Adventurous parents, talk to me

[SunshineBabies]

I know this is very common, but I've recently had a LOT of naysayers and general doom casters relishing telling me and DH all about how awful having a baby is going to be, our lives are now over etc etc. Naively perhaps, we are hoping to find a way to still have a sense of adventure about our lives, and (in and around a routine) do some varied things like travelling and eating out / taking the baby / child with us to do all of this. I do realise so many things won't be possible, and that this is a life-changing event, but all I've heard is utter negativity recently that would have me believe the next 10 years we will be stuck at home all day everyday.

Please talk to me about the exciting or adventurous things you have successfully done with newborn / baby / toddler? E.g. has anyone travelled anywhere, been on a plane, gone on holiday, long haul, shorthaul, visited new places, weekends away, restaurants??

Any positive stories and wisdom out there?

MsTSwift

I wish train travel was a bit cheaper. I was interested in going to Bruges between Christmas and New Year and used an app called Omio to compare the prices between flying and taking the train - sadly the train was 3 times the price of a flight. I think even if you allow for some price difference for “ the experience” that’s quite a disincentive for lots of families who might otherwise be up for using trains

Depends on baby - it's a lovely lucky dip.
First baby was a high needs, colicky grump who didn't like the car. Could do very short lunch in a restaurant as she could breastfeed and sleep in a sling, but evenings were a screamy unsettled mess. We could not be very adventurous when she was little.
However, when she grew out of that a bit she took travelling in her stride - flying around Europe just before 1, camping in UK, festivals, no problem. Some children don't cope so well or become unsettled sleeping away from home, it's mostly down to luck I believe.

**PerfectPeony2 just realised you were on the Parents of Criers group last year! Hope life is better these days.

My "difficult" child is now nearly 2 and is still very hard to manage in public. She grew out of the screaming at around 15 months but bolts and still hates being strapped in the car for longer than an hour. I wish I could go on adventures!**

@WTFdidwedo ahh great to hear from you! It feels like a lifetime ago we were posting on that thread. I hope everyone is doing well. DD is actually doing a lot better. The all day crying has only recently stopped.. so maybe I am just having a good week. BUT I think a lot of her problems may have been linked to teething. She is such a loving, sweet girl on her good days. Totally fearless and very independent!

Today I even managed to take her to the supermarket, there and back in the car. She was as good as gold. Not quite backpacking or an adventure but honestly it felt like such a win for me. I have a bit of anxiety taking her out (other than to the usual baby groups and stuff!) due to what we’ve been through with her. I’m starting to feel really positive about the future though, and I’m enjoying being a Mum so much more now she is a lot happier and developing her cheeky personality!

I think when you’ve been through what we have with all the crying, parenting can only get easier as they get older! Bring on the terrible two’s!

Mine are 7 and 5.

Since they were 6 months we have been to:
Orkney
Fife many times
Greece twice
Skiing 3 times
Cloned Snowden
Body boarded in Cornwall
London for theatre shows
Local theatre shows

We have had so managed adventures and can't wait for more.

I will say our best adventuring purchase was a caravan. Funds have changed our destinations slightly

My biggest issue was (and is!) sleep. We had such an awful time with sleep in the early days, that everything now revolves around getting it! For us, that meant a strict routine. Not how I had planned to parent at all, but DD needed it. She’s now a brilliant sleeper, and at nearly 3 she is a lot more flexible!

However, even with the routine, we’ve had some great holidays. Nothing too far, and nothing like pre-DD though. Our holidays were always hours of walking & then pub lunches. Fine when DD was tiny & went in the sling (we trekked all over Yorkshire!) but much more difficult once she was mobile - hated any sort of restraint (carrier / buggy) and everything is at toddler pace!

We eat out all the time - not usually for dinner, as an overtired child in a pub or restaurant is miserable for everyone, but pretty much every weekend we go for a nice pub lunch. It’s not hours of chatting and wine like before, and there’s a fair bit of colouring involved, but it’s still nice.

Our best holidays with DD have been in Cornwall - we are able to get a bit of walking in, and lots of exploring beaches and new pubs!

Need to comment on this thread still that even if wrote before about our trips with a baby, even long haul to Caribbean, my attitude towards travel has changed somewhat after having my DS. It’s just no longer a priority in the same way. I have discovered day trips to sights and towns nearby can be almost as nice than a weekend abroad, and sometimes more relaxing as well. I also wouldn’t be eager now to fly long distance for a 1-2 week trip. In order to fly long haul anymore, I want it to be for several weeks. But this comes from me, not that travels wouldn’t be possible or even enjoyable with a baby! Right now the life of playgrounds, soft play and play groups is the new world explore I guess