Days out with a 4 month old

[wannabe123]

We're in a very fortunate position that due to a change in jobs, my husband has 3 months leave starting in a couple of weeks time. I'm a teacher on maternity leave and we have a 3 nearly 4 month old son. We know we will never get time together and I'd really like to make the most of the time together as a new family. We have a little UK holiday booked and are going to visit family. I'd like to go to the beach together one day as it's not too far away and we have a national trust membership we are looking forward to utilising. Are there any other ideas of things we could do during this time? I wondered about maybe going to an aquarium as DS might like the lights and movement?

The 4 month old isn't going to care where you are (unless you go somewhere insanely loud/hot). Just do what you want and take baby along for the ride.

Do the less baby friendly things first while he's less mobile/happy to just look around. Then if he's on the move around 6/7 months you can do the more baby specific stuff.

Your baby will never be more portable! Make the most of it now, if your DC turns out anything like mine it will be many years before you can potter round National Trust places and look at what you want!

Just go do amazing things you want to do as a couple. You’ll be stuck doing ‘family’ activities for ages once your baby is mobile, so now I’d the perfect time to do all the things you want to do: museums, picnics at the beach, long walks (before he gets to heavy to carry), traveling (obviously as much as you can with COVID). At that age, they’re really transportable. Mine was a bit older, but we went to Barcelona and did museums and tapas bars. Also if you have been doing most of the parenting up til now, make your your Dh gets one on one time and you get a break, a spa day, afternoon naps, etc.

My DH gets 3 months paternity & we normally save 1 month for later in the yr. Honestly just do adult stuff as baby won't remember & will be asleep most of it.

Thanks for all the advice! I thought baby won't get much out of days out but also know some things we used to enjoy (like escape rooms and cinema trips) aren't really doable with DS either 😊

No advice just completely insanely jealous. Maternity leave with first baby in lockdown. Went back to school same time as the kids in March. 😔

Enjoy every single moment of freedom

Check out baby cinema/parent and baby screening in your area OP. Most cinemas have them.

Also, depending on the escape room you could do it with a non-mobile baby. Pop him in the bouncer in the middle of the room . Alternatively, there are similar escape room style games you can do outside/at your own pace which would be fine with a baby. Check out treasuretrails.co.uk and inthehiddencity.com

Maybe if you tell us what you and DH like to do we can recommend some baby friendly examples/work arounds?

We went to look at the fish in the garden centre last week, 5mo DD blinked at them for about a minute and then stared at the ceiling lights. I wouldn't waste your money (unless you are into aquariums).

I'd go to museums and galleries and go for nice lunches because once they start moving that's it. Boringly I'd do any work on the house you might need doing because again, near impossible with a moving baby.

Swimming?