Taking a baby to a sunny country

[CloeDee]

Hey guys :)
I know it won't be this year due to COVID but I'm hoping it's safer next year for holidays( we wouldn't go if it wasn't safe ) I'm just looking to get peoples advise and experiences with taking their baby to a sunny country?
We are hoping to go to menorca or salu next year with my little girl she will be 14 months, I've heard a few people saying it would be a nightmare

Sunny country isn't a problem. But it does depend on what you plan to do when you're there.

I took my then 8 month old to Spain (Barcelona) when it was like 25C every day and it was absolutely fine.

But it will be unlikely you'll be able to manage holidays of old where you lie by the pool or on the beach for the day. If there are two of you (you have a partner or are going with someone else), then you take it in turns during the day. One of you brings baby to the pool and you play in the morning as long as it's tolerable (they might enjoy it for 30 minutes of splashing), then into the garden in the shade to play, while the other relaxes poolside, reads, etc. Or the same on the beach, and then you switch. Sitting all day in the heat on the beach won't be realistic, but as long as you can easily pop back to your room or house for a break and to cool down. I wouldn't go somewhere where you have to, say, get on a bus to get to the beach or the pool or whatever. You want to make it easy on yourself. And do make sure you both take breaks and get some down time. Also, somewhere baby can sleep at night while you can have a nice adult dinner and relax (so do get a self-catering villa, not a hotel room where you are all crammed in one room).

I took DS1 to Majorca in July 2018 when he was eighteen months old. We were on the beach for nine every day, back to the room at eleven for cleaning up and then went for lunch. He would nap for a couple of hours in the afternoon so we just sat in cafes or bars. Unfortunately, he wasn’t one for napping in his buggy in the evening so we ended up eating later and putting him to bed and then sitting in the dark or on the balcony watching Netflix on our iPads most evenings. Definitely get an apartment so you can at least talk normally if the baby is sleeping.

Don’t bother buying fruit shoots or whatever constantly. Buy a big bottle of water and diluting juice and take your own cup for her.

You can use the buggy travel bag to pack nappies in so they don’t take up space in a suitcase. Once you get through security, nobody checks what’s in the carry bag! I would also board the plane last. We went on first with family boarding and DS was a nightmare at being cooped up before we’d even taken off. Just make sure your bag will go under the seat in case it ends up in an overhead locker ten rows away.

We live in the Middle East and both my kids (4 and 1) were born here, so they are very used to hot weather.

There's no magic answer really, just apply the same advice you follow yourselves, but just a bit more stringently.

Eg stay out the midday sun, stay hydrated, wear loose cotton clothing, wear a hat etc etc. I always stick my kids in long sleeved rash vests as much as possible and don't forget that the sand/floor can get hot. Mine either wear Crocs or flip flops, and they also have shoes like this which stop them slipping.

Last May we took our DD (4) & DS (23mths) to Lanzarote. It was 20+ everyday.
We had a villa, put his travel cot in our room with a fan & kept the shutters/blinds drawn to keep it cool for naps/bedtime. We made sure SPF applied was applied before leaving the house, light loose clothes, sun hats & sun shade on buggy. Took water with us everywhere & bought additional drinks as & when.
We didn't lounge on beaches - visited attractions etc. We had a couple of short trips to the beach but only stayed for an hour or so. We had a pool in our villa which was great for cooling off.
The worst part for us was the flights as DS didn't want to nap & so was super grumpy, but other than that it was an awesome holiday & I wish I had a time machine & could be there right now!

Sorry DS was 11months last May, not 23! 🙄

It’s bloody hard work!!! We took our 2 year old to Majorca and it was just too hot for her, so from about 11-3 we spent in an air conditioned room then went to the pool when the temp dropped about 4/5. Evening walks were nice when it was cool and she’d go in the pram. X

It’s very “baby dependant” if you have a chilled baby it will probably be easier, if you have a fractious one then they will still be fractious. We took ours to the Balearics a couple of times - it was fine, short flight with loads of families - keep the day structured and think about your essentials. I wanted a break from cooking washing up so we went for all inclusive and apartment with balcony was essential so we could chill whilst she napped or slept.

It will be a very different holiday but you already know that.

Personally... I actually found city breaks easier with a diddy! Everyone said that would be a nightmare but it kept a her interest in everything she could see and the constantly changing scenery.

You will just have to stay in between 11am and 5pm if it's too hot. It's just a different rhythm when you live somewhere hot. You soon learn to sit/park in the shade, not to touch metal, to wear shoes and hats outside etc.

I took my 11 month old to Turkey. Hotel rooms are not really geared up for small toddling. Tiled floors, electrical stuff all at the right high for little fingers. They adored the phone.

To be honest that was the worse thing about it. They still had formula at the time. We pre ordered everything we would need from boots gate side. Just grabbed it and off we went. Very easy. Gatwick was fab they have family security, so it was easy with the little one. We got priory boarding but we didn't bother we boarded last so little one wasn't too unruly before take off.

The flight was horrible. Little one didn't get enough sleep as we had an early flight and screamed on take off. A man was really rude about them crying. I told him I didn't really want my child screaming but I was trying my best. 3 other passengers congratulated me on my parenting and his wife told him off. They actually stayed at our hotel and to be fair he did apologies for his outburst he was tried and grumpy too. They were a really lovely couple.

Our room had a little mini bar fridge that they emptied for us to keep the baby stuff in. Nothing was ever any trouble for the hotel. They gave me washing up liquid to clean the bottles with so I didn't have to buy a big bottle. Honestly the Turkish people love kids and they were absolutely wonderful and very helpful. We had a great time! We went by bus everywhere and the locals would help me up with the buggy.

Hoping to return with 2 of them next year!

We took DS1 to Cyprus at five months and Dubai at 9 months. We kept him shaded during the hottest hours of the day, rash vests and hats when in the pool.

The Cyprus holiday was slightly easier because it was a villa holiday with about 10 other adults we could share the load with. It also meant that when he was in bed we could still socialise.

Babies in hotel rooms are hard work if they're light sleepers because it feels like once they're in bed, you're in bed.

We drove (yes drove, never again!!) to the south of France when DD was about 6 months old and went to Spain when she was about 18 months old.

TBH the journey (whether driving or flying, but less so with flying) was the worst bit.

Once there you just need to be sensible with the heat and respond according to how your DC deals with it.

Sunhats and rash vest-style sun suits for the pool/beach area along with light loose clothing for the rest of the time are essential.
If you can find a travel one (or buy one there) pop-up sun tents are a godsend

I'd recommend going away with another couple who have a little one as well.

We did that last year when dd was 1.5 and our friends dd was 9months.

We swam in the morning, put them down for a long nap, had lunch and went to the beach, another nap then evening dinner.

Meant we had plenty of time to relax.

We paid extra for a hotel with swim up rooms so girls were sleeping in the rooms and we could sit out or get in the pool.

Friends babysat for us one night, and us another night so we each had a date night too.

Less stressful because they were of same mindset as us.

We have taken dd to menorca, gran canaria and greece

I took DD to Southern Spain when she was 9m old. It was spring but unseasonably warm, temp was around 20-25 degrees each day. I went with my siblings and DPs and it was obviously not like any of our previous holidays, but it was lovely all the same. I was v anxious about it in advance worrying it would be stressful especially the logistics of bottle feeding but it was all fine. If anything the best seemed to help her sleep and nap a bit better whilst we were there.

Choose your location carefully. A toddler's pool or a playground makes a world of difference. Trying to entertain a toddler in a fancy hotel is a nightmare.

We took our daughter to the US west coast at 10m old, average temperate when we arrived was 30 degrees, she was fine, adjusted quickly, air con in most of our hotel rooms (some didnt have it so had to borrow a fan and let her sleep in just a nappy) and the car, when out and about she was either in the carrier with the hood over or in the pushchair with the snoozeshade (the one where you can roll down the front section so they can still see but are covered) she had a lot of pouch food on this trip so we made sure to give her cold yogurt pouches/ice cubes to suck
At 18m old we took her to the Caribbean so again around 30 degrees, plenty of cold water, when out in the carrier again with the hood over, plenty of pool time, for naps we either went to the bar in the shade while she was in her pushchair sleeping or went back to the room, again she napped in her pushchair with the snoozeshade as it provided some darkness.
As we only have 1 we generally took turns to take her into the pool while the other rested, room naps we usually all had a nap :-D or one would do a bar run while the other stayed in the room and we'd enjoy them on the balcony.
None of our holidays have been a nightmare, we've loved all our trips with her, yes they been a bit different but never bad. I think all inclusive or half board helps, we did self catering in Cyprus and it was a pain deciding what to cook then wash up etc, felt like home but hotter.
Whatever you decide i hope you have a lovely time

Took DD to Barcelona when she was 18 months. She was completely fine and much easier than when we went to stockholm at the age of 4.