Sleep Ponderings from Me: My Weekend Camping Trip

This weekend our family went camping. Overall it was a pretty good trip and of course our kids had a blast- there is something about being outside 24-7 and dirt that just make them happy- a s'more or two and hanging out with friends help too.

So, how did sleep go on this trip? Great!

We got to our camp site late on Friday night- way past our kids bedtime- thankfully they slept in the car on the two hour trip before we stopped for dinner. We set up our tent trailer, got everyone's sleeping bags out, turned on the sound spa, and we all went to bed. My baby sleeps in a Kidco tent which is great, and my other two in 40 degree sleeping bags. I sometimes double up on pjs if it is really cold. And for my baby, I almost always double pjs and use a baby sleep bag.

Since, we had such a late night on Friday and a fun morning playing at the lake... all three kids took afternoon naps on Saturday (usually only my baby does). My oldest gets warm very easily, so she didn't want to sleep in the tent trailer... I reclined a camp chair and she slept for an hour or so on that.

And they all slept well on Saturday night- it was a bit cooler, so we turned on a borrowed tent heater and put it closer to the baby. Temperature can be tricky when camping- it is hard to sleep if it is cold. Try to make sure your kids are warm, and you will all sleep much better.

Necessities: Sound spa, sleeping bags and/or some sort of baby sleeping device, warm pjs (multiple layers).. see tips from my last post on camping.

Sunday Sleep Dilemma

Q: How do you camp with kids, so they get the sleep they need?

A: I have friends that love to camp, my husband loves to camp... so when I was finally coerced to go camping with family in tow, I was a bit nervous and skeptical about how sleeping would go.

My only camping experience with kids had been when my oldest daughter was 1 1/2 years old- we camped in a tent, under a tree (where a branch tapped on the tent all night), near a train, and next to some noisy neighbors. We slept horribly, and I vowed to never camp again with kids.

Well, as things go, I decided to try it again. This time I was much better prepared and thought out the whole sleeping arrangement much more carefully (amazing what a few years of parenting under your belt will do for you). I brought an infant travel bed for my baby (who was only two months old at the time), and my other two children were old enough to sleep in sleeping bags. I also brought a sound spa (with extra batteries). It went pretty well. They took a bit longer to calm down at bedtime due to the excitement of vacation... but slept well.

Since, I have camped many times... naps, bedtime have all gone fine. I highly recommend giving it a try if you too are being coerced by an avid camper in your life.

Camping tips:
-Use a sound spa (bring lots of extra batteries).
-Bring an appropriate bed for your child: pack n play, Phil & Teds Traveller, Kidco Tent, infant travel bed, sleeping bag (choose an appropriate warmth for your location...).
-You can get tents with room dividers- they can be helpful. Tent trailers and trailers/motor homes are also a nice indulgence.
-Dress your kids for the temperature- feel free to double up on pajamas, try a baby sleep bag.
-Keep to your sleep schedule as much as possible- bank on tired kids- got to love a day outside.
-Have your kids practice how you want them to go to sleep.

Travel on the Go: Graco Infant Travel Bed

Traveling with a baby? In search of a compact sleep solution?

Graco makes an Infant Travel Bed that is great for travel, nap time out or whenever you need a place to put your baby to bed. It is very compact- ideal for airplane travel as well as an already loaded car. It weighs under 5 pounds and has nice shoulder strap for comfort. You could also easily pack it in a larger suitcase. It is wipeable and comes with two removable, washable sheets and is extremely easy to assemble. This bed could serve your sleep-on-the-go needs until your baby is 5-6 months and/or the baby starts rolling/pushing up... I suggest keeping it on the floor for safety purposes.

Sunday Sleep Dilemma

Q: How do you share a hotel room with kids?

A: Over the years, I have shared many hotel rooms with my children. I have had some good experiences and some bad experiences. Now, I have my set criteria on what the hotel must have for me to even go. I will seriously stay home and not attempt it if we can't meet my criteria. May seem selfish- but honestly- why go on a vacation if it is going to be miserable and no one is going to sleep.

Here are my criteria and some tips for making it work for you:

• Get a suite or two adjoining rooms- splurge or go to a hotel where all the rooms are suites. This is necessary unless you want to go to sleep when your kids do. Use the extra room to watch a movie, invite friends over, or just hang out in after the kids go to sleep.
  
• Use the bathroom as an extra bedroom- I have found that most bathrooms fit a pack n play if you go in, close the door and set it up. You can also unscrew the light bulb so just the fan stays on and you have a built-in white noise machine. Another added benefit of the bathroom is that they are dark!
  
• If you don't use the bathroom you can use the little hallway that leads to the entrance. Make sure you put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door whenever anyone is sleeping. I also like to use the extra lock feature for added safety.
• Decide if you want to bring a pack n play or if you are going to use a hotel crib- love the convenience of the hotel crib but many times they don't have bumpers and my kids legs end up getting caught in the bars. If they are used to their pack n play it may be an easier transition to sleep as well.
  
• Have older kids practice sleeping in the same room a few times before you kiss them goodnight.
  
• Try to keep things as similar to home as possible: same sound spa, same favorite blanket or stuffed animal, same bedtime routine if possible (it is vacation so things will vary- but try).
  
• Close the big curtains- hotel rooms are made to be nice and dark which is a huge benefit!
  
• Get a room on the first floor- in front of the pool if possible. This makes it easy to lug your luggage in, easy for room access, you can leave your stuff out there if it is nap time, you can sit on the patio and still enjoy being outside and around people during nap time or in the evening.

*A real indulgence- bring along a babysitter!!

Sleep Ponderings from Me: Summertime Travels and Sleep

As I think about traveling this summer and all the joys and miseries of travel with young children, I am reminded of a recent experience that I think could easily transfer to better sleep in small confined space during travels this summer.

Recently, due to finances my family had to rent out our house and move in with my parents for 7 months. We just moved back and our happy to be in our own space and thankful to my parents for extending their gracious hand...

But, while we were staying with them my three children had to share a bedroom. When we moved in they were 4, 2, and 6 months. My youngest and oldest had been sharing a room successfully since my baby was a couple months old. My two-year old son had had his own room and struggled to go to sleep in the same room as his sisters nightly. I identified this struggle as related to his crazy boy nature and his age. Eventually, we just started putting him to sleep at night in our room and then moving him when we went to bed. This was difficult since our room was really our only quiet space... but we dealt.

Towards the end of our stay, I had been reading a book called Raising Godly Tomatoes by Elizabeth Krueger. (This book is Christian based but no matter your beliefs it has many valuable lessons to teach). Anyways, she talks about having your children always obey and wait for them to do it versus solely disciplining them for not obeying and moving on. She also talks about having them practice the behaviors you want them to do. As I reflected on this thought, I was shocked I had never come up with it on my own. As a teacher, I knew the huge importance of modeling and practice. I often had my children practice different things, and I often modeled the correct way to respond to something (whether that be without an attitude or using please/thank you...). But, I had never completed the connection with following up disobedience with practice, modeling, and waiting for them to obey.

One evening, as I was getting ready to put my son to bed in my bed and the girls in the kids room, I stopped. I had stuff I needed to do- pay bills, sit in silence... I decided that we should practice having all the kids sleep in the same room right then. So, I had my son and oldest daughter get in their beds and we turned off the light and then practiced "sleeping" without messing around or talking to each other. Then, I had them get up quietly and practice leaving their room (the baby usually gets woken up by the older two in the morning). Then, we practiced this a few more times. That night my kids all went straight to sleep without a peep... and the next night... and the next...

My son was a bit older at the time I did this training than when we moved in, and they had been living in this situation for months. These could have been factors that effected the situation and outcome. But, we need to take a minute and think that sometimes we have expectations for our children to do things that that they may not completely grasp. It is amazing what a bit of practice, modeling, and clear guidance can do for our children's understanding in any situation.

This summer as you share a hotel room, or a tent, or have to sleep in the car on a long road trip... instead of just telling your children to go to sleep in the new situation and then getting frustrated with them when they don't... take the time to model for them what you expect this to look like. And then have them practice a few times to get the feel for what you are expecting. It may make a world of a difference.

*Also, try to recreate your child's sleep environment to the best of your ability: bring their lovies, read a story if that is part of your routine, bring a sound spa- they take batteries, try to make it dark (hotel rooms are great for this). Try to follow a similar routine to the one you follow at home.

Sleep Ponderings from Me

I just returned home from a 12 day vacation with the family. Husband, wife, three kids drive 2000 miles in 12 days touching five states. It was quite the trip. And I would have to say that my kids (ages 4 1/2, 2 1/2, and 5 months) were absolutely amazing!

So, how did they sleep you wonder? They missed a couple naps when we were driving- just depended on what we did that day and where we had to stop, but overall their sleep stayed on schedule. My 5 month old took great naps on the road, and she would take 3 hour naps on the beach (in her pack'n'play, covered with a blanket, with her noise maker). She woke up at night some of the nights- but 4 of us were staying in the same room. It is vacation; you can't expect perfection.

My other two kids went to bed a bit later a couple of the nights- had to be flexible for the extra fun things you do on vacation, but they went to bed easily, took good naps and were amazing.
Thanks to them getting to sleep well on the trip they were able to keep great attitudes.

Question for You

How do you create an adequate sleep environment for your child/children when you travel?

Summer Travels: Airplane Travel

I am about to leave to visit friends in Oklahoma... three kids, sans husband. We are flying... thank goodness for a direct flight! It is a three hour flight and we will be flying during two of the kids' naptimes... What to do about naps? Skip the nap, nap when we get there, try for a nap on the plane???

My four year-old doesn't take a nap, just a rest, so we are good there. My two year-old takes a two to three hour nap daily. I am going to have him skip the nap and go to bed a bit earlier, as long as he isn't completely wound up from being in a new place. And my three month-old... I am going to wear a sling (holds her tight like swaddling and provides some darkness) and give her a paci or nurse her to sleep on the plane. Thankfully, she is still at a pretty easy stage for naps on the go, although they have become lessAnd I think we will be well-slept, at least as good as it gets for traveling.

When I arrive in Oklahoma, we will have a two-hour time difference to deal with. I will switch them all immediately to Oklahoma time for sleep schedules. This is when it is good that they are worn out from traveling; they are usually always ready to sleep.

I think it is good to go into traveling with a plan that will optimize and make sleep possible, but also with the realistic expectation that things will not always go as intended. So, do your best when traveling. But, be ready to be flexible and adjust for circumstances: flights being delayed, the flight attendant waking everyone up on the plane as she asks "what beverage would you like? peanuts anyone?", one of the kids needing to go potty and you having to truck the whole group to the miniscule bathroom, or whatever it may be. Smile. You can always have a margarita when you get there. And remember do your best to allow for sleep: well-slept children will make the trip more enjoyable for everyone.