During our Escapes month on Ohdeedoh, we are posting great photos and tips for traveling with children from our readers. Please check here for all the details. The first twenty submissions posted will receive the official AT bib. Hope to hear from you soon.
Here's 9 month old Madeline maxin' and relaxin' on the beach in Miami. She enjoyed playing in the sand on the beach and falling asleep to the sounds of the waves at nap time.
Your favorite baby or child-friendly activity there:
The beach! We rented a 'cabana' everyday we were at the beach. It was the perfect place for Madeline to play in the sand in the shade and to “store” all her toys for the day. She also took her naps right there on the beach on a towel in the soft sand. This was nice for her parents too as one of us didn't have to leave for the room come nap time, we could stay and enjoy the beautiful ocean!
Your best tip or words of wisdom for traveling with kids:
Bring new items, something baby hasn't seen before, with you on the plane. This will keep them occupied longer than with something they have already played with a dozen times.
Flexibility is the key. If sightseeing is not going so well for the day, come home and try again tomorrow. It's being with your family that matters the most and you don't want to make your vacation stressful on anyone. Try to pick a location with lots of things to do so you have this option.
If you can, book a room with two separate bedrooms or adjoining rooms. This makes life much easier for baby/child (and parents!) to sleep and take naps.
Your favorite way to make it feel like home:
An item you MUST take with you when traveling:
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Well, we just got back from a trip to St. Louis tonight and I can say, first, that St. Louis is really a kid-friendly city. Beautiful zoo, architecture, museums, parks, etc. Who knew?
Having so recently returned, my biggest advice is that if you can't get two rooms to keep things separated, try to remember to bring some kind of little book light and an Ipod with podcasts on it, etc. for you (and your partner.) We were sharing our nice but single room with a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old and after they fell asleep at 8 pm, we were at a bit of a loss about what to do at night while they slept that wouldn't disturb their sleep.
Of course, we didn't do the rational thing and go to sleep at that time too (to make up for our usual deficit of sleep with two toddlers in our lives). Instead we were trying to find ways to read magazines in the bathroom, read the news on our cell phones, etc. A little light and/or an Ipod loaded with things to listen to together would have been really nice.
Also, if you have and can stand some kind of white noise machine, etc., hotels can be really noisy in the evenings, especially those slamming doors.
I also second the "bringing something new" to keep them entertained. I brought a few inexpensive but "never before seens" and they were a big hit.
Happy travels!
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