As a family (especially before babies) we have always loved to travel and any disposable income naturally leant itself to holidays and weekends away. Obviously when children come along travel needs and desires change, you want things to be as easy and stress free as possible, if that even exists of course. But we give it a good go!
Travelling with toddlers and tots is all about give and take. So with a little organisation, preparation and patience you can all enjoy the break. Daisy has been abroad a few times already and actually she didn't make things too tricky but we know with another baby thrown in the mix that it could well be more difficult and so we decided to have our summer week away in the UK, that and we haven't got him a passport!
We've often holidayed here so it's nothing new to us, you can find posts on Bluestone and Center Parcs here as well as many other places in the travel tab at the top of the page. This time we stayed in a static caravan on St Ives Bay Holiday Park.
I thought I would share a few little tips that we picked up from our stay;
We take a large storage box with all of our groceries, handy items like in bin bags and loo rolls in for easy packing, this doubles as a bath!! I could bath Alex in it properly but Daisy is just able to sit in it and be washed, perfect for getting the sand out of areas that we would have struggled in the shower with!
Own bedding - This applies where ever we go. If we can then we take Daisy's pillow and quilt with us. That way she has her familiar things with her and you know she's comfortable.
Choosing the right venue- when booking a holiday we now have to make sure it's toddler friendly, gone are the days of ensuring a location is central to lots of swanky restaurants as a priority but instead hunting for swings and slides, swimming pools, grass to run on, child friendly cafe and take away and somewhere you can get places with them walking.
Toddler entertainment - Get yourself to Poundland or the supermarkets before you leave for beach toys, buckets etc as you will really pay a premium when at the coast!
Cleanings Bits & Bobs - I have holidayed like this plenty of times as a child myself but never had the responsibility of going with my own family until now. My mum made sure we took bin bags, tea towels, dish clothes, washing up liquid etc as none of this is supplied. I took a few packets of anti- bacterial wipes too as they're so quick and easy for wiping things down.
Toddler entertainment - Get yourself to Poundland or the supermarkets before you leave for beach toys, buckets etc as you will really pay a premium when at the coast!
Cleanings Bits & Bobs - I have holidayed like this plenty of times as a child myself but never had the responsibility of going with my own family until now. My mum made sure we took bin bags, tea towels, dish clothes, washing up liquid etc as none of this is supplied. I took a few packets of anti- bacterial wipes too as they're so quick and easy for wiping things down.
We recently stayed in St Ives Bay Holiday Park which had all of the facilities you would need with a toddler that doesn't stop, needs entertaining and needs wearing out! Perhaps wouldn't have been our first choice of accommodation a few years ago as a couple with no children but how times change!!! Or at least you're forced into making practical decisions anyway!! Anything that helps give you a quieter life!
Hayley xxx