Tips for flying: The single best advice I can give for flying with your little one is to relax and not stress yourself out! I was SO NERVOUS for our first flight with Austin and now I don’t even think twice about it! Your little one will probably cry, fuss, coo, or make noise at some point on the flight (or maybe the whole flight) and that is OKAY. That is what babies do! People are generally pretty kind and understanding, so take a deep breath and just go with it. A few other things we always do when flying; nurse or give a bottle/sippy cup for take off and landing. This has always worked so well for us and we’ve never had issues with her ears popping. Bring LOTS of toys, especially your go-to quiet ones, because you will definitely have toys falling on the dirty airplane floor and you’ll want to reach for another. Easy snacks like cheerios or dried fruit are great for babies who have started solids. I always prefer a window seat with her-she loves to look out the window, and it gives me more privacy when nursing. If you are flying Southwest with a lap child, make sure you have a copy of your little’s birth certificate or shot records from the doctor. They will accept a photo of either document on your phone as long as it shows the birthdate. We learned this the hard way as the other airlines we’ve flown have not required this. We also use this bag when we check the stroller and infant car seat at the gate. It’s cheap and keeps your car seat protected/dry/less germy when being handled. I always bring my tula when flying because there will be times it’s just easier to have baby on you (like going through security- you have to take baby out of stroller so it works great to just wear her all the way through security and I have two hands free and they don’t make me take her off!) so I’d highly recommend bringing a structured carrier.
Tips for driving: Set no expectations for how long the trip should take and stop as often as you need. I found I’m much more stressed when we felt rushed or had somewhere to be. It always helps a ton if I sit in the backseat with Austin. This mirror is one of the greatest things ever. It seems a lot of people do really well driving through the night, but if you are not night owls, that could be really hard. We also sing A LOT. Toys and teethers are always a hit in the car. Our go-tos are her Sophie and her Baby Banana.
Get the Gear. This is definitely the biggest game changer for our beach experience. This tent and this parasheet are the greatest little duo that will keep your little ones shaded, comfy, and happy for a very long time. Austin will sit and play, nap, etc. in it for hours. The tent literally pops open like an umbrella and then you put the stakes in and are good to go. Less than a 5 minute set up. It is so lightweight, you can throw it over your shoulder, wear it on your back while biking, etc. The parasheet is basically a parachute material blanket that you lay down and it keeps the sand off of you, doesn’t absorb water, and keeps you dry, clean, and having fun! You keep it down by filling the four corner pockets with sand. We put the tent right against it and it gives us a great amount of room to play and for Austin to crawl around.
Nursing mamas: This tent also offers a great little shade for nursing on the beach. Just remember to wear a nursing friendly swimsuit/cover up because that can get tricky!
I know a lot of people love to bring a small inflatable baby pool for baby to play in at the beach and I love this idea! We haven’t tried this yet, but I definitely want to on our next trip this summer. We have this one and it’s the perfect small size and only costs $10!
We love to have a few fun beach toys- shovels, pails, watering cans, and this indestructible “Beach Baby” book is so fun and perfect. We love our Indestructible books when we travel- they are rip-proof, chew-proof, and machine washable!
Austin always wears a hat (cute affordable ones here for girl and here for boy!) and I lather her with sunscreen multiple times throughout the day. I’m working with a blue-eyed red head here so this is all new to me, haha! We use this Neutrogena sunscreen but I also want to try this one and this one. For swimwear, her two piece suits were definitely the easiest for diaper changes, but there’s so much more skin exposed. Her long sleeve wetsuit style bathing suit quickly became my favorite. I think this style is perfect for any littles who are old enough to really play in the sand and water and you don’t have to constantly wonder if you missed a million spots with sunscreen! This one is super cute for girls. And here is a cute boy style.
A great trick for getting off sand (at least dry sand, it doesn’t work as well on wet sand!) is to use baby powder on their feet/legs/bottoms to brush the sand away. I used this on myself too and was amazed at how well it worked.
I also have a friend who swears by this little tent/sleeper for littles and she uses it at the beach and by the pool. I haven’t tried it but the reviews are great so if you’ve got a younger baby, check this out too! It comes in a few different sizes and colors.
Also, don’t forget swim diapers! We have used both the built in- swimsuit version and disposables. Both are great depending on your style.
Make a plan not to plan. Oh, I know that’s so hard for many of you..but to me the key to having a great vacation with littles is to go with the flow! Austin usually gets off her routine a good bit when we travel, so things are very different then they are at home. We base timing and decisions around how she’s doing and what works best for us THAT DAY. I understand when there are other people involved sometimes you have to have firm plans and schedules, but this seems to work so well for us on vacation and allows us to have such a great time.
Lastly, this sounds so cliche, but truly enjoy each moment. It’s so easy to get caught up on your phone and miss out, but these are the moments we live for! I’m also really working on not going straight to “Oh my gosh, that’s so cute, take a picture!” and instead being present and really enjoying each moment with Austin and Ryan. Have you ever noticed how sometimes a whole experience is sort of centered around trying to catch it in a picture/on video and then afterward the video/picture isn’t even all that telling and you sort of missed the whole real thing just by trying to capture it for someone else? I think we do that a lot. So I’m trying to be different. This truly is the most precious time in our lives and I want to remember it and enjoy each moment of her being this little….especially in our happy place.
So, enjoy your trip. Take in each moment! Let me know how it goes. And I would love to hear all your tips and go-tos! Comment below!
