A very long list of what to bring to bring to Uruguay if you are traveling with kids

What a family needs in Uruguay

Our family has been living in Uruguay since December of last year. Before we moved down, we didn’t know any other families with children down here, so we did the best we could to figure out what we would need. As we talk to other families who are making the move, we often get asked what they should bring.

I love making lists, they make me feel so organized. This is a list of what we tell people to bring if they have children. Bear in mind that our experience is with girls, aged 10, 8 and 6, and boys aged 3 and 1.

• Clothes: Good quality clothes are available here, comparable to the GAP, but at outrageous prices. They can be found at boutique stores and some mall stores. Mid-quality brands, like Target or Old Navy are available at stores in the mall, and some of the ferrias (open-air market), but it is hit and miss with the quality. Low-quality clothes, like K-mart or others are available everywhere, and are not as inexpensive as you would think. The ferrias are the main distributors for these kinds of clothes, and there isn’t much variety, and I have found them to be quite flimsy and cheaply made. Mending clothes is very inexpensive here, but it hardly makes sense to mend a poor-quality t-shirt when the seams pull out, if you could just get something of slightly better craftsmanship. However, there are lots of stands selling “home-made” clothes. Some of these can be very high quality. We bought some fleece pull-overs from the kids that were made here in Uruguay, and were very pleased with them. It is harder to care for clothes in Uruguay, as the water isn’t softened, and the cleaning products that you are used to aren’t available here. Bring your favorite stain-remover. You will need it! Clothes dryers are not common, and most people dry their clothes on a line. That reduces some of the wear and tear, but you also end up smelling like soot in the winter. (from all of the wood-burning fireplaces spewing ash into the air) Good jeans are hard to come by and rather expensive. My recommendation: Bring all the good quality jeans, socks (which are not-great here), shirts and exercise clothing you can manage. T-shirts are fine to buy here, as are most skirts, blouses, and shorts and pants.
• Shoes: Bring whatever you think you will need, and the next larger sizes that you anticipate. They have lots of different shoes for sale here, and uncountable shoe-repair shops, but their shoes for children are not of good quality, unless you pay astronomical sums for imports like NIKE. We have gone though dozens of pairs of shoes here. The quality is just poor, even as you get into the more expensive lines. Flip-flops and summer shoes are readily available and very inexpensive, so don’t bring those.
• Toys: The kinds of toys that you are used to in North America (NA) are available here, but again, at astronomical sums. There are lots and lots and lots of cheap plastic toys here, but they fall apart quickly, and are more trouble then they are worth. You can find nicely made artisan wood toys at some of the ferrias, and they aren’t too badly priced. Barbies, matchbox cars, etc, are available, but for almost double the US price.
• Books: If you have room, bring some, as there is a healthy exchange system for books in the ex-pat community, but there are also some shops in Pocitos that deal in second-hand kid’s fiction in English for very reasonable prices.
• Medicine: Ibuprofen and Tylenol (under a different name) are available, but there isn’t nearly the variety for decongestants and other cough suppressants. Bring whatever you think you might need. The nice thing about medicines here is that you don’t need a prescription for most drugs. You can explain to the pharmacist what you need and she will hand it over!
• Sheets: Sheets are very expensive here, and the quality is not good. If you can fit any in your suitcase, bring them! A standard twin sized bed in NA is also the standard here. Their king and queen size are smaller than the NA versions, but they still work.
• Any technology games (for kids or adults) that you are used to in NA will be harder to come by. If they are available that will be VERY VERY expensive. We have Leap Pads for our kids and have never seen anything like them here.
• Supplements, vitamins, special foods: Bring whatever you need! There just isn’t any comparison. We have a friend with a celiac child, and as we looked around, we could find some of the special flours and some pasta, but not much else like is available in NA. Having it shipped down here after you arrive will subject you to the 60% tariff. (no fun!)
• Comfort items: Peanut butter, the way you are used to, isn’t available. There is a German brand that some stores carry that doesn’t taste right to an American palate and it is about $6 US for about 4 oz. There is an Uruguayan version that isn’t what you’ll want, either. If you like PB, bring your own, or wait to get it when you cross the river to Buenos Aires. Protein bars, one of my staples, aren’t available here, much to my dismay. If you like them, bring a lot, you won’t find them here.
• Records: Make a copy of all your child’s medical records and bring it with you, especially with the vaccination record. They are pretty serious about that. Also bring an original birth certificate (you can order an extra one, if you are still keeping a home base in NA) and make several color copies. Also make color copies of their passports to show teachers, sport clubs, etc. While you are at it, do all of this for yourself and spouse. We scanned in all of this into the computer and stored a copy in our gmail account, and with our parents in the States.
• Toiletries: Shampoo, soap and basic lotions are all available here, but our family uses a few that aren’t, like Cetaphil, Oil of Olay, and Neutrogena body wash. We ask people to bring them down, or try to find them in Buenos Aires. Diapers are readily available, don’t waste room packing more than you’ll need for the trip down and maybe enough for a few days to get settled. (When we came, I brought hundreds, which was totally unnecessary, and took up space I wish I would have used for shoes and peanut butter!) If you want girlie accessories, you don’t need to bring any, you are entering girlie-heaven and they have more hair accessories and jewelry here than I have ever seen anywhere in my life.
• Art supplies/Games: They don’t have Crayola readily available here, stock up and bring them down with you. They do have lots of the cheap, waxy crayons, which aren’t any good. Paper, colored pencils, glue and scissors are easily available, but if your child’s interests go beyond that, bring the supplies with you. Board and card games are available, but are pricey. Regular face cards are cheap and readily available.

I hope this helps anyone who is considering moving here. We love living in Uruguay, and are excited to see other families with young kids traveling. It isn’t as hard as you think, and the benefits are worth any inconvenience. If you have any questions, you can email me at emilyfcampbell@gmail.com