Hi all.
To date, my two-year-old has led a sheltered life when it comes to sleeping arrangements!
She has only spent the night at home or gramma's.
With summer ending, we have been invited to a beach house and it's located 3 hours away. Naturally this is an overnight trip that I definitely want to do since this is an old college friend with kids of her own!
Thing is, hubby can't join because he is working so it would be my daughter and I solo.
I am braced for a sleepless night since we will be in a new environment. I do not plan on sleeping in the same room as her since I know she will "sense" me.
Any suggestions?
The car ride should be fine since I plan on leaving during nap time and she sleeps in the car like a dream.
Yes, take a pack n play...tire her out at the beach! Fun in the sun always tires out little ones! Even big ones :)
It will probably go better then you think! Tire her out, fill her belly, give her a warm bath...she'll probably sleep better then ever!
Hmm, guess I'm not getting it. What's wrong with spending a night with your daughter?
We traveled with our kids from the time they were infants, and never had a problem sleeping in the same room with them. Sometimes in a crib or pack and play, sometimes in a bed (or tent!) with us. Sometimes the whole messy family in a pile on the floor in an equally messy pile of sleeping bags, pillows and blankets.
Now that they are teenagers that would NEVER happen, and frankly, I miss it :(
I guess what I am saying, young lady, is don't sweat the small stuff. One night away is just that, ONE NIGHT. Enjoy it. Don't stress out over schedules and routines, but the unexpected, the different and unusual? THAT'S what memories are made of :)
Do you have a pack-n-play? We always used it for travelling at that age. Anyway, tire her out at the beach when you get there. I've never met a kid who didn't sleep really well after a day at the beach!
If you sleep with your child, then instead of enjoying a nice visit with your friend you have to go to bed at the same time as your two year old!
Up until last year, my daughter could sleep in her pack-and-play when we went on trips, and we have been on several. We went to Myrtle Beach when she was a baby, we've been to Chicago when she was 3, we've been to Florida and Disney World and on a Disney cruise. We go every year back out to the east coast for our summer vacation and to visit friends and family - she has slept in her pack-and-play in hotel rooms, in our friend's cottage, and in our vacation apartment. Every time she has been worn out enough from all the activity that sleeping was not an issue. And we are visiting the beach almost daily on our east coast trips. Beach days are AWESOME for tiring them out! We've never let the fact that she was a baby or a toddler stop us from doing what we wanted to do, or what we had always done before she came along.
My daughter likes having some form of white noise going on for sleeping too. So having a fan running also helped. You could also see about a night light if you think it will help.
Plan travel such that you can give her some play time in the evening. Am sure with other kids, your daughter is bound to get excited, play well and tire. Make sure to watch out so that she doesn't over-tire herself. Very important.
Definitely, do sleep with her! There's nothing wrong with it. And you don't have to suffer sleeping in a couch or so.. :)
If you use some kind of white-noise generator, or special night-lamp for your daughter, make sure to carry it with you. Set it up in the room she sleeps. It'll give her some familiar sound and light to comfort her.
Hope you have a fabulous time! :)
I know you said you're not planning on sleeping in the same room, but I think this would be the perfect time to have her sleep with you since she will be in a new environment. That's what I would do with my son and he would usually sleep pretty well. He never had a problem transitioning back to his bed.
