# Going abroad with an 18 month old - Help!!



## MrsM17

Hello

Just booked to spain so 2.5hrs flight. Please tell me I just didn't make a huge mistake??

My son is a very spirited child shall we say. I am terrified for the flight but have started a list of entertainment

New toys, wrapped up
Laptop with the pink pig on loop!
Colouring books
FOOD!!
Books


Any others? He is a still sit for 30 seconds kind of guy then screams to be let down - oh the joys!

Questions:
What do you actually do on holiday with an 18 month old? We are used to selfish holidays with 2 of us and know thats out the window!

Routine? Try to have one or go with the flow? I may need vodka if the routine goes to pot but know I'll need to be more relaxed.

Do these toddlers sleep in the pushchair in the evening or while you have a drink?

Car seat? Will be hiring a car but do we hire a carseat with it?

Lastly will I regret this decision? We've all on to get him to a park at home without military precision! x


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## fannyadams

I'm going next month and lo will be 18 months.
I'm dreading it and can't believe I ever got talked into it.
I'm hoping you get some positive replies-ill be stalking!


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## greenlady

Is there a pool and/or beach where you are going? We went to greece when DD was 15 months and she basically spent all day playing in the water and the sand. She loved restaurants and bars and seeing new things, and spending time with mummy and daddy. 

Just relax and go with the flow is my opinion.

Re sleeping the pushchair its what we intended but DD was too excited to sleep when out. Our DD was a bit of a handful running around at restaurants and so we just had early dinners, then had some wine/ beer at our apartment. 

You can usually hire a car seat with the car for an extra fee. 

Flight sounds like you have enough stuff. Honestly 2.5 hours isn't that long, I flew between the UK and Australia 3 times with DD by the times she was 2.5, that's 2 flights a total of 22 hours. 18 months was probably the hardest. Be prepared to be up and down from your seat a lot but it'll be done and dusted before you know it.

You won't regret it. A holiday is an exciting adventure for a child and your LO might surprise you with how well he adapts. Have fun!


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## baby09

Stalking! Going to Egypt in 2 weeks with a 3.5 ur old and a 21 month old! Eeekkk x


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## ellie27

My 18 month old has just returned from his 3rd holiday abroad, my daughter is 3 and just had her 5th!

We go to spain/balaerics for the short 3hr flight time.

We love our holidays and still do.

We do whatever we feel like.

We have no routines at home so no routines to follow on holiday.

LOs fall asleep in the buggy during the day whenever they want, the eat and drink when awake. 

We like just being outdoors so a long walk after breakfast, fingers crossed both LOs fall asleep at the same time then we stop off at a beachbar for a drink! Then lunch, then a long walk, drink, walk...... just go with the flow. 

We dont like to sunbathe or swim or hang around the pool but we do go for walks along the beach.

We dont hire a car but I do think many carhire companies also have various carseats for hire.

At home they are in bed for around 8pm, on holiday its nearer 9.30pm or whenever they are tired. 

Flight can be tough at times, if your LO is walking then they may want to walk the aisle the whole flight - its easier just getting up and walking around the plane than trying to entertain them in a small restricted seat with them on your lap. 

My sons first 2 hols, at age 6 months and then 10 months he slept the whole flight, last month when we were away he was 18 months and he slept for around 50mins.

Plenty of food works best for our LOs!

Happy hols everyone!


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## Jade--x

I went abroad with my oldest at 18 months the first time he went, 4.5 hour flight to Turkey - I'm not going to lie it was hell. His ears popped and he screamed the entire flight! I sympathised with him because mine did and I was in agony. So I learnt from my mistakes and now I always take a bottle for takeoff, a bottle for landing and juice cup with bottled water from duty free, though now my oldest is 4 I'll give him a sweet to suck on.

Last year I went with both my LOs, they were 3.5 and 15 months. Soooo much better. I did the bottle trick, worked a treat, and bought some sachets of paracetamol from the duty free and gave them 1 each 10 minutes before takeoff as my GP advised me to. My youngest was asleep before we took off as he hadn't had his usual nap from all the excitement (we had a 5pm flight) and slept for the first hour-ish. My oldest I took a portable DVD player, DS, colouring books, reading books, an aqua doodle travel mat, a travel magnadraw thing, and some reusable sticker books (always reusable as then if they stick them to the seat etc they're easily removed) and some toy cars/planes. They were both more than entertained and amazingly behaved.

My LOs lived in the pool the whole 2 weeks, we took inflatables with us (beachball, lilo, swimseat) the beach the sand was too hot to walk on in the day at 37 degrees everyday so we didn't use it until late (and I'm not keen on sand anyway so I generally stayed away) and I always had the pushchair with us, if LO was tired and fell asleep in it it was fine, I didn't make him though if he wanted to stay awake he could, though more often than not he'd fall asleep, we couldn't have dinner before 7pm Turkey time, so to them that was 9pm UK time and so their body clocks were abit out of whack so I just went with the flow and no real routine. It was easy enough getting them back into it when we were back too.

You won't regret it its definitely worth it. Even with my nightmare travel the 1st time, it was worth it and I did it again with 2 :)

Sorry for the huge essay..Just realised how long it is :dohh: :haha:


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## Twinks

Stalking this thread! We too are going to Spain (in September) and my lo will be 16 months. He's a spirited baby too and can not sit still for longer than 10 seconds then he's off running around! I'm stalking your thread for some tips. :0)


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## MrsM17

Thank you so much for replies. Make me feel like we have made the right decision xx


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## Kmx

I'm about to make the decision - Spain or caravan park for a week! Will be stalking x


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## jenny82

We're going to the south of France & Barcelona in 3 weeks. Far from dreading, I am soooooo excited. Its our first proper holiday as a family :D

Flight should be fine. I brought my older boy on a flight when he was 1 and it was fine. He just loved the plane. This time we will have lots of snacks, books, iPad, phones to pass the time but I think (hope) it will be ok.

As far as doing stuff, I like to plan our time anyway so I will have a vague notion of places I want us to go to, things to see etc and fit our time around that. We are best leaving early in the morning, coming back for naps and heading out again later. I will even let my older one nap as it means we could be out later in the evening. I don't like to lie about on holidays anyway so seriously, I am so excited I could burst :haha:


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## missy1

First of all you need to relax! Lol. If you are stressed out your LO will pick up on that and become stressed out themselves. 
We took our daughter to Florida when she was 18 months and again a few months ago when she was 2 and a half. We also took her to Cyprus when she was 8 months old. The flights were ok and you will be absolutely fine on such a short flight so just try to enjoy it and make it all seem like fun and a big adventure for him and he will pick up on your happy excited vibes and it will be an easier flight for you. My daughter loves to play with sticker books and colouring in. We also found the iPad a god send on the long flights to Florida and we just downloaded loads of toddler friendly apps. 
As for the actual holiday I'm not going to lie, it won't the relaxing holiday you are used to. Our first holiday with her when she was 8 months old was a bit of a shock when we realised we couldn't lie about at the pool reading books all day but it was an enjoyable experience all the same. It was lovely seeing her splash about and enjoy the pool and the beach. We took her out to restaurants every night and she seems to enjoy that and when we went back to our apartment we would put her down for the night and then we could relax with some drinks. We didn't stick to a routine as such but she always has a nap during the day (the heat really tires them out) She didn't sleep in her buggy at night as there was too much going on but she slept great at night after being so active during the day and of course the heat. 
Just try and go with the flow. Holidays as you know them are over and it takes a bit of getting your head around that its now all about your LO but then you realise it's just going to be a different type of holiday from now on but still enjoyable. Good luck! Xx


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## LPF

I've not long come home from Florida with ds who was 2yr 3m on the way out on the 9.5hr flight!

It was fine. He played on the ipad mostly, watched TV, did some activity books / colouring and walked around the plane. 

If you are relaxed, lo will be too. Take snacks and familiar things. 2.5hr flight is quite short when you factor in going up / coming down and food rounds!

Ds got really used to eating in restaurants but we didn't do too much in the evening as he is a beast without enough sleep. We had a villa and relaxed there.


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## LPF

missy1 said:


> First of all you need to relax! Lol. If you are stressed out your LO will pick up on that and become stressed out themselves.
> We took our daughter to Florida when she was 18 months and again a few months ago when she was 2 and a half. We also took her to Cyprus when she was 8 months old. The flights were ok and you will be absolutely fine on such a short flight so just try to enjoy it and make it all seem like fun and a big adventure for him and he will pick up on your happy excited vibes and it will be an easier flight for you. My daughter loves to play with sticker books and colouring in. We also found the iPad a god send on the long flights to Florida and we just downloaded loads of toddler friendly apps.
> As for the actual holiday I'm not going to lie, it won't the relaxing holiday you are used to. Our first holiday with her when she was 8 months old was a bit of a shock when we realised we couldn't lie about at the pool reading books all day but it was an enjoyable experience all the same. It was lovely seeing her splash about and enjoy the pool and the beach. We took her out to restaurants every night and she seems to enjoy that and when we went back to our apartment we would put her down for the night and then we could relax with some drinks. We didn't stick to a routine as such but she always has a nap during the day (the heat really tires them out) She didn't sleep in her buggy at night as there was too much going on but she slept great at night after being so active during the day and of course the heat.
> Just try and go with the flow. Holidays as you know them are over and it takes a bit of getting your head around that its now all about your LO but then you realise it's just going to be a different type of holiday from now on but still enjoyable. Good luck! Xx

That's is so true - holidays with children are VERY different!


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## geordiemoo

Im going to spain on saturday with our daughter, she hates sitting still so fingers crossed for the plane. She does love watching programmes though and playing on the tablet so hopefully with that and some toys she will be fine.
Anyone got any top tips for fun toddler apps?


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## lozza1uk

Think about the plane journey in 10 minute time slots, that's about the maximum time anything seems to occupy them for! A new toy/book is more exciting than an old one (so you may get an extra 5 mins!), playing peepo with the person in the seat behind you, putting the window up and down (unless its annoying the lovely person behind you!) and food, especially raisins which take a bit longer to eat!

We're going when lo will be 15 months, will be the first flight I've done since stopping bf so thanks for the reminder about ears - ill have to take a bottle.

Re the car seat, we've not booked car hire yet but I was checking it out before we decided whether to drive or fly/hire car to France and s toddler seat is around £30 extra for the week.

Have a lovely hols!!


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## RachA

MrsM17 said:


> Hello
> 
> Just booked to spain so 2.5hrs flight. Please tell me I just didn't make a huge mistake??
> 
> My son is a very spirited child shall we say. I am terrified for the flight but have started a list of entertainment
> 
> New toys, wrapped up
> Laptop with the pink pig on loop!
> Colouring books
> FOOD!!
> Books
> 
> 
> Any others? He is a still sit for 30 seconds kind of guy then screams to be let down - oh the joys!
> 
> Questions:
> What do you actually do on holiday with an 18 month old? We are used to selfish holidays with 2 of us and know thats out the window!
> 
> It depends on what you like to do. We generally hit the beach-my two love that and have done since they first went away. We also go into the nearest big town for the day or half day (eg last year we went to Spain and Malaga was an hour bus ride away so we went there for the day). It's amazing how quickly the day goes when you linger of meals and go for walks.
> 
> Routine? Try to have one or go with the flow? I may need vodka if the routine goes to pot but know I'll need to be more relaxed.
> We do a bit of both. If I have a child who has a nap at home then we will try to accomadate it but we won't not go out just because they normally nap. When you go somewhere hot it's advisable to keep out if the sun between 12&4 so for us that falls just right for mine having their nap. Bedtime we don't usually stick to-we prefer to eat later so that in itself means bedtime is later, then we like to go for a walk to walk dinner off.
> 
> Do these toddlers sleep in the pushchair in the evening or while you have a drink?
> 
> Mine don't now-at 18 months they probably would of done so we'd be able to have a drink.
> 
> Car seat? Will be hiring a car but do we hire a carseat with it?
> 
> Don't know about this as we've never hired a car with children.
> I do know that if you go to Spain then the hotels have a big book of things you can hire-pretty much anything for children.
> 
> Lastly will I regret this decision? We've all on to get him to a park at home without military precision! x

I don't think you will. I actually find it much more relaxing going abroad for a week than staying at home. It's nice just to go with the flow.


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## suzib76

take your own seat if you possibly can. we flew into malaga back in 2008 and had arranged a hire car to be collected at the airport, we also booked to hire 2 booster seats (jack and leah were 5½ & 7½ at the time) but when we went to collect the car we were told just to help ourselves to a seat from the nearby trailer - it was like half a portacabin and literally had loads of different seats just thrown in - i wouldnt trust the safety of any of them they were just piled up as if they had been chucked in. I know its more hassle to take a seat but 100 times safer.

Also in the evenings we just had dinner and went for a walk, dh had a pint but i never had a drink i was totally on guard the whole time


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## Buttercup84

We took DD (17 months) to Berlin recently (1 hour 45 minutes flight time) and it was fine. Honestly I think they're happy anywhere at this age as long as they're with familiar people and have some freedom to potter about :flower: Our flights were both evening ones and DD slept on and off but was a bit unsettled aswell as she's never been sleep in your arms type of child. In hindsight I was glad we did a short flight for her first one but all children are different, just sharing our experience :flower:
DD ended up napping and going to bed later than she did at home and was fine with that, we did pretty much everything we wanted to but just made sure she had time out of the pushchair to walk around and she seemed to enjoy being in a new place and doing stuff she doesn't normally do at home like ride the train!
I would say staying in apartment type accomodation is very handy with little ones as you then don't have to go out for breakfast every day, can cook some meals if you need/want to and you a the fridge to store milk in :thumbup:
If I was hiring a car i'd bring my own carseat. We only got one taxi from the airport to our apartment and in Berlin the taxi drivers at the airport have a variety of carseats between them (not overly used like hire ones can be) so we didn't need to bring one.


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## babyjan

baby09 said:


> Stalking! Going to Egypt in 2 weeks with a 3.5 ur old and a 21 month old! Eeekkk x

Aww have fun, I've been to Egypt 5 times but this was with my family so I didn't have a kid then x


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