'll be 18 months by then so not sure if it will be easier or more difficult.

Any ideas and advice would be great.

1. buy a cheap umbrella fold buggy or get one 2nd hand off freecycle/ebay/nct sale

1. take a travel cot.

1. you get up every 5 mins to remove them from the edge of the pool!

Good luck

Just started to type answers, then reaslise dthey were EXACTLY the same as TheBlonde's !!

Ditto! You can get a v cheap buggy from Mothercare for about £15. Travel cot defo - take it in turns for 1/2 hr shift watching child near pool. May want to take some earplugs for your friends at night if she has difficulty sleeping......oh and yes - good luck!

oh and take calpol with you, and something like piriton in case your dd decides she is allergic to something and her eyes and face swell up like she has done a few rounds with 'insert name of boxer' (I speak from experience!)

Ditto the other advice. Are you sure it's not fenced in?

We have had regular holidays with DS (now 2) since he was born.

Really though - don't take too much. On our first trip we took a ridiculous amount of paraphenalia, you really don't need it. Worst case scenario - they have shops in Spain!

I'd add on a swim seat, pram-shade (all over one rather than umbrella). Dont' expect your friends to be much help!

hmm I rather suspect you are going to have a trickly holiday unless you start spending some time with your childless friends so that they have slightly more realistic expectations.

You'll need a travel cot - otherwise she'll roll off the mattress onto a cold tiled floor or go off exploring. Take a basic lightweight stroller which reclines and a blanket for cooler evenings so you can go out and she can fall asleep and a sunshade for the daytime. Travel cot can double as a playpen by poolside if she'll amuse herself in one by that age. Take a small paddling pool with some stacking cups with various patterns of holes, watering can and boats for her to play with, perhaps in an area away from the pool itself. You'll still have to watch her like a hawk aroudn the pool though. Are you hiring a car , don't forget she'll need a car seat if so.