# Is it okay to bring 6 month baby to Aruba Surf



## nycjimster (Dec 6, 2006)

Wondering if any parents have any opinion about bringing a 6 month baby to Aruba?  I am booked for Feb, but having second thoughts after speaking to other people.  One said you should go to foreign country with baby, and another said baby was too young to go on vacation.


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## Chari910 (Dec 6, 2006)

I'm a pediatrician and an owner at Aruba Ocean Club. Leave the baby with grandparents/relatives, the Aruba sun will be too much for him/her. 
You will also enjoy all the activities so much more without having to constantly worry.


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## McFail (Dec 6, 2006)

We took our daughter everywhere soon after her birth. The real concern is the sun. You would need to be very careful.


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## m61376 (Dec 7, 2006)

The obvious- make sure she is well-protected from the sun (kept under a hut and use a stroller with a sun shade, as well as frequently reapplying sun screen). Keep in mind that the sun's rays can penetrate clothing if it is transparent.

That said- yes, it will be a different vacation with a baby than without, and you will be more limited. On the other hand, it can be the start of wonderful family times. She'll be too young to remember, but you will remember how much you've enjoyed her. It all boils down to what type of vacation you want and if you have the option of a willing grandparent or other family member. Of course, without the baby you can go and do without worrying about her needs or timetable; a trip with an infant will be a bit more restrictive and, depending upon whether she is fussy or good in restaurants, you may need to eat in more (although when my kids were babies we always ate out in restaurants without ever disturbing anyone, so it can be done). 

When our kids were young we always took them places even though we had willing grandparents; our friends thought we were nuts and wanted to rent out my parents. On the other hand, we did enjoy a week away ourselves when they were a few years older for our 10th ann....

Travelling with grandparents is another good option- everyone has a great vacation and it gives you a lot more lattitude. If you want to go snorkeling or do something else not baby appropriate there is a safe haven for the baby- nothing like Grandma or Grandpa's arms; sharing responsibility makes it much easier and more enjoyable. If that's an option it might be something worth considering. Many people comfortably use resort babysitters, but that is not something I personally ever felt comfortable with and would be very wary of at such a young age.

btw- if you take her, make sure to check out the new passport restrictions. I don't know what the requirements are for infants.


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## arlene22 (Dec 7, 2006)

I've brought babies to the Bahamas with no problems. It is so much easier to travel with a baby or child in a timeshare than it is to stay in a hotel. Everyone thinks you'll be so free without the baby, but personally, I wouldn't have enjoyed myself as much if I had left the baby home. And if you are breastfeeding, it would really be a drag to leave the baby home. 

Think about what you want to get out of your vacation. Some people really need time away as a couple for the health of their relationship. Others are looking to build family memories. But if you bring the baby, do not underestimate the strenth of the sun. You will be much closer to the equator and the sun will be stronger than you are used to.


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## Loriannf (Dec 7, 2006)

*Take the Baby!*

We took our daughter to our timeshare in St John when she was around six months old - that's where she took her first step!!  What a great memory.  

I concur that your biggest concern will be keeping your child safe from the sun.  I would highly recommend getting a portable cabana/tent with built in sunscreen protection.  We have both a tent and a cabana, both of which break down easily and fit in the suitcases.  With a small child, the tent (which we got from One Step Ahead) gave her a shady place to play, nap and nurse and allowed us to stay at the beach longer.  The only problem was that for the first few years our snorkeling was limited - one of us stayed on the beach with our daughter and the other snorkeled nearby in the surf - not very safe, I know.

Also, it is important to consider the type of vacation you want - if you really need to be away from the child, or if you want this to be the first of many family vacations.  Babies do travel well, once you understand that you're traveling on their schedule.  We've only had one problem in five years traveling with our daughter:  last year's return flight from St. Thomas to Newark where we were changing planes.  The flight circled Newark for over an hour and our daughter started saying "This plane's never going to land - I'm never going to see my toys again!" which was overheard by a couple of children in the row behind us, and soon they started demanding very loudly that they wanted off the plane, too.  Thankfully, we landed soon after.

Traveling with children can be great, as long as you can relax and go with the flow.  Our daughter's been to St John five times, and all over the US and I can't imagine leaving her at home.  

Lori


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## Amy (Dec 7, 2006)

As other said, a key issue affecting your decision is the type of trip you want and your vision of this vacation. We have never left DS home for vacations -- we view them as family vacations and want him as part of the experience; also, he goes to daycare during the week and he loves vacation time with mommy and daddy. Yes taking a child changes things a lot, particularly for parents who try to observe their child's schedules; and you may be restricted in taking part in certain activities. That said, it was SO much easier travelling with a 6 month old compared to a toddler because the toddler is super active and you have to keep a toddler constantly entertained. (When DS was 6 months old I carried him in a Baby Bjorn or sling like contraption during travel days -- a breeze through the airport having both hands free.) DS is 2 1/2 yrs old now and has already taken dozens of trips to both coasts and two Carribean cruises. 

With respect to Aruba, though, the sun is a serious consideration as others have mentioned. When we travelled to sunny/hot spots when DS was an infant we always used one of those high SPF protection infant hats (with long front, backs and sides covering the ears and necks) that I bought from One Step Ahead; we also applied sunscreen regularly and kept him in lightweight longsleeves and/or lightweight cotton pants when spending much time outside in the sun. One Step Ahead has a lot of good sun protection products for babies; they even have SPF protection clothing (which I have never tried). Even if you decide to keep your baby at home for this trip you should look into some of the baby sun-protection products One Step Ahead sells as they may come in handy for your next family vacation.


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## stmartinfan (Dec 7, 2006)

As previous posters have said, much of your decision will be based on the question of what you want your vacation to accomplish - family time or couple time.  

As far as Aruba as a destination, I would say it's one of the best in terms of  safety and health.  I would be comfortable taking a young child there.

The sun will be a challenge.  It's also very windy...the only place I've ever burnt the top of my head because I didn't diligently wear the beach hat I use most places - it kept blowing away!


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## fmr MVCI (Dec 7, 2006)

we brought our then 8 month old to Aruba in December a few years ago.  Got her a cover up, the big floppy hat and lots-o-sunscreen.

We had a great time.  There is no reason not to bring the kids.


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## Whirl (Dec 7, 2006)

WE took our 10 month old as well and grandparents with us. We all had a wonderful time with wonderful memories. Just remember that your vacation will be different and that your activities must be tailored to be appropriate for the baby and you will have a great time. No long days louning in the hot sun...lots of sunblock and keep the time reasonable. Mind the naps.

Have a great time!


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## ciscogizmo1 (Dec 8, 2006)

We've been traveling with our kids for 9 years.  They are now definitely well-seasoned travelers.  We love the family time we can get from our vacations.  So I agree with the other posters.  It just depends on the type of vacation you want.  My husband & I had our kids late in life so we were use to traveling.  We aren't blessed with relatives that can watch our kids for week.  So we had to learn how to vacation with babies, toddlers and now school aged children.  We loved traveling when our kids were babies because they are so easy and can go anywhere.  Our dds never had a problem napping in strollers and stuff like that.  And, staying in a timeshare is a bonus because you can fix meals.  

One tip that has worked for us was eating out for lunch over dinnertime.  Then, having dinner in.  I've always liked being at the resort at dinner time so I can see the sunset.  And, to this day my kids love rushing back to the resort to see the sunset.  We haven't travelled to Aruba yet but we've been to the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, etc...

GL...  Oh, and some of our vacations have been flops.  You learn as you go what works for you and your child.  The key is to be very flexible.


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## daventrina (Dec 9, 2006)

Chari910 said:
			
		

> I'm a pediatrician and an owner at Aruba Ocean Club. Leave the baby with grandparents/relatives, the Aruba sun will be too much for him/her.
> You will also enjoy all the activities so much more without having to constantly worry.


That sums it up well...

 Aruba is a lot of $$$$ to spend to not be able to do much.
We'd find a sitter for the baby at home or find a more local beach location instead.


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## Whirl (Dec 9, 2006)

daventrina said:
			
		

> That sums it up well...
> 
> Aruba is a lot of $$$$ to spend to not be able to do much.
> We'd find a sitter for the baby at home or find a more local beach location instead.




To each his own i suppose. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything...we took ours and will continue to do so. went to the westin in st john, too...even more expensive, but had a great time.  Tailored our activities to her to keep her  safe and comfy. we had years of vacations with just the two of us, so I don't considerate it a waste to take the kids. Just had twins in addition to my now 3 year old and still planning away for next year, selectively, but definitely still vacationing.  All this being said, one important fine point, is that we took the grandparents with us on some, but even then...we still spent most of our time with our daughter...we didn't leave her with them except for maybe one night out for dinner.


Some people also don't have any one to leave a baby with for that kind of time either, so it is simply   not an option. So, to those in that situation, I say go for it. go on vacation, take the baby and have a good time!

Now,  another caveat that just dawned on me is that we stayed at the Renaissance, a low rise, small resort and found that to be ideal with a little one. When we visited the Marriott mega resorts, we decided that they would be better for older kids because they are so big that getting back and forth to your room can be an ordeal...so I may concur on the not ideal for infants. The Renaissance is cozy ( only 5 floors) and easy to run up to the room if you forget something or need to go up for a nap. Loved the walkability with a stroller into Oranjestad for restaurants,etc. Small beach, but great for tots as very still water and Renaissance Island was a blast. Lots ot trees and shade ( October) and she took a nap.


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## chrisnwillie (Dec 9, 2006)

The heat, in addition to, the sun in Aruba can be overwhelming for children. If you are there, and the breeze stops, or even slows down, children have a hard time......It can be *that* hot in Aruba.


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## Whirl (Dec 12, 2006)

ok nycjimster...so how are you leaning...just interesting to witness the decision process unfolding.....


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## Arubaordie (Dec 12, 2006)

*Absolutely!!!*

We have been down there many times with the little ones, starting when they were 2 months old.  Just pull the trigger and do it.:ignore: Load them up with protection and have a great time.


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## nycjimster (Dec 12, 2006)

*We plan to go...*

As of now, we plan to take our baby.  We are excited; this is our first vacation with baby.  The last time we were there we had a great time and bought at Aruba Surf Club pre-construction.  We look forward to seeing the island and the Aruba Surf.  We will be extremely careful with sun exposure and plan to buy baby canopy.  We do not plan to be on the beach more than a couple of hours a day.   Thanks for all your advice.


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