When we had Oscar, I worried that travelling would be a tiring faff and perhaps something we’d start doing less and less of owing to the inconvenience. Actually I’ve found I’ve enjoyed our family trips even more than I’ve expected… there’s even been unexpected benefits or guilty pleasures of travelling with a baby.
1. You get to have long naps during the day
Before having Oscar, napping while on holiday meant I was missing out on holiday time but now, with Oscar taking at least two naps during the day, I often find I’m sitting in the room with him for long stretches. And what else can I do but take a nap myself…
People say sleep when the baby sleeps, at home this is easier said than done (there’s a mountain of washing, purées to make plus catching up on blog stuff and emails) but on holiday there’s no pressure to do anything else so you can relax and sleep. The other benefit is Mr S isn’t at work so he can help with child care while I have a kip…
2. You get to have dinner early…
Isn’t going on holiday really just waiting for the next meal to happen? When you have a baby their bed time is generally very early (Oscar’s is 7pm) so that just means you get to have dinner earlier… I mean we’re a bit more flexible on holiday and he does sleep in his pram during dinner but it still mean we can eat earlier and go to bed earlier… rock and roll…
3. Less Pressure
As with travelling when pregnant, when you travel with a baby there’s less pressure to see everything, get into the cool restaurants, or even get the perfect Instagram shot. In Ibiza, we barely left the hotel, old me would have incredible FOMO but current me is happy to relax and enjoy what I’ve got without the need to get out constantly.
On my recent press trip to Austria, I had a list of shots I really wanted to get but the reality of travelling with a baby (especially in the snow) meant that I had to accept I wasn’t going to get all the photos I wanted. And that’s ok. I’ve discovered that part of being a new mum means you don’t have to be perfect or the best, just good enough :). I really love the new ‘slow travel’ that we’re indulging in.
4. Seeing the Simple Things in a New Light
It’s incredible to think that every single thing that Oscar sees is new. So every time we travel he will have a brand new experience … and I’ll have a new appreciation for that experience. In Ibiza he saw the sea for the first time, at Soho Farmhouse he saw horses for the first time and in Austria he saw snow for the first time…
5. It’s an Excuse to Make New Friends
Since becoming a mum I’ve discovered the shared language and understanding between fellow mums and other parents. Especially seeing a baby around Oscar’s age… ‘aw, how old?’, ‘how are you finding the nights?’ ‘how’s weaning going?’… on holiday you can automatically find common ground and find new friends…
6. You Get Priority…
Whether that’s boarding and seating on the plane first and fast track queues, being seated first at a restaurant or getting to queue jump the loos…
Once people see you’re with a tiny baby you’re automatically given priority … score!
7. You Can Indulge in Getting a Bigger Room
Now we have Oscar and we have more stuff… Mr S agrees more readily to us upgrading our room category… even better we can get suite or family rooms with two separate rooms so that Oscar can nap and Mr S and I can enjoy our own space.
8. You can indulge your inner child
I cannot wait to take Oscar to Disneyland… more for my own enjoyment than his… and Mr S can’t wait to take him skiing, go on waterslides and rollercoasters. It will be a great chance to relive our child hood and truly indulge the inner child. Even now I love the little presents Oscar receives when we arrive at hotels plus all the attention he gets for being so cute!
9. You enjoy Me-Time even more
At the moment I spend 99% of my time with Oscar. I’m breast feeding him and we’re sleeping in the spare room so it’s rare he’s not by my side. I’ve been out without him and left him with Mr S a handful of times. So when we were in Austria and I was able to get a massage, I enjoyed it even more… even if that was just because it allowed me around 45mins uninterrupted sleep! Of course, I missed him even for that short time and it made the cuddles and reunion even better.
10. Sharing memories
I love our family travel-style because we are able to make memories together as a family. I’m constantly taking photos and making videos of all Oscar’s little milestones and I can show him all of them when he’s older.