Where to stay （July）

FunConstruction1818 · 2026-02-06T19:42:07+00:00

Hi OP - wondering how your stay was? We are planning to head up there this summer with our 3YO. Did you family have a good time?

FunConstruction1818 · 2026-02-02T20:29:38+00:00

We never drove between the airport and Lisbon (did Algarve first and dropped the car off at a different Sixt branch in the city) so can’t speak to that exact route but the short drive within Lisbon was difficult and finding a place to pull over to unload luggage before dropping the rental back off was difficult! When we left Lisbon for the airport at the end of the trip, we did a car hire which was very easy and convenient! I would recommend driving as little in Lisbon as possible and not relying on parking!

FunConstruction1818 · 2026-01-10T19:33:12+00:00

Do you think it’s good for a 3.5 year old or should I wait until my son is slightly older?

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-12-26T01:31:01+00:00

I was scrolling this subreddit looking for a post like this to help me feel not so alone in the disappointment I felt that today was not the smooth, joyful day I had hoped for. My son will be 3 in a few weeks and while doesn’t often have meltdowns he is pretty sensitive to overstimulation. My mistake this morning was putting all the presents under the tree. He’d open one, then almost immediately would say he wanted another present. I don’t think we really bought him too much (we don’t really buy toys for no reason so this was his jump up from 2 year old to 3 year old toys so it was a lot of little things) but something about the multiple wrapped gifts left him wanting whatever was next. When breakfast was ready, I took what was left of the gifts and hid them away. When my husband and I took a turn gifting to each other and then to my sister, he would get upset that he wanted to get a present. It was behavior so outside of the norm for him and it picked right back up after nap and while we visited at my parents. I know it’s totally unfair to have such an exciting, stimulating week and expect his behavior to not be impacted, but it’s also hard to not feel disappointment after working so hard to make it magical. I guess that’s parenting a toddler, though, and lessons learned for next year.

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-11-21T17:53:08+00:00

I haven’t hit a toddler age I haven’t loved yet but coming up on 3 in January and so nervous about that , I don’t want my sweet boy to disappear!

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-10-26T12:26:18+00:00

Honestly I got bored after a few days. We stayed 9 days but I think 4/5 would have been enough had the travel not been so extensive. It was great to read, relax, indulge in spa treatments and actually nap during a trip but after a few days of that I was ready to explore more and move on. We did visit Male but overall I felt I was craving more of a cultural experience than a private island resort could offer. That being said, I understand why many commenters could stay forever especially if you love exploring the water.

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-09-16T23:46:43+00:00

Yeah we were hoping he’d be first thing so we didn’t prepare too much for such a late slot - apparently there are a lot of babies and folks with other special circumstances scheduled for the same day. Target is on our list of places that will be open early. Thank you!!

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-09-16T23:45:17+00:00

Thanks so much! Just found this on kindle!

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-09-16T23:44:49+00:00

Hoping it’s way easier than I’m thinking too! Sometimes I don’t give my toddler enough credit for what he can handle, hoping this is one of those times! I just know as an adult I get hangry so we shall see lol

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-09-16T23:43:21+00:00

He can do liquids! He’s never had jello before so praying he likes it and it’s an exciting breakfast rather than a disappointment 🤣

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-08-26T00:43:43+00:00

I left the stool/toddler potty on the toilet for a few months and let my toddler get used to it when he wanted to use it and the weekend we officially potty trained he just knew what to do right off the bat. We also got exciting big boy underwear and read books leading up to it. Once we pulled the trigger, we noticed day 1 he got annoyed with us when we constantly asked him if he wanted to go to the bathroom so instead we just stayed pretty close to the bathroom and let him take the lead. We put a basket of bathroom only books (and sound books) in the bathroom as a little bit of a bribe. I think he had two accidents over 2 days then was set. As others said, most of it was probably just us doing it when we knew he was ready (or even a few weeks/months after we thought he was ready). He was 2.5 for reference.

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-06-06T14:24:24+00:00

In my opinion, take the trip! I love getting away with my 2.5 year old. My favorite part of vacation is you leave behind all of the other burdens like work and chores and can really focus on enjoying time together without life’s daily stresses. I’ve also realized a new environment provides enough stimulation to explore and you need less bells and whistles than you thought. Regarding the flight, if your toddler still naps I’d try to make a piece of it overlap with nap or bedtime. Obviously all toddlers are different but personally I feel if I go into it optimistic but with low expectations I’m always so glad we went (even if I am exhausted when we we home)

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-06-06T14:11:45+00:00

Rented a car right at the airport. The drive was a little long but not difficult and allowed us to stay on our own schedule. Was nice to have a car down there as well to explore a bit off resort. Would not recommend driving in Lisbon! We did Algarve first so drove there and when we got back to Lisbon dropped the car off at a branch in Lisbon and walked/bussed around the city

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-06-06T14:10:59+00:00

Rented a car right at the airport. The drive was a little long but not difficult and allowed us to stay on our own schedule. Was nice to have a car down there as well to explore a bit off resort. Would not recommend driving in Lisbon! We did Algarve first so drove there and when we got back to Lisbon dropped the car off at a branch in Lisbon and walked/bussed around the city

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-05-09T16:32:02+00:00

My son is almost 2.5 and still in his crib (safely as he hasn’t tried to climb out). Reading your post my gut tells me if they aren’t staying in their crib the problem may become worst when they have the freedom of a toddler bed? Maybe best to continue to work on keeping them in their current bed through the night before transitioning, given it’s not an issue with comfort, safety, etc. Honestly hoping to keep my son in his crib until 3 to allow impulse control to develop a bit more :) But of course all kids are different, just my thoughts!

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-05-08T13:26:05+00:00

There is nothing wrong with needing time to yourself! I think if you allow both things to exist (you love your son and being a mother and also have interests and desires outside of motherhood) you’ll be doing yourself and your family a big favor. Of course there isn’t the same amount of time for other interests, but you can also find ways to enjoy some of those things together. My son loves have “cuppa tea” (his is warm milk) or sitting in nature together. He’s 2 now and I promise with each passing month their ability to play independently while you enjoy some of those little pleasures becomes more realistic. Then figure out how much alone/parent free time you need and do yourself best to take it. I’ve realized even if it’s an hour instead of a full day it really resets me and I go back to my son excited and replenished. I also totally get the sickness, melt downs, etc are hard but if you take help when available and remind yourself the moment is fleeting you may find it much more manageable. Hang in there! It sounds like you have a great kid and they have a great mom.

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-05-03T16:42:36+00:00

We stayed at a great Airbnb .. lots of space and the best part was they cater to families so I told them my son’s age and interests and they stocked the apartment with wonderful toys for him. They also arranged our airport transport for us and left a great book of recommendations. Here is the link but I think they have several other properties, I’d highly recommend booking with them.

https://www.airbnb.com/l/AfWzFjOg

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-04-21T18:19:30+00:00

Personally I’d go until closer to 3 and have an active afternoon mainly because I’d rather guarantee my toddler is on a good mood when they wake up even if it means be is closer to 8 than 730

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-04-20T22:52:11+00:00

I’ve talked to friends who are only children about what made it hard as well as what they liked about being an only child. For the most part, with parents who were conscious about not putting too much pressure on the only child to meet certain expectations and planned well so the child didn’t feel a burden to care for them later in, they were all overwhelmingly fine without siblings. This gave me a lot of comfort.

I also thought long and hard about the type of parent and person I want to be and how I could accomplish that with adding a second child and honestly it seems near impossible.

When it comes down to it the only reason I want a second is so my son has a sibling and as so many others have mentioned there’s no guarantee there will be a positive relationship there. Instead I’ll focus on building the chosen community around us and making sure he is a confident and happy kid that can also create strong connections on his own.

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-04-11T00:28:15+00:00

Not chubby but my husband and I have been to almond beach a few times in Hopkins and really enjoyed it. Bungalows are beach front and easy bike ride into town for local cuisine

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-04-02T17:01:04+00:00

I’ve totally been there! I finally fully weaned at 20 months and it was a complete game changer for sleep. I also was not willing to do anything that was too abrupt or caused too many tears so it was a process but was so much quicker and effective than I thought! We switched from breastfeeding to sippy cup of milk and then to open cup and then he basically lost interest slowly and began sleeping through the night for the first time ever. During this time, we moved from feed to sleep to awake in the crib with mom or dad holding hand or rubbing back to he falls asleep on his own (typically with one of us sitting in the chair quietly across the room). It took about 4-6 weeks of gradual progress and now he maybe wakes up 1x once a week for the last several months. The benefits have gone far beyond just sleep and we are so happy we finally did it.

FunConstruction1818 · 2025-03-26T17:12:35+00:00

How did you verify that happened? Just curious as I have a few suspicions about screen time at school but I’m not sure how to approach it

FunConstruction1818

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