Crystal Madrilejos

Q is finally at that age (18-months) where he’s conscious and aware of the things he is doing and the things around him. It’s been fun watching him partake in summer and really enjoy himself. I know a lot of parents find it difficult to gauge whether certain activities are suitable for kids his age. Sometimes it can be a crap shoot with the results being either fun or meltdown-inducing. Here are a few things we did this summer and how they rated on the fun/meltdown scale:

The County Fair
Meltdown factor: 2 of 5

The animals and the food are really the only reasons we go. We don’t do games and we don’t do rides. I’m sure as he gets older, he will want to do those other things but as of now he’s content with petting horses and drinking 4H milkshakes.

Listening to Music While Eating Bananas
Meltdown factor: 0 of 5

Best for those unbearably hot days when going outside is completely out of the question.

The Zoo
Meltdown Factor: 3 of 5

Baby boy loves animals. Period. He seemed a bit unsure on the Merry-Go-Round, but he didn’t cry or freak out. I think he was just perplexed. He did get restless about being in his stroller, but luckily the zoo we visited is small so we were only there for about 2 hours. He was able to walk around somewhat, but sometimes he just likes to take off running for no apparent reason other than to just run.

Swimming (naked, or course!)
Meltdown factor: 0 of 5

This is one of Q’s all time favorite summer activities. Going down a plastic slide bare bottom is quite the thrill apparently. He shoots down that thing like lightening!

NYC
Meltdown factor: 5 of 5

Ok, so overall, our trip was successful. I gave it a 5 of 5 in my Meltdown rating just because it had the most potential for meltdown inducing factors – lots of car time (drive to NYC from Ohio), lots of time in the stroller while walking around, lots of time sitting in restaurants, etc. I think Q did pretty well adapting, but there were definitely moments when I was thinking “Beam us to the apartment, NOW!” If you are interested in learning more about traveling with a young one, check out A Cup of Jo’s – Tips for traveling with a baby One thing I was thankful we remembered – Q listens to the same CD every night before going to bed, so we brought it along and when he was fussing on the ride home we popped it in and he was out like a light! Yay for smart thinking!

What have you guys been up to this summer?

-c.

Tags: Activity, Baby, Family, Places