Travelling without Children

Today I have a guest post from  Bab Troller who loves getting out of town from time-to-time, taking the kids with half of the time. As I have just booked my first holiday without the baby (not till November though!) she’s sharing her tips for taking a break without your children in tow!

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Hopefully most of you live near family or at least some friends that are willing to watch the little ones for extended periods of time. I know my parents absolutely love watching my little ones. Everyone once in a while, I can break away from kids and work long enough to go on a nice trip. I know many of you do not think that you have the same opportunity, when you really do. I figured I would help out by giving some quick advice to help you get out to have some fun for at least a weekend holiday.
Find a Sitter
Family works best and for most of us it is free. The baby’s grandparents are probably going to be the best solution, since they are experienced raising kids and should have an empty nest. Now don’t worry if they have different views on raising kids. They’ll do just fine; you turned out ok! About.com has a great list to help those that are having their grandparents babysit. Good friends are a must. You could always propose a trade off with a friend with a baby or kids. You’ll watch theirs for a weekend and they’ll watch your tyke for a weekend. This also makes it free. The less you spend on the sitter, the more you can enjoy yourself.
A good sitter can work too. As we all know, these are hard to find and can be expensive, but sometimes we just need to get away. Woman’s Day has a great list of tips to help you keep that awesome sitter, when you find it. Taking a break when stressed can help clear your mind, and allow you to return excited to the life with the baby and the job. Now I’m not saying that you should just drop the baby/kid off with anyone; don’t get me wrong. If you really try hard enough, you can probably find a person that you trust enough to watch the wee-one for a couple of days.
Plan Ahead
The goal of the weekend holiday is to give you time to get back to being just you and have fun. Most of us wont travel too far with a baby at home, but for those that do make sure you have all the proper paperwork ready in advance. Double check to make sure that you have everything you need. Go through your luggage twice to make sure you don’t miss anything; I can’t think of anything worse than forgetting my toothbrush. Check your documents, Aviva recommends checking the day prior and again before you depart. For additional tips and recommendations visit their You Tube page for helpful videos.
Make sure everything is set for the sitter too. Do they have everything they need to take care of your child? Diapers, wipes, food, drinks, medication, etc. Care.com recommends making a list of allergies, preferred activities, contact numbers, and possible issues to help everything go smooth. The last thing you need is an issue to arise with the child, but make sure you do not micro-manage the sitter. Check in regularly, but not every 30 minutes or hour even.
Remember you’re on the trip to have fun, relax, and recuperate so do just that!

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