{"id":14974,"date":"2013-07-19T16:52:17","date_gmt":"2013-07-19T14:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteaway.pl\/en\/?p=14974"},"modified":"2018-06-06T10:21:29","modified_gmt":"2018-06-06T08:21:29","slug":"im-taking-child-exotic-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteaway.pl\/en\/2013\/07\/19\/im-taking-child-exotic-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m not taking my child on an exotic journey because…"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two days ago I read an interesting post on the subject of excuses concerning travelling \u00a0\u00a0on the blog Podr\u00f3<\/b>\u017c<\/b>niccy<\/b>. We were reading and reading, and it was like we\u2019d hear some people we know: I cannot take days off, I don\u2019t have the time, I have so much to do, I don\u2019t have the money, I don\u2019t have anyone to watch my dog, maybe some other time, etc., etc\u2026. We were most interested in the thread concerning children <\/b>continued by the team from Domowa.tv.<\/a><\/p>\n

As we know quite a lot about travelling with a child, we\u2019ve decided to take part in the discussion and say what we think\u2026 <\/b>\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with a short retrospective: when we didn\u2019t have Maks and we enjoyed travelling to various places (we liked it from the start!) we used to hear our few friends who had children say that a child changes your life entirely, that you cannot party as you did before, that you cannot just leave for a journey, and that all you have left is a sofa, a remote control and maybe a playground next to your house\u2026 Moreover, in my job (as a sociologist and a market researcher) I\u2019ve often heard people say things like: we used to like travelling very much, and now, if you go with children, you go to the beach and that\u2019s all\u2026<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t have our own experiences and we were wondering: is it really like this? Are they right? <\/b><\/p>\n

Parties have indeed changed \u2013 because someone had to stay with the little one, because we had to watch the time (because granny cannot stay with him forever), because someone has to take care of him in the morning, finally, because a party for a nurturing mother for several reasons is not a dream come true \u2013 believe me! \ud83d\ude09 But why would we stop travelling?<\/p>\n

\"podr\u00f3\u017cowanie<\/a>

Meksyk, stycze\u0144 2012<\/p><\/div>\n

So, we decided to see for ourselves what is the deal with travelling:<\/b><\/p>\n

– when Maks was 3 weeks old we went for a weekend to Kazimierz, then to \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, Tricity and Cracow<\/p>\n

– when he was 2.5 months old we went for a month-long car trip around Europe \u2013 we had a wonderful time in the north of France, Spain, in Portugal, Andalusia, Cinque Terre \u2013 it was a perfect time for a journey because that\u2019s when mom means the world to a little one\u2026<\/p>\n

– when Maks was a 5-month-old child he started to travel by plane \u2013 first he took a short flight (to Italy!) and he\u2019d already experienced a cancelled flight, delays and other attractions<\/p>\n

– when he was almost 7months old we went to Mexico\u2026 and that\u2019s when we started a storm! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

BECAUSE\u2026 YOU MUST BE OUT OF YOUR MIND TO TAKE A CHILD TO MEXICO! <\/b><\/p>\n

Because if you want to take a child, go to the seaside and don\u2019t leave the hotel and the nearby beach…<\/p>\n

So, we\u2019re advocating for the action initiated by Podr\u00f3\u017cniccy and we\u2019re busting myths associated with the assumption that a child shouldn\u2019t go for an exotic journey <\/b>\u2013 probably until it turns at least 7 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

1) I\u2019m not going with a little child for an exotic journey because it will not survive a 10-to-12-hour flight!<\/b><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t tried it, how can you know?<\/p>\n

Most children are sound asleep during a flight for many hours because a plane produces a pleasant noise\u2026 There\u2019s an even bigger chance for sleep, in case of a newborn, especially a breast-fed newborn \u2013 the only problems is that it\u2019s mom has to prepare for becoming immobilized, but she doesn\u2019t have much to do anyway.<\/p>\n

In the case of an older child, there are children\u2019s books, entertaining snacks, films, drawing, tablet puzzles, or whatever a little one likes. And what happens when (s)he\u2019s tired of sitting? there\u2019s nothing wrong in walking around the plane! And afterwards, (s)he\u2019ll be exhausted and fall asleep!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to lie, obviously: I\u2019ve heard children crying for 80% of the flight, but, honestly, they\u2019re an exception. The rest didn\u2019t have any problems with flying; some of them were even treating the journey as an adventure. It\u2019s important to start early and get them used to it!<\/p>\n

2) (S)he can get sick and you won\u2019t have good access to medical help\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n

This is one of the most frequently repeated concerns, especially by my mom. Of course, I cannot guarantee that a little child won\u2019t get sick! But do you think that it will get sick more likely during the cold November days in Poland, or in the warm Bangkok? I think that every parent whose child spends winters in the Polish nursery\/ kinder garden knows the answer!<\/p>\n

In case of smaller problems \u2013 running nose, one-day-long fever, cough \u2013 we have a first aid kit with us that I\u2019ve mentioned here.<\/p>\n

In case of bigger problems, search for a doctor and you\u2019ll surely find one, unless you\u2019re going to the jungle. We prefer to know that the medical services are quite close and that we\u2019re able to reach them. We\u2019ve already tested paediatricians in Mexico on Yucatan and in Istanbul, where we used our hotel manager as our translator when speaking with the doctor. Is it doable? Yes, it is!<\/p>\n

\"podr\u00f3\u017cowanie<\/a>

Maks’s favourite drink<\/p><\/div>\n

3) What is he going to eat there? He\u2019ll get food poisoning! <\/b><\/p>\n

What is my child going to eat in Thailand \/Mexico \/ Georgia? I\u2019m scared of food poisoning! We\u2019ve come across these words as well. It\u2019s much easier if you\u2019re travelling with a newborn (as we did to Mexico) because he is breastfed, he eats jars with baby food and porridge \u2013 things easily AVAILABLE in stores. But what about a little one of 1.5 or 2 years? Most of them don\u2019t like jars anymore, you won\u2019t cook, so you\u2019re eating out\u2026<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been eating out in Thailand, Israel, Turkey\u2026 I\u2019m not going to mention other places because I assume that the Italian pasta and the Spanish paella don\u2019t scare anyone \ud83d\ude09 Our middle eater was eating like a horse and he managed to find something for himself in every cuisine \u2013 he would die for fried rice with chicken! (like his mommy for pad thai!) He didn\u2019t have problems with his tummy, or any other bad experiences, NOT EVEN ONCE.<\/p>\n

So, what are you afraid of? Maybe your child would also fall in love with Thai, Mexican or Chinese cuisine? You should only remember to use your common sense and to be moderate \u2013 so don\u2019t take the little tummy for street food in Bangkok the first day of your visit when it\u2019s 40 degrees outside;)<\/p>\n

4) It\u2019s dangerous out there!<\/b><\/p>\n

Ah, yes, you\u2019re taking a child to SUCH a dangerous place??!!?? OK, I agree, we don\u2019t like to expose neither ourselves, nor Maks to danger \u2013 we love life too much. So, we prepare ourselves \u2013 we read the information from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we don\u2019t visit places commonly perceived as dangerous (i.e. the north regions of Mexico), we don\u2019t tempt faith. But we also remember that there are people like us, and that they ALSO HAVE CHILDREN in the countries that we visit!<\/p>\n

5) High temperatures and full sun is bad for him! <\/b><\/p>\n

There are sun blocks, scarves, cups and hats. There are shaded spots where a little one can rest. Ours was 3 month old when he spent the end of August in Andalusia. He was enjoying the warm weather. Any negative consequences? A few small spots of baby rash. So another myth gone! busted!<\/p>\n

6) He can get attacked by \u201ctropical\u201d mosquitoes and other mysterious creatures!<\/b><\/p>\n

\"podr\u00f3\u017cowanie<\/a>

after the attack of Mexican mosquitos<\/p><\/div>\n

True. And Maks got attacked. So what? He didn\u2019t even cry, he didn\u2019t even scratch himself. He didn\u2019t care about the Mexican mosquitoes; only the American tourists visiting the area of Tulum on Yucatan were giving him strange glances \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, our friends\u2019 son got bitten by mosquitoes at his grandparents\u2019 near Warsaw to such extent that he had to go to the hospital. So what? Maybe we shouldn\u2019t travel at all and stay home in the evening? Go out and travel, just remember about something against mosquitoes and after bites \u2013 since Mexico, we\u2019ve never forgotten!<\/p>\n

7) He won\u2019t remember a thing anyway! You\u2019re egoistic!<\/b><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard that before. Why are you going? This child won\u2019t remember a thing! First of all, we don\u2019t know if it\u2019s true: we believe that journeys educate, open minds, show various people, various lifestyles, teach tolerance.<\/p>\n

Second of all, even if it\u2019s true that he won\u2019t remember a thing \u2013 so what? He\u2019s spending time with his parents! And this is a high quality time, better than at home, because there is no work to do, no overdue report to write, no e-mails to address, no laundry, ironing, cooking, washing the floor, cleaning the bathroom, shopping, washing the dishes and hundreds of things that sometimes force us to place the little one in front of a telly because we have no other choice\u2026<\/p>\n

And thirdly, according to the theory that \u201chappy parents raise happy children\u201d, it\u2019s worth being an egoist sometimes\u2026 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

To sum up: it\u2019s easy to find a million of reasons against exotic travels with a child but \u201ca winner sees a solution in every problem\u201d so if you have any more reasons, please, it\u2019d love to \u201ceat\u201d them! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\"podr\u00f3\u017cowanie<\/a>

during a corrida in Estepa, Yucatan, December 2011<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two days ago I read an interesting post on the subject of excuses concerning travelling \u00a0\u00a0on the blog Podr\u00f3\u017cniccy. We were reading and reading, and it was like we\u2019d hear some people we know: I cannot take days off, I don\u2019t have the time, I have so much to do, I don\u2019t have the money, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3000,2981,3001],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nI\u2019m not taking my child on an exotic journey because...<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Taking a child to an exotic country may seem dangerous, irresponsible or just difficult. 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