CAMPING WITH CRAWLERS

 Destination: Owyhees / Location: Oregon / Activity: Camping

Every time I travel with Van something about him is different. He changes as he grows and with each phase there are new challenges. In the beginning I was trying to balance a strict feeding schedule and little sleep. Now that Van is mobile and more alert he wants to stay up late and explore his surroundings so for all you mama's out there here's a little FYI (in my own opinion) about camping with a toddler…

Forget the schedule. Let your baby stay up late until they're tired. If you're able to put them down early-awesome! If not, don't stress it. I tried putting Van down at his usual bed time and he ended up crawling out of the tent. I could not stop laughing!

Let them get dirty. I was worried at first about Van crawling around in the dirt and I didn't want him to put stuff in his mouth, but it is nearly an impossible task to keep a crazy crawler contained. So I let him explore on his hands and knees, playing with nature's balls and he was a happy boy. I made sure to pack an extra outfit and a quick rub down with some wet wipes before bed and he was golden!

The third thing I'd love to share with you guys for camping with a kid 1-3 years old is this awesome portable high chair by Ciao-Baby! You can find it on Amazon or online at places like REI, I got mine at Zulilys. It's perfect for camping and it's easy to clean. Definitely worth the splurge and you can use it for years to come.

Happy camping, mamas!