How to Plan a Weekend Getaway With Your Toddler

To everyone reading this who celebrates - I hope your 4th of July weekend was fantastic. My family and I - my partner, stepdaughter, daughter, and myself - all took a trip to Homestead, FL to visit family and we are just getting back home. What a weekend it was! Anyone who has/had small children can agree that traveling with a toddler is both an art and an exercise in logistics. However, we have traveled to Homestead, FL with Bebe before, so we knew what to expect to some degree. Additionally, Bebe is much bigger now and doesn’t require as much stuff (things like her stroller/Pack 'n Play, etc.). Nonetheless, this required some degree of planning and I would like to share our typical routine when taking a road trip. 

First and foremost, we plan our weekend meticulously. Where are you guys going? Where will you stay? Where will your child(ren) sleep? Previously, Bebe has slept in her Pack 'n Play during weekend trips. However, she is now much bigger than she used to be and can’t comfortably fit into it anymore. Therefore, she slept in bed with my partner and I this past weekend. It wasn’t ideal for us - especially since we had to sleep on a full-size bed and are accustomed to a king-size bed at home - but we knew that that would be the easiest option for us. Bebe generally has a hard time going to sleep on her own at home, and we didn’t want to have to deal with that during our trip. Additionally, what will you guys be doing during your weekend trip? If structure and routine are important to you, you’re going to want to make sure that your planned activities don’t run too late. And you’re going to want to make sure that you’re able to take breaks in the middle of the day for your child to nap. If your child doesn’t require a stringent routine to be able to fall asleep (and they’re able to sleep in their stroller, for example), then perhaps you won’t have to plan so carefully. All of the planning is going to depend on your specific family’s needs.

2. Make sure you have all supplies/tools/gadgets/etc. you’re going to need for your toddler(s) ahead of your trip. For example, my toddler needed swimmy diapers, regular diapers, overnight diapers, extra summer clothes, floaties, sunblock, multiple pairs of shoes, her tablet, extra binkies, her hairbrush and accessories, toothbrush and toothpaste, and coloring books/markers/crayons to be ready for our trip. Because I made sure we had all these things, our trip went relatively smoothly. Had I left all of the preparation up to my partner, we probably would have had to make multiple trips to the store to buy what we needed.

3. Make sure your toddler has some form of entertainment during the car ride. This doesn’t necessarily have to include any screens (although we certainly use them). Some coloring supplies, dolls, sturdy books, and/or stuffies would work just fine. If your child is big enough to understand, some car ride games are always fun (such as I Spy, for example). But if you and your partner are screen monsters like we are, just put Frozen on, and you’ll be good to go.

4. Bring snacks! Some common snacks we keep around are Cheerios, Goldfish, Cheez-Its, and/or some kind of fruit that is easy to eat on the go (such as bananas). Don’t forget drinks, too - water, juice, milk, etc.

5. Check your expectations. This is one that I am actively working on myself. I tend to believe that everything can go perfectly if I just plan well enough, but that is never the case. When you have a family with small children, there is no possible way to plan every single minute. Of course, I try to, but I always end up making myself feel anxious and inadequate in the end. So don’t count on your toddler(s) falling asleep exactly when you want them to, don’t count on keeping the car tidy (it’s just not going to happen), and don’t count on everything being as structured as it is when you’re home. Remind yourself as often as you need to that you’re going on this trip to have fun, and you can’t have fun if your expectations are constantly falling through. 

6. Give your spouse/partner some grace. This is also one that I am working on. When I plan anything for my family, I tend to develop a vision for how I want things to go. When things don’t go as planned, that can be frustrating. But since I don’t ever want to lash out at my 19-month-old toddler, I sometimes end up lashing out at my partner instead. That is a recipe for disaster in the long run - alienating your partner is one of the worst things you can do. A good alternative solution would be to ask your partner to stay with the kid(s) while you step away for a few moments to breathe. While you’re away, take deep breaths, re-visit #5 (checking expectations), and return to your family in a better headspace. If you’ve done this before (like we all have), don’t worry. Just practice stepping away when you need to. That is always better than doing and saying things we will end up regretting in the future.

7. If you work, request an extra day off to recuperate after you return home. There is no worse feeling than going home late at night from a trip, just to have work early in the morning. And realistically, you will never regret taking an extra day off from work even if you’re not coming home from a weekend trip. The extra day off can also help you and your family slide back into your normal routine without the added stressors.

8. Don’t plan on being busy the whole weekend you’re away. During your trip, it would be wise to reserve a day or part of a day to just chill at your family’s house or hotel or wherever you’re staying. I can’t think of a better way to burn yourself out fast than to pack your weekend with non-stop activities. In fact, I would plan on just one or two structured activities (such as going to a museum or the beach) during your trip and play the rest of the weekend by ear. “Playing by ear” could include going to the hotel pool, coloring in your room, taking a leisurely walk with the family, or just plain watching TV for a little while.

XOXO, Alexis.