15 Oct Vacationing, Toddler-Style

Last week, my family and I embarked on our first big adventure: a trip to Mexico!!! I was beyond thrilled by the idea of the beach, the sun and the endless margaritas but I knew travelling with my high-energy toddler was going to be…..how shall I put this…. a unique experience.

Gone were the romantic, carefree vacations my husband and I were accustomed to taking, when my biggest worries included tan lines and whether to lounge by the beach or by the pool.  Now, it seemed vacationing involved planning, organizing, list-making and STRESS!!!!.

Although I did my research and specifically chose a family-friendly, kid-oriented resort full of amenities that catered to the needs of my son (AZUL Sensatori…..AMAZING!!!!), my mind still raced with thoughts of how exactly this was going to work:

What if the plane ride is a disaster?? How is my rigid, schedule-dependent son going to adapt??? Will my husband and I actually get to relax on this trip???

Here’s how things actually went down:

The Plane ride– Teleporting to Mexico was unfortunately not an option.  So we did everything in our power to make the flight as painless as possible.  We paid a little extra for 3 seats in the first row.

getting ready to take off!!

This gave my son some extra space to play on the floor and alleviated that feeling of complete confinement.  We took a trip to the dollar store and bought a whole bunch of new and exciting toys that we presented him with throughout the flight. And of course, thank the good lord for the iPAD. This acted as an amazing distraction.

Was flying a fun experience that I would want to relive on a regular basis? ABOSLUTELY NOT!! However, it was better than I expected and my son’s tolerance level and ability to keep it together surprised and astonished me.  I spent most of the flight waiting for him to completely loose his cool, but luckily, it never happened!!

zzzzzzzzz….

The schedule, or lack thereof– I quickly realized after our first day in paradise that “rigid schedule” and “vacation” do not belong in the same sentence. So we decided to live on the wild side:  My son napped wherever, whenever.  We gave him showers instead of a bath. We pushed his bedtime to the absolute limit.   He ate fruit loops for supper. I have to say, this lack of structure felt completely liberating!! And it proved to me that my son was more flexible and adaptable than I could have ever imagined!   Getting back into a routine upon our return to reality has been tough but letting loose for the week was totally worth it.

some alone time

Couple time-When my best friends heard that we were planning a family vacation to Mexico, they decided to come along, the more the merrier!!! Having them there was beyond helpful and was so much fun.  They gave my husband and I breaks when we needed it and we were even able to have a date night while they babysat!! Traveling with friends gave us that opportunity to get some of the relaxation that we desperately needed.

This first family vacation was full of fun, laughter, a few meltdowns and some amazing memories.  It was challenging and a bit scary for me to let go of the structure and routine that I usually cling to.  But I’m so happy I was able to just go with the flow and enjoy this experience to the fullest.  Can’t wait to start planning our next trip!!