All Inclusive Vacation with Toddlers

Traveling to Mexico or Caribbean all inclusive resorts? Concerned about food and water? Do not worry, things will be fine. Here are some tips.

Bring a travel kettle to boil tap water to wash your kids sippy cups, plastic cutlery etc. Put a small amount of dish soap in a Tupperware dish and use that for soap.

Even if your hotel room tap water says it is drinkable do not drink it. Sometimes just a change in water even safe water can send toddlers stomachs/bowels for a turn. Therefore brush and rinse your teeth and tooth brushes with bottled water too. Just keep getting extra bottles in your mini fridge. Bring lots of their favorite dry snacks from home for munching in the hotel room and by the pool or beach. Eat fruit that has to be peeled. For example bananas, pineapple, mangoes, oranges etc. It can be nerve racking experience if your toddler is a fussy eater. Do not worry; they will manage fine on fruit, crackers, toast, pancakes, yogurt, ice cream, French fries, muffins, hot dogs and pizza; not ideal but it is only for seven days. Bring along a large pack of juice drink boxes, the single serving applesauce and mini Oreos and mini cereal bars. Milk tastes a bit different in Mexico, so your child may not like it. All inclusive resorts always have fresh juices and if you bring your drink boxes you will have those too. Bring along lots of extra baby face cloths as you go through them very fast. You only get a couple of face cloths in your room. If you are worried about high chairs or other eating surfaces bring along a pack of bacterial wipes. Bring the rubber bath mat from your tub to stop slipping in the shower or tub at the hotel. Bring a large mesh laundry bag as you will have a fair amount of damp laundry and it can get smelly or moldy. if you have a balcony keep the bag outside. If you do not have walky talkies consider getting a set. It will make your life much easier when you need to locate each other if one of you is in the room and the other at the pool etc. Bring many more diapers then you think. You would need them as changes in food bring changes in bowel movements and frequency of them. For fun bring small bucket and shovel for sand and collecting sea shells, inflatable water toy and some books and items for in the room, a portable DVD player and childs favorite DVDs for the flight and for in the room.

A small medical kit is very helpful should children become ill when traveling. The kit should contain medications for illnesses that children experience at home and for potential travel-related illnesses, and it should contain the telephone numbers of all the childrens health-care providers. Choosing a destination where there is no ready way of communicating with competent medical professionals adds an element of risk to the trip.

A typical medical kit should include the following.

Medications that the child has used in the past year Antiseptic wipes, thermometer, gauze bandages Insect repellents and sunscreens Packets of oral rehydrating solutions Antibacterial soap An antibiotic for general use or for diarrhea. Azithromycin, cefixime An antihistamine. Benadryl Antibiotic and antifungal ointment Acetaminophen Ibuprofen Hydrocortisone ointment Syrup of ipecac Malaria prophylaxis and standby treatment, as required by itinerary

You will have a great time, but be warned vacationing with a toddler is definitely not a relaxing adult vacation.