Take a 7-month old to Belize, or leave her home?

Old Apr 19th, 2011, 09:39 PM
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Take a 7-month old to Belize, or leave her home?

My 30-something son and his wife are invited on a trip to Belize next week, for 7 nights, with a small group of friends leaving from San Francisco. They have a 7-month old, and can't decide if this trip is a good idea or not. (Don't know where in Belize.) Might anyone have any thoughts I could pass along to help them make this decision? I have already volunteered to babysit for the week ...
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Old Apr 20th, 2011, 02:17 AM
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It's hard to say without knowing where they'll stay and what their plans are. It's apt to be HOT and humid and the main dangers would be dehydration, sunburn, and bugs (mosquitoes and/or sand flies). If they're heading (as the majority of visitors do) to Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker then they'd be by the water and could stay cooler at least. If they're planning inland adventures then it doesn't seem like the baby would have much fun. More info?
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Old Apr 20th, 2011, 06:13 AM
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I think more important than weather conditions is how the others in the group would be affected by the presence of a toddler. Things like would the child be restrictive, annoying, and so on. Has to do also with the character of the parents, closeness of the friends, other children joining, etc.
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Old Apr 20th, 2011, 09:37 AM
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If the other friends aren't bringing children, I think the baby might be better off with Grandma. Depends on where they're going, but Belize has great ruins for hiking, jungles, heat, bugs, etc. It's not all conducive to having an infant with you.
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Old Apr 20th, 2011, 10:46 AM
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Not sure where in Belize they are headed, but you definitely can't take a baby in the ATM cave (San Ignacio) and they wouldn't want to miss that! Belize is an active destination with lots of hiking, snorkeling, exploring ruins, etc. I just can't see doing that with a baby...and who wants to go to Belize and sit at the lodge?
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Old Apr 20th, 2011, 11:00 AM
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I would absolutely leave the baby with her loving grandma. This is not specific to Belize but I wouldn't take such a young baby on a plane, in to a strange and less developed country. Just too much hassles, stress, and things that could go wrong. And certainly a baby that young isn't going to "enjoy" the experience.
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Old Apr 20th, 2011, 02:29 PM
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I happen to live in San Ignacio, Belize, and I see a lot of tourists coming through here. I can honestly say I've never seen any of them with a baby. Most people go cave tubing, canoeing, tour the ruins or hike. Usually it's hot and humid and you have a lot of gear. I don't think it's impossible, but I think you'd have to have a lot of patience and tailor your schedule to be "baby friendly."

Having said that, I know several parents who have always taken their children, since they were infants, everywhere they went, and the children grow up to be remarkably flexible, patient, adventurous and friendly. Anything's possible - I agree - it depends on the parent's ability to handle and plan for this task as well as whether other's in the group are ok with it.
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Old Apr 20th, 2011, 06:29 PM
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Thanks for all the insights. There are twelve 30-somethings in the group, all friends from college who get together every year or two. Just one baby (no other children) among them. The organizer person always makes these group trips a mystery until they are at the airport (Belize is the best guess based on clues ... slight chance of Costa Rica or Mexico), he just told the group to bring passports and snorkle gear. I made my pitch again today for leaving the bambina with me, but I think they'll be taking her, unless the destination feels "wrong" when they get to SFO. In which case, they'll just eat the tickets and go home. Both my son and daughter-in-law have travelled extensively and are pretty savvy, but this is their first time with the baby. They're very "flexible, patient, adventurous, and friendly" so, even if they have to pass on a lot of the excitement, they'll probably get some great pictures for the baby book!

Again, thanks for the responses. Now that I've been researching Belize on the internet, I really want to go there! What's a good time of the year to visit, and how's the US$ against local currency? (Actual people's responses are much more compelling than googling that information.)
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Old Apr 21st, 2011, 04:42 AM
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We've visited twice in July/August. It's considered the rainy season but we've found it to be a great time to visit - fewer other visitors, very little rain other than occasional downpours at night. My photos, blogs, and travelogues are below if you're interested. Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections
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Old Apr 21st, 2011, 06:36 AM
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WOW that is a tricky situation!! The first time traveling with a baby and you don't know where you're going. Isn't that going to be hard to figure out what they do & don't need to pack (diapers, baby food etc.) not knowing what they can get in their arrival destination?
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Old Apr 21st, 2011, 10:40 AM
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I think in this case the friends need to make an exception, and tell these folks where the trip is, so they can plan accordingly. Obviously, the planners don't have any kids.

The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is how mom and dad are going to feel about leaving their infant behind, even with a loving grandmother. Some parents just don't do well leaving their kids.

If they're heading to one of the beach resorts in Belize, the baby will be fine. Lots of sunscreen and some mosquito netting.

Your son needs more information in order to make an informed decision.
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Old Apr 21st, 2011, 08:28 PM
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@hopeful - thanks for the flickr link, great pictures! I want to stay at the cabins over the water ... as long as the ocean stays calm.

@jean - yes, I'm not crushed, but mom and dad haven't left the baby overnight yet ... and mom is still the main source of baby's meals.

I passed on all the above comments, and they were sincerely appreciated and considered. Will let you know what transpires.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2011, 05:58 AM
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If that baby is still breastfeeding a lot, it seems like it would be tough to leave the baby behind. Mom would have to take a breast pump, and would probably have to just toss all the milk. Does mom have enough stored at home for a week?

Baby needs to go along......
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Old Apr 22nd, 2011, 09:11 AM
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I know I'm likely to get flamed for this but here goes.

I do not think infants or toddlers should be dragged along on adult vacations. By this I mean vacations where the sole purpose is to vacation and not a combined family visit. I've seen too many kids even at age 6 or so screaming and clearly more than a little unhappy in their unfamiliar surroundings and making the parents and anyone else within earshot miserable.
I feel so sorry for a child who's parents are too selfish about their own "I want to go to ______ and I want my kids with me" attitude I see more and more of lately. Is there some reason these parent cannot wait a few years until their children can actually enjoy the chosen vacation venue and be comfortable?
This is not a personal attack on the OP and I'm glad in this case the parents are at least thinking about what might be best for this child.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2011, 09:24 AM
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If the mother is still breastfeeding that puts an entirely different light on the situation! How could they possibly leave the baby behind? That said, this vacation as described (basically an adult group vacation) AND without even knowing the destination sounds like a dumb idea to me. Sorry.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2011, 11:54 AM
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I agree. The mother and kid should stay behind.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2011, 12:07 PM
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I can't quite picture going to the airport then bagging the trip at the last minute if they don't like the destination. If they haven't been able to do any research (and it's not Belize, CR, or Mexico) how do they know whether they want to proceed or not?
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Old Apr 22nd, 2011, 12:13 PM
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I agree, it doesn't seem like a good idea to me either, for many reasons, but none of which are insurmountable. Mom's been back at work for 4+ months now (dad is home) and she's using a breast pump regularly. There is enough in the freezer for a week ... plus, some solid foods have already been introduced and are well tolerated. (Their friends have assured them that this is their last chance to travel "easily" with the baby ... whatever that means.)
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Old Apr 22nd, 2011, 12:32 PM
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Are those friends parents themselves?
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Old Apr 22nd, 2011, 04:47 PM
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Nonsense. There is no traveling easy with a child that age not even to the grocery store but you already know that. I have two children. Both now grown and both love to travel BUT we didn't do long distance foreign country parts unknown traveling until they were pretty independent. It sounds like a great trip for adults.
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