On a list of life-changing events, having a baby comes pretty near the top. Nappies, feeding, more nappies, and more milk are balanced by those all-too-rare moments when Mum and Dad can have a breather and gaze lovingly at their sleeping angel. It's no wonder they often feel in need of a holiday, yet sometimes just the thought of a holiday can feel like more trouble than it's worth.
Fun for all the family
This is why a caravan holiday can be just the ticket - for all the family. Fresh air, your own routine and the security of the site all combine to make a really relaxing break. So, if you're already caravanners and are thinking of taking your baby with you, or if you already have a baby, but no caravan, we've got a few tips to help you on your way.
Readers Adrian and Celia Reynolds, from Yately in Hampshire, can't recommend caravanning with a young baby highly enough. "Caravanning gives you the perfect mix of flexibility, freedom, home comforts, space and cost effectiveness, and you don't pay extra to take your baby with you." says Adrian. "It's a holiday without hassle." The couple go caravanning with three children, including 18-month-old Isabel.
You see, it doesn't matter how young your baby is, if Mum and Dad are in need of a holiday then caravanning is a feasible, in fact
a sensible, option. With the right equipment, a few adaptations to your usual routine, and a relaxed attitude, caravanning can offer
a treat all round.
Practical Caravan Forum user Steve and his wife say that their midwife actually encouraged them to go away in their caravan. "We have a five-week-old baby who has spent most of his life in a special-care baby unit," says Steve. "The midwife thought the fresh air and a break would do us good as
a family, and she was right." The family went away for a week, soon after mother and baby got out of hospital, and had a great time.
Pleasant dreams
But to make life easier, what issues should you consider before setting off with a caravan and a baby in tow? The sleeping arrangements are very important. Some people don't change their caravan until their family grows to the point where
a new one is needed. Another Practical Caravan forum user, Mick, showed great initiative: "We made a spacious cot, using two quick-fit shower curtain rails," he says. "We got some old net curtain and sewed it around both poles, like a stretcher." Mick and his wife were then able to turn the adult bunk in their van into a child-friendly cot by using their device as a safety barrier.
Not everyone can be bothered with DIY though, and if that's the case, there are plenty of collapsible travel cots on the market these days. Until Isabel grew too big, Adrian and Celia Reynolds used
a Samsonite Pop-Up Travel Cot (priced at around £35). Mothercare does a similar pop-up cot for £25 and Graco's Compact Travel Cot (£40) also gets favourable reviews. All of these should fit easily into your caravan - just be careful not to place them anywhere where they could be subjected to drafts.
One reader recommends the 'Holidoze' which costs around £60. It's inflatable, which makes for easy packing, but at 109cm wide, it might be a bit too big for some caravans. It certainly won't strain your caravan's payload though. Bear in mind that larger cots such as this can also double up as a play pen - outside, or inside the awning.
Much depends on your tourer's layout, and the ideal choice is one with a separate rear dinette. Most caravans of this design have a screen you can pull across at night, creating the perfect environment for your baby to sleep in. Made up into a double bed, it also provides a huge flat area of cushions on which to place the cot.
But it's not always necessary to go out and buy a family van straight away. Gary and Smita Barnett have just the one baby, Jessica, and are very happy with their fixed-bed caravan. Smita says "We have a Sterling Eccles Jewel, which we love because the fixed bed means we can collapse into it at night without having to wrestle with cushions. So we didn't want to swap it. We bought a Bebe travel cot that fits between the front two seats." Their van also has a sliding panel that splits their fixed bed off from the rest of the caravan, so parents and baby can have their own personal areas.
A caravan with a side dinette can also work well if your baby is a sound sleeper, or if you can manage not to traipse up and down the van unnecessarily.
|
