It always is complicated to travel with a baby. Here’s some tips that were in a 1924 magazine.
Planning for Baby’s Vacation: Hints for the Journey
The following are good rules for the baby’s vacation, as indeed they are for the proper conduct of his life no matter where he may be:
- Keep the baby quiet, clean and contented.
- See that his feeding comes at regular hours.
- Have his naps come at the same time and last for the same duration each day.
- See that his milk supply is pure and safe. Keep the milk clean, covered and cold. It should never be allowed to be warmer than fifty degrees Fahrenheit, until it is finally heated for use.
- Dress the baby lightly and in the simplest possible clothing.
- Protect the baby from flies, mosquitoes and other insects.
- Do not let anyone outside of the family handle the baby.
- Keep the baby out-of-doors as much as possible. Let him learn to sleep out-of-doors if it can be arranged.
- Remember that no matter where you may take your baby his health and comfort will depend upon what you do for him rather than upon the way in which he travels or the kind of place in which you spend your holiday.
- While you are traveling have everything that you will need for the baby easily accessible and where you can get at it at a moment’s notice.
- And finally remember that, generally speaking, babies do not need vacations, but if it seems necessary or wise to take them on one there need be no fear of any bad consequences as long as the simple methods of baby care are followed.
Ladies Home Journal (May, 1924)
No mention of diapers. Disposing of the waste and washing them would be difficult back then.
Diapers would have been a huge issue back then. I wonder how parents managed to keep a supply of clean diapers when then were traveling on a trip that was more than a day or two long.
I love #1. Not so easy!
“Keep the baby quiet, clean, and contented” is definitely easier said than done. 🙂
I’ll bring points two and three to the attention of my daughter’s baby. Said baby was unaware she had a routine to maintain!
🙂 Babies have their own timetables.
ExACTly.
way back when I was 6mos.old my Mother and I traveled by train from Conton.Ms. to Utah where my Dad was in service..we made it but it must have been a challenge
Whew, that’s a long way to go via train. I bet your mom was glad when the trip was over.
Wow! A far cry from today’s situations and options. Fun to read.
Mona
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Times sure have changed. It’s nice to hear that you enjoyed this post.
Haha. Easier said than done, but keeping routines is a good idea for older children and grown-ups, too, despite the buzz-kill that may occur.
Agree – I never was very good at maintaining routines with my kids when they were small.
Still good advice. Keeping my son quiet was no problem as he always fell asleep in the car.
My children also always fell asleep in the car. When traveling, we tended to try not to stop while they were sleeping so we could get as many miles covered as possible before they woke up and were fussy.
Sounds familiar!
Some things just don’t change much!
The context changes some, but many of the basics stay the same across the years.
It seems they recognized the importance of fresh air and being outside as much as possible to prevent the spread of viruses. Years ago I had a friend who put her baby outside for naps, even in winter, all bundled up.
They may not have fully understood the science behind why fresh air helps reduce the spread of viruses, but at a practical level they were amazingly knowledgeable.
Hmmm… Keep the baby quiet… Simple and easy to follow instructions. Thanks!
The babies you know must follow rules better than the ones I know. 🙂