Compared to previous family trips, this journey with little D was far more challenging. When she was younger, all we needed to do was keep a slower pace and meet her eating and sleeping needs. But at two and a half, she’s just beginning to develop self-awareness yet can’t fully express herself, coupled with her strong-willed temperament. As a result, communication breakdowns often led to meltdowns. These moments became part of our travel memories, and ironically, they’re what made this trip meaningful—bittersweet but joyful.
Time Awareness
Although it wasn’t little D’s first flight, it was her first time sitting in her own seat. The flight from New York to Punta Cana lasted over four hours. She was initially thrilled to have her own designated spot and proudly declared it hers. I told her the plane was like a big bird that would fly us to another place. Delighted, she kept saying, “We’re inside the big bird!” But the excitement didn’t last—after just over an hour, she grew restless and started yelling, “I want to get off ! I want to get off !” When her Chinese pleas went unanswered, she switched to English: “Big bird, stop ! I want to down !”
For children flying alone, an additional safety belt is required. We purchased the CARES Child Airplane Travel Harness (the only FAA-approved child flight safety gear).
The egocentrism of a two-year-old was fully on display—she truly believed she could do anything and that simply saying so would make it happen. My husband tried explaining we still had three hours left, but “three hours” meant nothing to a two-and-a-half-year-old, who kept crying out.
Eventually, we pulled up the flight path map and showed little D where we were and where we’d land when the “big bird” reached our destination. That did the trick. She busied herself with games, sang along with us, read picture books, and occasionally checked the map to see where the “big bird” was, even tapping the screen to “scold” it: “Faster, faster !”
Finally, we landed. The first thing I did was let little D’s bunny toy look out the window.
The Power of Role Models
We stayed at a ClubMed resort, known for being family-friendly. True to its reputation, over half the crowd were kids—the place was teeming with them. Right after check-in, we stumbled upon the Big Snack Time on the main lawn and joined in. Sharing snacks turned out to be a hit—a Belgian girl offered little D a handful of popcorn, which she devoured before eagerly asking for more.
This was our room, featuring a sliding door. The resort provides cribs, so we placed little D’s crib just outside the door, leaving a small gap at night. This way, she had her own space but could still see us.
So, I took her to line up for popcorn. The queue was long, and little D told me, “I want popcorn.” I reminded her we had to wait and even lifted her to show her the person handing out popcorn at the end. But it didn’t help—after a while, she grew impatient and started whining.
That’s when I pointed to the older kids in line, around four or five years old, and told little D, “Look, everyone is waiting their turn. Let’s ask them if they’re waiting too.” I specifically asked a five-year-old German girl in front of us, who earnestly told little D, “I know you want popcorn so much. Me too. But we need to wait. Good things worth waiting.” Her words made me smile—this kind of empathy was likely something her mother had taught her since she was little.
The lawn where snacks were handed out daily also had inflatable toys for the kids to play on while they ate.
A hundred words from me couldn’t compare to the kids’ own interactions. Sure enough, little D obediently stood in line, following the older girl’s lead. This trick worked wonders in the days that followed—we helped little D find “role models,” and often saw other parents pointing to her, saying similar things to their own kids. Each time, we’d share a knowing smile.
Brave Attempts
Punta Cana is famous for its pristine white-sand beaches, and walking barefoot on them is pure bliss. It was little D’s first time seeing the ocean. A water enthusiast, she immediately squealed with excitement at the sight of the sea, shouting, “Big water !” (quite fitting, really). Then she tugged me toward the waves, leaving this water-fearing mom weak in the knees.
My husband glanced at me, took little D’s hand, and said, “Go take some photos” (talk about being ruthlessly sidelined~). Though still wary of the ocean, my husband, ever the risk-taker, led her into deeper water. Several waves crashed over her, completely submerging her. Startled, she froze—but my husband laughed, scooped her up, and showed her how to wipe the water from her face. Seeing his cheerful reaction, little D didn’t mind at all. She kept charging back into the waves, popping up after each tumble, brushing the sand off her hands, and diving back in.
My husband tried teaching her to jump up as the waves approached.
After a few tries, little D caught on—seeing a wave coming, she’d pull her dad back toward shore. She’d even boss him around: “Daddy, run !” And when she did get splashed, she mimicked his actions, wiping the water away and giggling.
This successful first encounter with the ocean boosted little D’s confidence and enthusiasm for water play. Later that afternoon at the pool, I was the one holding her hand—or rather, she was dragging me along. Even in the shallow water, my aquaphobia lingered, and little D, ever perceptive, noticed. She urged me forward, cheering, “Mommy, go. It’s okay.” For the next few days, whenever we were at the pool, little D would sweetly wait for me, calling, “Mama coming !” before taking my hand and leading me around.
Table Manners
The resort had three restaurants: two buffets with daily themed cuisines, and one à la carte option that called for slightly dressier attire.
At the buffets, we always carried little D along to let her choose her food. For meat dishes like steak, pork, or barbecue, we’d ask the chefs to slice them onto our plates. During these moments, we’d prompt little D to ask, “May I have some beef ?” By the end of the week, she was using this phrase fluently—and now she asks for things at home the same way.
But the most astonishing thing was how quickly kids absorb language. Spanish is the official language there, and we always tried to pick up a few dining phrases from the staff—like “I’m done” or “I’d like two pieces.” My husband and I practiced at every meal but forgot by the next. By the third meal, we were still struggling with “I’m done” when little D suddenly said it perfectly. That’s what we call “language acquisition”—given the right environment, kids learn effortlessly.
Having eaten at buffets for days, where we could dine anytime, little D’s impatience flared up again at the à la carte restaurant. Sensing it was an English-speaking place, she loudly demanded, “I want mussels ! I want mussels !”
The restaurant was usually quiet, so her voice suddenly dominated the space, clearly disturbing other diners. There was no time for empathy—so I improvised a “pretend eating” game with little D.
“Wow, little D wants to eat oysters ! How do you eat oysters ? First, you pick one up, open it. Ah, it’s hot ! Blow on it, then eat. So yummy. Little D eats one, Daddy eats one.” Instantly, little D happily joined in our pretend feast, happily playing along until the appetizers arrived.
This is what toddlers aged two or three are like—they live entirely in the moment. When they want something, they really, truly want it badly, and it’s very hard for them to understand the concept of "waiting." So, we turned "waiting" into a game. Through play, little D found an outlet for her desires.
This place is rich in seafood, and a daily seafood buffet is a must. Since there are many European and American tourists, they also offer foods like steak, burgers, and fries. Each day has a theme, such as Dominican dinner or Mexican lunch, serving representative dishes.
Building new friendships
What’s thoughtful about ClubMed is that every resort worldwide provides childcare services, categorized by age—from 4 months to 17 years old. Because childcare is very popular, you must book in advance. Also, don’t forget to bring your child’s vaccination records (they require all vaccinations to be up to date). We enrolled little D in the 2-year-old class but didn’t keep her there all day—she was picked up halfway through each day. Every morning when we dropped her off, she would cry when saying goodbye, but according to the teachers, she stopped crying not long after we left.
There, the teachers arrange plenty of activities every day, such as taking the kids swimming in the pool, playing games on the lawn, or having all the children do body painting. Although saying goodbye each morning was hard, little D clearly enjoyed it. Every time we picked her up, we’d ask, “How was your day?” She’d always smile and say, “Happy!” then try to use her words to tell us what she did.
This week of half-day childcare was really worthwhile. For little D, she was adapting to changes in her environment and trying to build new friendships—both key aspects of social development that begin to emerge at this age.
At her age, little D still got to enjoy being pushed around in a stroller to activity locations.
Older kids walk the whole way themselves every day. The group leaders play different roles each day, singing songs and chanting slogans as they walk—it’s quite impressive.
After dropping off little D, those few hours each morning were incredibly precious for my husband and me. My husband would stake out a spot on the beach early, using his exact words: “Those few hours are the only time I can rest each day.”
And the sports activities here are packed throughout the day, almost every hour. For me, it was truly “like a mouse falling into a rice barrel.” Every morning, I’d pick a sport to join, and my favorite was Zumba, dancing facing the sea—it instantly lifted my mood.
After dropping off little D, I’d come here to do an hour of Zumba every day.
Mornings were also our chance to have some cocktails. This is my husband’s candid shot—he said my face just screamed, “Yes!! Time to drink!” Haha.
Homesickness
Without the excitement of the first few days, by the sixth day, as my husband put it, “little D had a bit of a personality change.” Nothing seemed to please her. In the middle of a meal, she kept yelling “noodle.” We offered her local stir-fried noodles, but she burst into uncontrollable crying the moment she saw them. Around 7 p.m. when it was time for bed, she started calling for “people.” My husband and I thought she wanted to go out and see others, so we took her outside. But not long after, she started crying again, shouting “people, people!” In the morning, she told me, “I want lobby,” so we wheeled her to the front desk, but she still wasn’t satisfied.
Because repeated attempts to communicate with her failed, little D completely broke down, often turning minor things into unstoppable crying fits. Little D had once been reported to the police by neighbors for crying too loudly before turning one. Imagine how she sounded crying in the resort at two and a half. Meanwhile, my husband was also on the verge of breaking down (his exact words later were: “I’m so scared, I’m scared she’ll stay like this forever”).
Body painting (painting on bare skin)
I tried to revisit everything she’d been talking about these past few days and finally realized little D was homesick. The “people” she mentioned were the little figures from her school bus model at home; the “noodle” was the shrimp and egg stir-fried noodles I made for her; the “lobby” was the front desk of our apartment building. So, I held little D and tried to help her sort through her emotions by telling a story.
“How long have we been away? Six days—wow, that’s such a long time. Little D is homesick, isn’t she? Do you miss the little figures at home? Yes, they’re probably in the school bus right now—who knows how they’re doing. Besides the figures, there’s also little D’s doll, right? And the kitchen toys haven’t cooked in ages either. Oh yes, we haven’t been to the lobby in so long—little D must miss Philip, haven’t you high-fived him in ages? And Mommy hasn’t made your favorite stir-fried noodles in a while. What’s in the noodles? Eggs; what else? Mushrooms; and? Shrimp—wow, super yummy!”
As I held little D and spoke slowly, it became clear she was truly reminiscing. At certain points, she even smiled. That’s when I knew my guess was right—and it explained why her temperament had suddenly changed these past couple of days.
Probably like all kids, what’s most fun on trips is playing in the sand or going to playgrounds and slides. Little D was no exception.
So, during the last two days, we slowed down the pace of play and tried to find activities that connected her to New York—like digging in the sand, playing on swings and slides at the playground—and brought along the toys she brought from home. We also used storytelling to soothe her homesickness.
On the day we packed to go home, when we got on the bus to the airport, little D seriously waved out the window and said, “Byebye, Punta Cana!” (Her dad had taught her to say “Punta Cana” from day one, but she refused to say it—until the very last day.)
Anecdote 1
There’s an area in the resort called “Adults Only.” My husband and I had always wondered what it was like. Finally, one morning while little D was at childcare, we went to check it out. To our surprise, it was peaceful—nothing like the wild “adults-only” scene we’d imagined. When we stepped out, we saw the sign: Zen Oasis. It dawned on us—it was just a quiet sanctuary away from screaming kids (we’d totally overthought it—we’ve since faced the wall in shame).
Anecdote 2
While waiting at the airport, little D insisted on drinking a can of milk. Not long after takeoff, she got airsick and threw up—all over me. I was holding her at the time, so she got me completely covered. We still had over three hours until landing. My husband went to change her clothes, and the flight attendant gave me wet wipes, dry cloths, and tissues. In the confined cabin, with the smell of vomit lingering, luckily another passenger offered me their personal body spray, which helped mask the odor a bit.
After cleaning the seat, I realized my entire pants were soaked. I went to the bathroom to take them off and wipe/wash them, but this flight didn’t even provide blankets. I had no choice but to grit my teeth and put the wet jeans back on (I was utterly devastated). That became the most embarrassing moment of our trip.
Before landing, we talked to little D about what happened. I asked her, “We disturbed other people—what should we do?” To my surprise, little D stood up on her seat and sincerely said to the passengers in the rows in front and behind her, “I’m sorry.” The passengers smiled and told her, “It’s okay. Get well soon.” It was such a heartwarming moment—no one complained, not even with a disapproving look. On the contrary, many passengers told me, “Kids are like that. My grandson/my niece did the same.”
Anecdote 3
On the last day, little D basically went on a “hunger strike”—she only wanted the dishes I made, refusing to eat anything from the resort restaurant. She just drank milk and ate bread. That day, I got vomited on, and the first thing I did when we got home wasn’t shower—it was make the noodles she wanted. The moment I served them, little D’s face lit up with joy, and she finished the whole bowl in one go. Such a stubborn kid, huh? If your child is just like little D, feel free to revisit this article—click here -> Stubborn little troublemakers are “blue-chip stocks”; the key is guiding them the right way.
This was our 8-day family trip — a bit chaotic but full of joy. There’s no such thing as a family trip being “worth it” or not, and don’t expect your child to suddenly become smarter just because you went on one trip. It’s just another instance of “blending in” among the countless moments of parenting. The arrival of a child shouldn’t completely take over our lives, but because of the child, we need to adjust a little when choosing travel destinations.
Travel is an accelerator for family bonding. It provides opportunities for quality time together, allowing us to truly put down our phones and explore flowers and grass at our child’s pace.
Genuine upbringing happens on the road. Travel allows children to see firsthand how their parents interact with others and follow social rules, making it the best opportunity for leading by example.
Those who have seen the world have a worldview. Every place has aspects we like or dislike. Having met different people, we can develop more inclusive and diverse values.
Big J’s Ramblings
Is there anything more important than packing when traveling with a child under 1.5 years old? You really need to prepare well — bring food, toys, and any necessary medications. The recommended reading section below summarizes previously shared travel tips. Feel free to pass it on if you need it.
Did I ever lose my temper during these 8 days? The only time I almost did was when I got vomited on. Those who know me will definitely understand. My husband kept saying afterward, “That’s definitely a mom’s love.” Jessica’s pants and bag were all covered in vomit, yet she didn’t even lose her cool. LOL.