What do you do with babies on holiday?

[FunnyOrca]

We are considering our first holiday with our baby. She will be about 7 months. What exactly do you do with your baby on holiday? I can’t really imagine taking her on a city break, or to a holiday cottage or on a hike? An all-inclusive isn’t something we have done before. People say they are good for babies, but what do you do all day?

I’d say city breaks and hikes are great at that age, actually. They can go in a carrier and just do what you want to be doing. It’s when they’re walking and can express opinions that you need to make holidays family friendly!

Leave them with Granny & Grandad and have a fab coules holiday 😃.

The same thing you do at home, but in the sunshine and with a pool.

Who no holiday cottage though? That might even be the best option with a baby.

Agree with others. All inclusive is better when they are running around and just want to play in pool all day. If you like wandering around seeing sights now is time do it as baby can be in push chair.

What you don't do is what quite a lot of people on MN seem to do .... put baby to bed at usual time and lie in the dark for the evening on a kindle or phone.

Take them out in the buggy for dinner, have a stroll round the town/harbour ... let the usual routine relax and enjoy it.

City break, put them in sling or pushchair and do whatever you like. Maybe find a playground or a park to break up museums / galleries. I have happy memories of mine at around that age chewing on a breadstick and have a fuss made of by Italian waiters. Pool - get a floating ring/seat and let them have a bob around. Bit too little for buckets and spades on the beach. I used to get mine bathed and ready for bed in the evening and then go for a stroll. We'd stop somewhere for a drink. And if she was happy or asleep grab dinner. If not, get a takeaway and go back to accommodation. I never did hotels, well maybe for a weekend, always self catering accommodation with 2 rooms and at least a kitchenette.

At 7 months they are fairly portable as not walking yet, so if you like active holidays you can take her along to whatever you would usually enjoy doing on holiday (but obviously you'll have to plan for feeds and naps). If you stay somewhere with a pool a lot of babies enjoy swimming at this age. If you like sunbathing with a book then it's harder - basically you have to take turns or wait till she's older! Some people like all inclusive if there is a crèche and you can leave her and have some couple time, but that may not be something you want to do.

I think it's too young for a pure sunbathing holiday. Unless you want to take it turns.

what do you usually enjoy? we did a city break in France around that age. Pram and carrier for walks, main meal at lunch, cheese and wine on the balcony at night whilst she slept. we all had a great time. they're pretty easy and flexible at that age I found.

We did a holiday cottage at that age - it was lovely and very chilled. Stayed in a pretty seaside town and just did what we'd normally do (fortunately he happily slept in the pram).

Personally I couldn't face taking all the baby paraphernalia on a plane, but packed in the car was fine. It is just the same as at home but in another place though - not really a holiday, more like a longer weekend with a change of scene.

If you do stay somewhere with a pool, make sure it is fenced. We stayed at a villa with an unfenced pool when DS was 7 months old. He could crawl really fast by that age, and we were constantly leaping up to stop him from falling into the pool! Nightmare!

City breaks are perfect with a baby but self catering can also work well .I , personally, wouldn’t go for the type of holiday where you want to lounge around as baby will choose that moment to need feeding or to practice crawling or whatever and that can be frustrating. One thing to remember is that there will be two of you full time to look after van one tiny human so whatever you choose to do it will be a rest from all the tasks of home.

What do you do with her in everyday life? It's the same thing, you're just (hopefully) in a more pleasant environment!

I've taken DS on holiday every year (excluding covid), from when he was an infant onwards. There's nothing particularly special or difficult about holidays with babies. If there are particular items (nappies, wipes, formula) that you are most comfortable using, pack enough for the holiday and research supermarkets and baby items that are usually sold in the place you are going to (e.g. not all countries use wipes; they wash their babies after a poo, so wipes aren't widely available).

Why wouldn't you take a baby on a city break or hiking? You can take a baby anywhere you're willing to carry them (or push them, in the case of city breaks where you want to use a pram). Most European countries are much more child friendly than the UK so, depending on where you go, you'll probably find high chairs in all restaurants, children's play areas/colouring in other shops, cafes and restaurants happy to warm milk up for you etc. Just live you life and take the baby along for the ride. You'll both have a great time.

We went touring ancient ruins in Italy when my daughter was 7 months old. One of our best holidays. Where ever we went Italian waiters were charming about our Bella bambina. She was in a sling whilst we looked around museums and churches and Roman ruins. She learnt to crawl during that holiday as one of the hotels had a floor length mirror that she loved admiring herself in it's reflection.

What do you normally do on holiday?

If they and you are happy with a carrier they are really portable for a city break. Pop them in a buggy at dinner time and they might sleep.

A holiday cottage makes it easier to stick to routine, easier for weaning etc. Find pram friendly walks or invest in a backpack carrier.

We went long haul when our DC was that age (to visit family), it was such an easy flight as they weren't mobile, and family had all the baby gear available for us to use.

If you like late night clubbing, jungle trekking, all day wine tasting or hours sun bathing by the pool you might find your previous types of holiday a bit trickier to continue.

What do you normally like to do on holiday? I’d say city break might be good at that age; as they’re happy to be in a sling or pram. We did a beach / pool holiday in Greece when ours was 8 months; she loves swimming luckily. So just swimming, playing with her toys; of course usual naps, eating out. Was surprisingly relaxing, DH and I took turns to do things on our own like getting a massage; reading etc.

City break abroad or static caravan park in UK.

Do what you want
Baby just tags along in carrier or stroller
Feed bites from your meals
You wanna visit museum do so
You wanna hike then hike
just factor in nap times etc. Many babies nap in a stroller so you cam keep up your day
What s your ideal holiday?
You dont need AI at this age unless it is what you want eg you can afford top end ikos etc

Ah we had one of my favourite ever holidays when my boy was 7 months old and we took him to Majorca at an all-inclusive, we’d done multiple UK break by that point but this one was wonderful! We went walking every morning to the little shops and cafes and he just stared and soaked in all the new surroundings, he loved the beaches and would go in the water with us and play in the sand, loved the pools (he’s a bit of a water baby anyway!), and he was weaned by then so enjoyed the all inclusive meals in his little high chair trying everything. During his daytime naps in the pushchair we’d sit outside with a couple of drinks and chat, and in the evenings he’d fall asleep in his pushchair and we’d just chill outside until 10/11pm then transfer him to the cot when we went in! I absolutely loved that holiday it was one of my favourites, he’s now two and I also now have a six month old so we’re planning the follow up with them both which might prove more challenging 😅

Go to a cottage. Go for walks, to wildlife park, zoos or NT property. If the weather is nice go to the beach. At that age they are easy to entertain.

We took ours abroad as babies many times. Usually went to self catering villas so that we could do our own thing. Made sure the villa owners provided a cot (and baby gates if they're mobile). During the day we either had them in a sling when tiny, or took an umbrella fold reclining pushchair for days out. A lot of European countries are child friendly so we'd take them out to dinner in the evening in the pushchair and when they got tired we'd recline it so they could sleep, then just transfer them to cot when back.

We did a California road trip, with a few hours driving a day and lots of stops and exploring each area. Babies are portable and much easier to holiday with than toddlers 😆

City breaks in an aparthotel were great for us. They have all the cots/highchairs/etc. you just need to bring a buggy, sling, clothes, and baby monitor. Anything you forget just get out there. I’d recommend Barcelona, loads to see and do and if it’s nice you can pop to the beach for a bit. Tapas is great for that age as they can try lots of different food.

We did hikes in Cornwall at 4m old then again at 8m old in California, put her in the carrier, she loved it!
Have also done lots of all inclusive where she’d nap/we’d take her in the pool/play area.

We took DD to Madeira at that age. HB package at the hotel so we went out for lunch/sightseeing each day. She was weaning so just had something off our plate (garlic bread mainly) and from the hotel buffet.
We had a pushchair with a massive hood plus a sun shade for walking/sightseeing. We swam in the hotel pool and the sea. I think we bathed her in the bathroom sink!
We had a suite so DDs cot was not immediately next to our bed and the housekeeper would make cute "animal" shapes out of her towels and muslin cloths!
Pack a corkscrew so you can buy a bottle of wine from the local grocery store to enjoy on your balcony after baby's bedtime.