Travels with a child – three years on
I would like to report a theft. Someone has apparently stolen time from me. There is frankly no other reasonable explanation as to how my little girl is suddenly three.
Yes, the 3rd birthday has come and gone, and Minnie is now very much a little girl. I shall have to break the habit of calling her a toddler on here…
So how far have we come since last year? For starters, she looks SO little in those photos – now she’s chatting even more (I hadn’t realised that was possible), is strengthening her iron will, is hilariously funny, and has a lot more to say about our travels. Especially the quantities of ice cream that should be included.
The big change, I think, is that she’s travelling with me now, we’re a little team exploring the world rather than me taking her along. For good and for bad, travel with a child is already different from travelling with a baby or a toddler.
Plane journeys are easier for starters. I might have to pay for her seat, but she sits in it watching a film or some TV with her penguin headphones on, does some stickers, or plays with our new travel activity cards. Some of the puzzles and colouring might still be beyond her, but I’m betting that changes this year.
On the other hand, you never know when the ‘NOs’ will start. At one point in Amsterdam, she flatly refused to put her sandals on, insisting she didn’t want to go to the zoo. Some very exasperated wrangling later, we were finally on our way – although after having a fantastic time, she even said sorry to me.
The nap is all but gone so those months of fighting with her to sleep while we’re travelling (I rarely succeeded) are over. Instead I’ve got the mini battle to get her to have a bit of quiet time and avoid meltdown exhaustion by bedtime, but we’ve already got a lot more flexibility to explore.
The food neophobia is still unwelcome baggage (that’s a phase too, right?). Actually, she’s not *that* bad but it’s hard to say whether travel will persuade her to try something new or whether she’ll flatly refuse a taste of even her favourites while we’re away.
More excitingly, she’s building up a store of memories. I know they won’t last, and she has patchy recollections of some of last year’s trips (St Lucia is memorable for Buster the nursery dog accompanying us) but it’s fun to talk over what we did, what she loved and see her excited anticipation when we go away again.
So what have we done this year? Quite a lot! Our tally of overseas trips has hit now 11.
We’ve explored more of the UK too – a string of museums, including Eureka Museum of Childhood in Halifax, Henley River and Rowing museum, the Science Museum and Natural History museum in London, plus Oxford’s natural history museum.
There have been several short breaks away across England too – in Suffolk at Potter’s Resort plus bunnies at Easton Farm Park, before fairies and monkeys in Trentham, and a great break on the Isle of Wight.
Then there was Peppa Pig World and a stay in the New Forest, plus a trip to Cornwall and another to Devon.
We added to our tally of National Trust properties, including a teddy bear picnic at Packwood House, Ham House and Mottisfont, ticking off some of our 50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4, along with a visit Warwick Castle
We tried our first family-friendly festival at Bounce too.
And we headed outdoors to Harcourt Arboretum, the London Wetland Centre, followed the Superworm Trail in Wendover Woods, visited Hampton Court Flower show and enjoyed quite a few days out at Kew Gardens.
We climbed back on board a cruise ship, exploring Oasis of the Seas – even if it was docked in Southampton.
That’s all before our overseas trips as well – back to lovely Lanzarote, a sunshiney week exploring Gran Canaria and our most recent break in Amsterdam (with a lot more posts still to come there).
So what next? In a year, she’ll be starting school – and I suspect those 12 months will go terrifyingly fast as well. Which means trying to make the most of our final preschool year before I look back again next year.
There’s been nothing beyond Europe for the last 12 months – but I think turning three deserves a big trip away?
Images copyright MummyTravels
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Congrats on your baby girl becoming three! (aren’t they always baby girls to their mammies’ eyes? 🙂 )
Seems like you’ve had lots of fun this year. Hope it continues that way! I also started my travel adventures with my newborn girl and I was so happy that everything went so smoothly. It won’t always be that way but I hope I can do at least half the traveling you do :p So inspiring!
Thank you! And absolutely, she will always be my baby no matter how big she gets. I’m so glad you find the blog inspiring, that’s exactly what I’d hope when I started and it’s always so lovely to hear. Good luck with more smooth sailing on your travels, the first adventure is always the biggest leap, and don’t believe the people who tell you travelling with kids has to be difficult!
Such a lovely round up Cathy. It’s amazing how quickly time flies and how well-travelled Minnie is already! Happy birthday Minnie!
Thank you! I know everyone warns you, but I half expect to bling and discover she’s a teenager. She is doing pretty well so far though – let’s hope there’ll be even more excitement by next year.
You just wait…next thing you know she’ll be getting married 😉
What a great year you’ve had so far – I’m exhausted just reading all the things you’ve done already, hehe.
I’m also a bit jealous you got a peek at Oasis of the Seas when she was in Southampton as I’d love to check out one of those ‘super ships’.
Happy birthday Minnie 🙂
You joke but nothing would surprise me! And it does seem to add up when I list them all! Definitely check out Oasis (or Allure) if you get the chance, they really are impressive. And thank you!
What amazing experiences. Very inspiring. My husband and I have always loved our travels so I think it’s so important we continue to do it as a family. We’re just about to book our first flights for us as a family of 4. Yes, our first oversees trip with a toddler and a baby. Brave or mad? Hmmmm.
Thank you! That’s lovely to hear – and I completely agree, why abandon something you love, something that’s important to you just because you have kids? Surely that’s exactly the kind of thing you want to share with them. Good luck on the first trip, I admit I do think babies are easier on planes (although I’ve never done that with a toddler too)…
That definitely calls for a long trip, before you’re subjected to the tyranny of term time holiday rules!
I think so! Now… where to go.
What a well travelled little girl! She’s so lucky.
I know I shouldn’t wish away the baby stage but I can’t wait to be a ‘little team travelling together’ rather than me just talking George everywhere. I can’t wait for him to make decisions about places we go!
Isn’t she just – I can’t quite believe how much we’ve done in her three years (think I’ve fairly conclusively proved my case you can travel with a child!).
I’m really enjoying reading your adventures with George, there’s definitely advantages to being able to bundle them up and head off, as she’s now got a pretty strong will and definite idea of what she wants to do – not always the same as me! But it is very lovely having a mini travel sidekick 🙂
shocking how quick the time goes, mine is somehow nearly 7!
I can’t help feeling I’ll blink and she’ll be 13….!
You really do have to make the most of it before they start school, when the expense and holiday restrictions will kick in! We took our two to New Zealand for an extended trip just before my eldest started school and it was the best thing we could have done. She still remembers some of it (8 years on) although my youngest was just under 2 so has no recollection. #Mondayescapes
That sounds like a wonderful trip, and amazing that it’s made that kind of lasting memories. I think I will have to start making a wishlist… At least her nursery fees drop soon, so I’ll have a few more pennies to spend on travel!
Wow you’ve been exploring this year. Sorry to say but my young man is now 7 and we STILL have issues with food.
We do seem to have done more than I thought, when you write it all down. And eek… I think it’s time for a sticker reward chart and some encouragement that ‘big’ girls try different foods!
It’s so difficult watching them grow up when all you want is they to stay as little as you want. Although extra challenges to come the times are much better as you can have so many more adventures sndvtheyvsldk tend to respond to you better which makes more fun
Have s fabulous holidays
I know, it’s that balance of having so much fun as they get older and more capable, and suddenly realising how fast time is whooshing by.
Wow you have crammed so much lovely stuff in a year! My little boy is three and I’m amazed at where the last year has gone too, I can’t get my head round that we have to apply for his school place in September! Thanks for sharing some lovely memories with the #bestandworst 🙂
Thanks – I know, I keep stopping myself to marvel at how big she suddenly seems (and then, suddenly remember how little she still is)