Our friends are planning one in Northern minnesota (4-5 hrs from twin cities, where we live). My son will be the only little one , other kids are 10+ years age group. My son has travelled before this(long international flight to visit family) but he hasn't gone on long road trips. We did drive down to a place 1.5 hrs away this July 4th weekend to get him used to long journies. He did great , slept well in the car, played a lot at the picnic we had. He was dead tired by the end of it. He came down with fever that night. It turned out to be viral , not sure how he got it. But I am now worried about him falling sick when we are so far away from the city.
Also I am still nursing my son, so not sure if I will get any privacy in the cabin? Do you think it's a good idea for us to go? If it were a day picnic , we would definitely go. But not sure about cabin trip. I have camped before but not stayed in cabins. Where will he sleep? My husband and I were planning on a trip to N Minnesota (just the 3 of us). Now since our friends (about 6 adults and 6 kids excluding us) are going as well , maybe we can join them. Can you share your experiences in cabins especially if you went with small kids. Thanks!
I'd say the biggest concern would be babyproofing. Chances are it will be a minefield of dangerous things. Cabin to M. equates to lots of logs sitting around, fireplaces, outdoor equipment sitting around, etc. Be ready to do a lot of chasing around!
take a 1st-aid kit of sorts with plenty of motrin and anything else you might need. A pack n play for him to sleep in. I'm sure people will respect your privacy. Just excuse yourself to the next room. No need to make a big to-do of it.
packNplay for naps/bedtime.
take your own supply of childproofing equipmt...especially outlet protectors.
if you're sharing the cabin with the other family, be prepared for nonstop noise. Your child's naps/bedtime will be disrupted.
be prepared to be patient & tolerant. When you're dealing with that many people, you have to throw all rules out the door!
My sis & I traveled like this all thru our childhood. We've kept up the tradition with our own children. It's fun....& we love road trips!
I agree with Tracy K. And for the record, we were away on a family camping tip with my whole family and theirs last summer. My nephew's ear started draining. We were 4 hours away from home. My sister asked at the ranger station and there was a pediatrician in town who took out of town guests. The pediatrician was great and took great care of my nephew.
Also, some so called "cabins" are more like houses. If you were invited along with the others, I'm sure there is more than enough room.
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we take our kids anywhere and everywhere! I think it would be great for your family to get away, even at 14 months old. You just have to gear your expectations around it being toddler crazy. :)
We rented a lovely cabin in Arkansas when my son was nearly 3 years old. It would have been PERFECT if he hadn't been there, lol. We were a bit nervous because it wasn't "child proofed" or exactly child safe in a lot of ways. (It's furnished and beautiful, but a lot of glass and antique stuff). The original plan was for him to sleep in the little bed upstairs with all the toys, kind of a grandma's attic feel to it. BUT it was more like a loft, where he could literally walk under the first rail and fall off, so that was totally out of the question (yipes!). It scared the heck out of both of us to even look at that rail (he's small for his age, and that was more for "big kids"), so we ended up taking the back cushions off the couch and putting them on the floor in case he rolled off the couch, and made him a little bed on the couch. We should have brought his pack 'n play. We had a lot of fun outside the cabin---hiking, fishing, boating, picking flowers, we saw a snake which was neat, we grilled and ate outside, etc. But inside......we weren't able to completely relax. But that cabin was more for couples I think, not for couples with a toddler. It was completely furnished and almost like a bed and breakfast (except it was our own 1 room cabin with an upstairs loft, and a bath...and we didn't see anyone at all for 2 days). It also had a screened in porch with a sofa, and he DID have fun playing in there (once I did a quick once over to make sure all was safe). All in all, a good trip. We'd do it again, but would have prepared a little better.
Definintely go & have fun!
Simply research ahead of time the closet medical facility and pack a medicine bag with Tylenol/Motrin/Benadryl (liquid & topical for skeeter bites), just in case. You'd do this anyway if it were just you and the hubby--accidents can happen, right?
We've been taking our daughter to the Missouri Ozarks every summer since she was 7 months old with no issues--30 mins to the nearest medical facility. Last year she had an awful fever and we took her to county health and got her treated for a double ear infection... went to the town pharmacy for her antibiotic and then we were back to having fun!
Where will he sleep? Air mattress on the floor -- check out One Step Ahead for a toddler version that even has "rails." It's really no different than staying in a hotel. I just usually pack a couple more Clorox wipes and a floor blanket for play time.
Seriously, don't think twice. Go!!
I have a 14 month old and we went on a road trip with my 5 kids and hubby. We stayed in our trailer for 3 weeks. For our family, it's easier to do things like this if it's just us. If we're with other families, it's more difficult since my 14 year old will get tired and it's so different when we're not home. It's harder to deal with him adjusting to everything new when there are others around etc.
Yes GO!! the one thing some mentioned was NON stop noise!! The way we helped naptime/night time with my nieces was a fan (white noise) or a sound machine. I use one with my daycare kids all the time!! :) Makes for a good distraction at times for outdoor noise as well as indoor noise when it's adult time! Even adults aren't quiet. LOL
no problem.
we had a pack and play and then when bigger brought a blow up mattress on the floor. you can always go inside/outside to nurse.
we did this around the same age, a few months older. We brought a back pack to carry him when hiking, worked great.
but the cabin had a few outlets that were scarey, so know where you are staying : ) and bring a night light : )
have fun!
oh! and if there's a kitchen go right in and make sure there aren't knives reachable.
Depends on the cabin and your accomodations. I will assume you get your won small room..double bed probably. Bring a pack and play to sqeeze in against a wall for him to sleep in and "play" or be in while you shower (a safe zone for the 15 minutes you need to be hands free, etc..while you shower and hubby dresses, etc). Bring his own blankets, a sheet for the pack and play, etc.
We have always gone to my in-laws cabin...a house really but not quite a house I would agree to live in full time..but works for a cabin on the lake. When my daughter was little she was terrified of the tub..and theirs was not the greatest...the other bathroom was just a shower...so we either bathed her in the kitchen sink, or in one of our storage Rubbermaid containers that we brought our junk up there in (we ahve a pick up truck and using these containers, with bungee cords to make sure the lids stay on is the easiest way for us to haul our foods, her blankets, her toys, towels, etc. They were then waterproof and could be out and exposed in the box of our pick up). Often I just emptied one, filled it with pitchers of warm water from the sink and bathed her wherever it was ok to (on the screen porch....outside if it was mid-day and no skeeters...or just put that container inside the sorta icky like tub so no water got all over the floor or carpet elsewhere...worked for us!
I think if you have your own small bedroom, the rest should be easy-peasy and fun!
My kids have been camping in that area and north since they were born.
My first was on the boat fishing with Grandpa at 15 months.
Either take his portacrib or let him sleep with you.
If you need privacy feed him inside while the others are outside, or usually there are sleeping quarters cordoned off by either a wall or curtain.
Kids will get dirty in the woods, it's OK. Take plenty of baby wipes.
Is there electricity? If not give him a bath in the cooler or Rubbermaid.
Bring baby Tylenol, and baby Benadryl.
My one daughter used to get fevers when her schedule was changed, she adjusted.
Relax, let the other mamas help you with him and have a great time.
Not sure where you are going and what type of cabin. I used to live in Mpls and go to the Boundary Waters. We stayed in cabins, but they were typically remote and there wasn't a lot to do. We spent our days canoeing and hiking. I would think that a 14-month old would get pretty bored at places like that. There are some family-friendly places around Ely and on the Gunflint Trail that would have more things to keep little ones busy. That might be a better option for you since your son is still so little.
