Going on holiday with your little one.

Some of you may dread the thought of the sheer logistics of taking your baby or toddler on holiday and all the items you would need to pack for a week or two away!

It doesn’t need to be stressful though. Holidays can still be fun with little ones in tow-in fact, I think my husband and I enjoy our family holidays more now we DO have children, as we make more of an effort to have fun, rather than just relax and sunbathe!

Children love to experience new things and holidays are a great time to do that. Here are my top tips on how to enjoy your family time away together…..

Make sure this is close to the main centre so you can go for walks and eat out in places that welcome babies and toddlers.

Make packing lists a few weeks before to give you time to add things.

I tend to have a paper copy and then also another list in the notes on my phone. There’s always something I will remember at a random time of the day driving to the shops, or ‪at 3am‬ while doing the night feed at work! I can easily add the item or task to be done into my notes, like ‘turn the thermostat down’ or ‘take the key to neighbour for the cats,’ there and then. On the final day before you leave you can check through your two lists and tick them off one by one.

Your current routine will not be ruined while away.

You will likely need to find a new one that works while away anyway, due to the fact that you may want to be out in the evenings with your little ones. On holidays with my 3 children, we never get to bed before midnight, but they all happily sleep in until I wake them for breakfast after ‪9am‬. With our toddler we always made sure that one of us went back to our holiday home and let her have a decent nap every afternoon, so that she could cope with being awake later in the evening and not becoming grumpy and overtired.

Organize around the activities you would like to do while on holiday. Once home you can gradually get your little one back on to your home routine over a few days of perseverance.

Pack lots of your preferred suncream. It tends to be expensive to buy while on holiday and you won’t necessarily be able to get hold of a particular one that works better for your little ones skin type.

Childrens paracetamol, Ibuprofen and antihistamine medicine is a must to take away with you just in case it’s needed. You don’t want to be searching for a pharmacy ‪at 3am‬ when the baby is teething or your toddler develops a temperature out of the blue.

Take some snacks and pouches that you know your little one likes, so that if you are struggling to find food they will eat while away, you know something is going in, to nourish them at least.

Above all-RELAX and go with the flow. Enjoy your holiday and family time and don’t worry about the minor things. Holidays are supposed to be full of treats and doing things we may not usually do, so try to allow your little one that same luxury too.

Have fun!