Rob

My wife and I are vacationing in Oahu from Los Angeles December 26 to December 31. I am trying to determine if we should take our 14 month old. Unfortunately, our baby sitter is on vacation the same week.

We are staying at the Marriott Waikikii. They have an on site baby sitting service but I am obviously hesitant. Has anyone ever used that Marriott's babysitting service or any similar type of babysitting service in Hawaii or otherwise?

Also, is Oahu a good place for two thirty something parents and a 14 month old? Clearly it is not ideal but are there family type activities we could enjoy when our son is not at the baby sitter.

Any advice is much appreciated.

I wish all of you a happy and safe holiday season.

xxx

Rob, I'm not flaming you but it seems like you have already made up your mind that you'd rather not take the child. Sounds like you need some R&R and doesn't sound like you would get it with your toddler. Follow your instinct.

Kama'aina

I live on O'ahu and I have a 14-month old grandson whom I am occasionally privileged to babysit. My son lives in Waikiki and so that's the area where my grandson and I do our wanderings. Generally, I do any of the following: the zoo, the aquarium, Ala Moana Shopping Centre for toy shopping, etc., etc. If you want to introduce your child to the beach, Ala Moana is the place where most children in Hawai'i start...especially the Waikiki end. It's protected with no waves and it's shallow. Most tourists tend to dismiss O'ahu, but there are a lot of interesting distractions and attractions on this island. Being that we are in the Holiday season, the streets of Waikiki and the area of downtown Honolulu are resplendent in Christmas lights. With an automobile you can investigate Haleiwa and treat your son to some of Matsumoto's shave ice, check out the big waves (there might just be some being generated right now in the North Pacific!) at the North Shore, drive the Windward coast and check out the lush mountains and pristine beaches, stop by at the Polynesian Cultural Center, etc., etc. There is a lot to this island.... The 26th? That's 10 days away. Hope the current stormy situation on the Pacific Coast will not swing southerly in our direction. They sometimes do, but they do bring much-needed rain and moisture to our islands. Anyway, 6 days with an infant should not be a problem. Also, I don't think you need to worry about Marriott's babysitting service. Hawai'i is a heavily regulated state and I am certain the babysitting service has to follow certain guidelines. Besides all that, the people of the islands love babies! Aloha!

rrr

Hi Rob-
I have a 3 yr old and a 12 month old. I know the older child would do fine on a flight from the West coast to Hawaii. However, I would NEVER fly that far with the one year old. He's at an age where he could not possibly sit still long enough to make the flight even tolerable. You know your child best. Is he able to sit for extended periods of time without unduly disturbing the other passengers? If so, I would highly recommend buying him his own seat. Otherwise, would you really want to hold a squirming child for 5 hours?? You also might consider a night flight if the child would sleep okay in a strange environment. I would NEVER leave my child in the care of an unknown babysitter alone in a hotel room. Too many weirdos out there. I would, however, use a Kids Club for a limited amount of time since there would be many other people around. Unfortunately, Hawaiian law prevents hotels from accepting children younger that 5 into Kids Clubs. I look longingly at Hawaiian travel brochures and dream of wonderful vacations in the islands, but I've come to the realization that I will simply have to wait a few more years until the children are older. Is there any other trusted sitter you could bring with you? What about a grandmother? Good luck with whatever you decide. Happy holidays!!!

Rob

Thank you for your input. I am certainly looking forward to our trip.

One of the writer's questioned taking our child on a 5 hour air flight. That was intially one of my concerns. However, over Thanksgiving we flew with our one year old to New Orleans, about a three and 1/2/ hour trip, without his own seat. Everything went fine so we are hopeful.

In any event, I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks again for your feedback.

xxx

I must say how surprised I am that Rob hasn't been sliced and diced about 1) taking a baby on an airplane; 2) vacationing in Hawaii with a baby; and 3) using a stranger as a babysitter. These seem to be common threads on this board that bring out the worst in people. Congratulations everyone for maintaining a civil tone and simply answering Rob's questions. And to Rob... have a wonderful vacation with your family.