We just returned from a 3-day vacation in the sunny side of the state (aka anywhere else in the state besides Western Washington), and it was my first time “vacationing” with a toddler. I’m thinking that I need a “mom-cation” (that is, time by myself!) to recoup from my trip. Oy vey. Even though our vacation was relatively short, I did learn some things that I’d like to share with y’all:
{DON’T be so hard on yourself}
If I were able to talk to a week-ago Stacy with what I know now, I’d tell her to unwind a bit and try to relax. I am the very worst at this, and I know that I will probably have to read this blog post many times to remind myself to do just that.
{DO have grace for yourself and your kid(s)}
The times when I throw my calendar and schedule to the side and just enjoy the moment that is before me is when I have the best, and most memorable, times. The only difficulty in this is that it goes so against what I naturally want to do. I like knowing the plan at every second of the day, gosh dang it! And it’s even better if I make out the plan. Anyone else out there feel me? There were quite a few times on this trip when I had to pull myself out of the situation, look at the bigger picture and see the facts that were before me: A. This is Seth’s first vacation, B. He has no clue where he is and is entirely out of his normal routine, C. He hasn’t been sleeping and is way more cranky than is normal! Therefore, A + B + C = recipe for tears and meltdowns. I’m sure he will do better once he is a bit older, but for now I know that a 19 month old is not going to fare too well on a long, multiple-day trip.
{DON’T forget to plan and pack extra of everything!}
I’ll admit that I started packing for our 3 day vacation 4 days before we left and I’m really glad that I did! While on our trip, I remembered where everything was (which is kind of amazing since I had an extra large suitcase and about 4 extra bags that followed me around for half a week), and the only thing that I forgot to pack for Seth and I was Tylenol. Other than that, all bases were covered!
{DO plan ahead for anything}
Because with a baby or a toddler in tow, you never know what will happen. We had a poop-mergency our second day in and we went through 3 different outfits just that day. I was worried that I didn’t pack enough clothes, but thankfully I had two extra outfits tucked away in the bottom of the diaper bag. Phew! I can guarantee you that you will need to remember to pack extra clothes (and, if you have the room, I suggest just packing more clothes than you think you’ll need. Better safe than sorry!), toys, binkies (if kiddo is still using them), and especially snacks. Lots and LOTS of snacks.
{DON’T try to be supermom every second of the day}
Because it’s 100% exhausting. Been there, done that. I am QUEEN of trying to do everything myself, which is not a title that I particularly like to carry. It always results in unnecessary stress on my shoulders. In turn that makes those around me stressed, and then I kind of turn into a rather large active volcano of emotions.
{DO ask for help}
I am so blessed to have family members and friends that help me with Seth whether I’m stressed out or not. They are all so wonderful and go above and beyond. Thankfully on this vacation, I had 6 extra people to entertain Seth and help me out when I really needed it most, whether I asked them for their help or not. If asking others for help is out of your comfort zone (like it is for me), just swallow your pride and do it anyways. Your day will be a whole lot less hectic if you share the responsibilities of caring for your kiddos with other people.
FREE bonus tips:
{Bring ear plugs} - because you may be surprised who the snore-er in the room is!
{Carry your sunscreen with you} - because I didn’t and ended up getting some gnarly burn lines
{Buy an umbrella stroller} - I have a rather large jogging stroller that I use on a daily basis and it’s just. so. big. It literally would have taken up half of the car’s trunk space and we couldn’t afford to lose that much room! The umbrella stroller was much smaller and lighter than our jogging one, making it easier to get in and out of the car and stores. Totally a win/win.