Holidays are a time to kick back, relax and put your feet up, to slip on the swimsuit, crack open a beer and chill out with your favourite book. Right?
Maybe, if you were single, or even married with no family. But going on holiday with a baby requires meticulous planning and plenty of muscle power to carry all the extra stuff - hardly the makings of a relaxing experience.
We've been on a few holidays with our baby Tom, and while I may not have fully grasped the recipe for success, I am starting to know how to minimise the likelihood of failure. We did two long-haul flights with him last year. If you're lucky, you get a bassinet and your baby will sleep on the flight. If you're not, you're in for quite a time with a little one wriggling on your lap.
So, this year we're picking destinations closer to home.
The advantage of nearby places is twofold: a short flight and minimal jet lag. I have met mums who claim their babies don't suffer from jet lag. How they manage to have these miracle babies is beyond me.
Another mother I know told me to allow a day for each hour of adjustment, and she was spot on. When we went to Britain (a seven-hour difference) last summer, it took my little boy a full week to adjust.
When you have limited holiday time, it seems a waste to spend a week dealing with jet lag. So, exploring closer locales has become our default starting point while Tom's little. Luckily, there are a host of great destinations nearby - the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan and the mainland.