My sweet family and I recently went on our first family vacation. We were blessed to be able to visit Marquette, Michigan. If you’ve never been to Marquette…BOOK YOUR TRIP NOW. The town is filled with beauty and adventure at every corner. Last year, we vacationed there when I was 20 weeks pregnant. Every mountain we hiked, beach we laid on, and restaurant we ate at, we talked about taking our baby to this magical place one day. It was an absolute dream to live out those conversations.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous for this first big adventure with our six month old. Would he sleep okay in the hotel room? Would he nap during the day? Would he like the longer hikes? These questions and many more ran through my mind as I was packing for the trip.
Our first vacation as a family of three had some learning curves. We are better prepared for next time. Most importantly – we had fun, made memories, and spent quality time together!
I am IN LOVE with the beach. I always have been. The water, the sand…the beach brings me a sense of peace. That is why our attempt at a beach day is rather comical in hindsight.
Picture this…beach tent, stroller, portable fan, diaper bag, towels, cooler, snacks, toys, play mat…all being lugged down to the beach. Marquette had an unusually hot week while we were there. So why not make our beach day the day that it was 90 degrees with no breeze?! Great idea, right?! Oh, I love those moments when life quickly reminds us that we are first time parents. We unloaded all of our things and set up the portable tent. We had big dreams of a relaxing day at the beach. As soon as I sat under the tent to give our boy a bottle, I knew this trip to the beach wasn’t going to be what we had envisioned. Lake Superior is beautiful, but the water is frigid this time of year. Far too cold for a baby to swim in. Between the intense heat on the beach and freezing water, there wasn’t a comfortable place for us or baby. Within fifteen minutes of being at the beach I packed up all of our things and high-tailed it out of there. Our fellow beach-goers must have thought we were insane. Back at the hotel our babe was able to get a great nap and mama enjoyed the cool air-conditioning. We went, we tried, we didn’t conquer. And guess what? That’s okay! We learned some tricks for our next beach adventure. We won’t let this one time discourage us from trying again.
Not everything is going to be exactly how you envisioned it on vacation. Things will constantly change depending on the stage of life you’re in. Don’t let it discourage you. Keep trying, keep learning and keep exploring with your little ones!
Here are some tricks we learned throughout our vacation…
🌿 Make ground rules. Is there a certain time you want your baby to be to bed by? (Remember, it’s okay to be a bit flexible, you are on vacation!) Is there a certain number of naps you want your baby to take in the hotel each day? What is your limit for waiting to be seated at a restaurant? How do you want to handle deciding where to go next during the day? Laying some ground rules for your family will make your time much more enjoyable. Being parents means you are forever on a team, and being on a team is easier when everyone is on the same page!
🌿 Bring the play mat EVERYWHERE. Unapologetically lay that thing in every park, outdoor restaurant and sidewalk you stop at. Your little one still needs to have space to move around. While stroller naps and walks are great, a balance makes for a happier babe. Honestly, if we would’ve had room in the car, I thought about bringing the activity center! It’s the same size as a high chair, why not? Happy baby, happy parents!
🌿 Pack EVERYTHING. It’s better to be overpacked than underprepared. The pictures below are the start of our packing process. We also had two huge suitcases with half our closets in them (my husband just goes along with it at this point, he’s a patient man). Whether it’s two nights or five we need the same amount of things. Tiny humans require a lot of stuff! That’s the season of life you might be in. One day, we will be able to stroll into a hotel with our two nicely packed suitcases. Today is not that day. Bring anything and everything you could possibly need. It just might save your sanity in a moment of chaos!
🌿 Make reservations. Breakfast, lunch or dinner…always try to call ahead and make a reservation! This is a must with little ones. Six month olds don’t have the patience to wait for a table. You need all the patience that they have for the actual meal!
🌿 Do whatever it takes. We usually don’t give our little guy his pacifier unless it’s bed time. On vacation, all rules go out the window. In the car, at a restaurant, anywhere else, do whatever it takes to keep your little one happy. It’s okay. They will adjust back into their normal routine once you’re home. But in these moments, on vacation, you want to have memories of talking to the family at the table next to you, reconnecting with your spouse, listening to music or baby laughs in the car…not…struggling to keep your baby happy when you could just given them a pacifier (or another calming item) for five minutes to reset their emotions.
🌿 If it’s just NOT working. Abandon ship. Call it a day. Chalk it up as a loss and try again some other time. Stop what you’re doing and change plans. Example…our comical, yet pitiful, attempt at a beach day. That’s just how life goes sometimes.
One of my main love languages is quality time. (If you haven’t heard about the 5 love languages I highly recommended looking into it.) I thrive on vacation. Exploring with my family, learning through the chaos and making memories brings me an overwhelming amount of joy. Take a deep breath, soak in the little moments and ENJOY your vacations. My husband is the best advocate for this- kids can be flexible and are resilient. They will get back into routine. Make new norms for vacation and throw everything else out the window! They’re only little once. Embrace the season you’re in and EXPLORE! 🤍
I Love You a Bushel and a Peck 