We’re off on our family hols soon. As a family with 2 children under 4, we’re lucky enough to get away with off-peak deals and we can afford to chase the summer sun before it turns a cursory glance to us here in dismal England. Dexter is fairly well-travelled now, but poor Heidi is untested. Thankfully we learnt a ton of lessons first time around and have lists aplenty to ensure we aren’t sat on the plane arguing the toss about who forgot the Milton steriliser tablets.
So I’ve decided to run through some of the most commonly overlooked products that will help make your much-needed holiday a success. Better yet, most of this bevy of must-haves are available from Online4Baby.com - meaning you can sit back and order them direct to your door in a few simple clicks! Don’t all thank me at once; I don’t think my swollen head could take it.
A decent travel cot
From left to right: Hauck Baby Centre Travel Cot (moonlight & kiwi) RRP £109.95 = £84.95 / Red Kite Sleeptight Travel Cot (pink ) RRP £49.95 = £31.95 / Hauck Dream n Play Travel Cot (water blue) RRP £69.95 = £29.95 / Hauck Disney Dream n Care Center Bassinette Travel Cot (Pooh Spring In The Woods) RRP £119.95 = £95.95 / Hauck Disney Dream n Play Go Travel Cot (Pooh Tidy Time) £99.95 / Graco Petite Bassinet Travel Cot - Benny & Bell RRP £69.95 =£59.95
Okay, many hotels and villas will kindly provide one, yet will often charge you for the privilege. Thinking you’re sorted you spend the entire journey in peaceful ignorance until you discover you’ve paid 30EUR a week for a battered old crib that has probably cradled as many babies (and leaky nappies) as a retired midwife. It’s woefully unsuitable for your little climber and you can’t bring yourself to peel back the mattress lest a hoard of foreign insects crawl out to say hello.
The truth is there’s little excuse for not bringing a decent travel cot for your baby. Most airlines will let you take baby/toddler paraphernalia along for free as “over-sized baggage” (just as well given they’ll cheekily charge you full fare for 2+years) and a brand new travel cot from Online4Baby needn’t break the bank either.
A travel system with car seat
Left to right: Cosatto Hold Giggle Group 0+ Car Seat - Red Bubble RRP £125 = £64.95 / Cosatto Hold Ooba Group 0+ Car Seat - Kimono RRP £145 = £129.95 / Hauck Zero Plus 0+ Car Seat - Red RRP £99.95 = £69.95 / Chicco Auto-Fix Fast Group 0+ Car Seat With Base - Red Wave £119.95 / Cosatto Hold Giggle Group 0+ Car Seat - Oh La La RRP £125 = £112.45
We’ve often made the mistake of plumping for a compact buggy to save precious car boot space. Although there’s much to be said for simple umbrella fold strollers (they’re lightweight, often roomy, and are undeniably space-saving) BUT if you’re flying, most airlines won’t charge you extra for taking a larger travel system abroad - and this really will kill two birds with one stone. You can simply check in the chassis, and take the car seat with you to the plane.
It’s true that taxi services are often more lackadaisical about car seats when you are abroad. Many countries simply do not have the safety laws that we have, or just choose to flagrantly disregard them. Even if they do have a dusty old seat shared between the entire cab firm, there’s no guarantee it’ll be of the standard we’re familiar with over here. You should never be okay with travelling in a vehicle with your baby on your lap, so make sure you take one with you. Again, Online4Baby have a fab car seat and booster range so head here for a bargain.
Leave bulky sterilisers at home
So far, I’ve given you a few bulky items that will mean you’re mentally leaving more and more of your coveted shoe collection behind. Well here’s a simple one to cut down on space. Ditch the steriliser in favour of either steriliser tablets or a microwavable one. In the latter, bottles can be sterilised in just two minutes so you can do one at a time rather than a big batch in your usual worktop workhorse. I’d highly recommend Milton for all their travel options.
Baby inflatables
Don’t buy a cheap looking lilo and rubber ring from a tourist shop. These will often not conform to safety standards and will be considerably marked up to take advantage of the tourist trade. Instead, invest in a baby training seat like this one from Zoggs with dual air chambers to safely hold baby above the water.
I also love these swimwear / float combos like those from Konfidence (above) to give parents added peace of mind. In these bad boys, even if your child slips into the pool, they’ll stay afloat. On this subject, a pair of non-slip neoprene shoes for poolside fun are also highly recommended.
My top recommendation for baby sunscreen
Getting sunscreen on your child is a right headache. Squirting sticky and smelly factor 50 on a sweaty toddler who would literally be anywhere else than pinned to the floor getting a hot massage from mum & dad, will drive you mad on the very first application.
Well I promised things that would revolutionise your holiday and SunSense roll on toddler milk is DEFINITELY that. It smells clean, doesn’t leave any white marks or greasy residue, kids love having it applied and it’s just the best I’ve ever tried.
