Hello Moms!
We are taking a family vacation in May and traveling to Ohio. We are staying at my friends house for 4 days. My question is, where is my son supposed to sleep? What products are out there for a 10 month old to sleep in when a crib is not available? He is very active and crawls a lot, so I could not put him on the floor even in one of those travel beds. PLEASE HELP MOMS!!!
My daughter was very active at 10 months and we used a Graco Pack 'N' Play for a travel crib. She couldn't climb out. My girl/boy twins also slept in Pack 'N' Plays at 15 months on a week-long vacation in Minnesota and did fine. My son, who can climb out of anything, couldn't climb out of that at 15 months, even though he was jumping and walking and running already at that point. We've always made sure to bring our kids' one or two special things with us and kept the bedtime routine as consistent as possible regardless of where we were, and they've fallen asleep and stayed asleep surprisingly well. Good luck!
A pack n play. Almost any store that sells baby stuff will have a couple different brands. It is the modern version of a play pen. Your son will not be able to get out. Make sure you also buy the special pack n play sheets that they also sell with crib bedding. The pack n play is a different size than a crib.
I agree, a pack and play is the way to go. We have one that is smaller than a normal size one, and it fits great with all the luggage in our small car.
When we went to Florida on vacation, we rented a crib. Wasn't very expensive. Maybe your friend can call around and find one at a local rental company...?
do you have a pack n play? Otherwise would it work to have him sleep between you and your husband in bed? We are lazy about bringing our pack n play and usually just end up sharing the bed.
Hi - I agree with the Pack & Play idea - we used one for my son when we traveled to Florida to visit my parents.
One thought if you go that route - ship it (UPS Ground?) to your friends house to arrive before you get there. They're designed to compactly fold up so they're easy to ship and your friends can just put the box in a closet or garage until you get there. This way, it's one less thing to lug to the airport!
Good luck -
Jennifer
In December, we took a family trip to Disney and I didn't want to use their cribs. We brought our Pack and Play. She slept in it and never tried climbing out of it. It worked great and we take it everywhere.
Hey there Karen,
I too would suggest a pack n play. They fold up for traveling. They are a little awkward, but at least you won't be worried about him waking up and crawling away. :) Either that or have him sleep with you during your vacation.
Good luck to you!
~Candice
www.EnhanceYourWayOfLife.com
A pack and play is the best option. It's great to have around for all purposes. Good investment.
If you decide on the pack n play, wash the sheet ahead of time so it smells like home, I always found it helps to make baby feel at home. Also your friends may have a pack n play if they have kids or a neighbor might, but buying one isn't too expensive, but stay away from the super cheap Cosco brand I hear they are terrible. Graco and Evenflo make pretty good ones, and unless they are marked a special size, they both take the same sheets. My daughter slept in one even when she was 3 when we went on vacation. She didn't seem to have difficulty adapting and neither did our son.
Beth
We rented a crib (and a high chair and a stroller) from Baby's Away when we traveled to Tucson and ds was 18 months old. Someone came to my aunt's house and set it up before we arrived, and took it down after we left. I'd recommend the company!
Toni
Can he just sleep with you? It's definitely the easiest solution when we're away and they love it. You can bring a pack and play with you but there's no guarantee that he's going to sleep in something he's not used to.
Hi, Karen. When we traveled with our daughter at 9 months of age, she slept in our Pack-n-Play. Our playpen folded up and fit into a bag with handles. We were able to take it with and she slept great! (After the first night, of course). None of my 3 children loved to be in the play pen, so sleeping in it, on occasion, was the only thing we ever used it for. Be aware, that any change in his normal sleeping arrangements will most likely result in a few sleepless nights, no matter where he is sleeping.
We used the Pack 'n' Play and co-sleeping. The Pack 'n' Play is a great option even if he won't sleep in it, as it's a safe area in which you can place him while you do other things. We found that most nights in a strange environment, he would fall asleep in the Pack 'n' Play but wake up more frequently, and co-sleeping made for more peaceful nights. A combination of the two worked well for us.
I would just suggest having him sleep between you and your husband. It's safe as long as both of you are sober and have 3 separate blankets.
We've always used the pack-n-play. The top part used as a bassinet comes out and you can have your child sleep in the bottom part. We purchased a small mattress to go in it to make it softer. It's worked like a charm!
there are some good portable cribs out there. we used to have one that came apart and fit into a carrying bag, similar to a tent! it worked great for traveling. i don't remember the manufacturer of the portable crib, however (my son is now 19).
Try a pack-n-play. We've used them many times for our little ones. They're easy to put up & take down.
Take a Pack n Play or see if your friend can borrow one for you while you're there. My kids slept in those on vacations until they were over 2. Good luck and have a fun trip!