My girls are 2 years and 5 months old and we will be embarking this summer on our first long car trip to my in-laws house. We will be there 4 days/3 nights and are trying to plan the car ride while they are mostly sleeping. I am worried about the sleep situation though once we are there. They will be in pack and plays in one room together. They do share a room now but this will be in a strange place. Lately although they nap great at home, they refuse to nap when we go to my parents for the day (they live nearby). Usually nap time ends with at least two of them stripping naked, peeing in the pack and play, and completely taking the entire thing apart (sheet off, mattress out, and occasionally partially collapsed). So needless to say not sure how it will go to nap and overnight sleep them like this in a new place.

ANY suggestions? Do I try those pea pod travel bed things? They are expensive and we don't travel much. Am I crazy to try just skipping the nap in hopes they will crash at night? Any ideas are appreciated!!

Lara
Mom to GGG born at 25+4 on 12/25/09

We took our first trip to my moms house when my kids were about that age. It's about a 3 1/2 hour ride (not the longest ride but enough ). I had thought my kids would sleep in the car and they did not. We have now taken about 5 trips there and my kids have never slept in the car. We do have a DVD player in our car and that was awesome. They just watched DVD's the whole time and didn't really give us any problems. If you don't have a DVD player I would suggest trying to get one before you go (just my opinion). We bought new movies we thought they would like.

We used pack n plays the first couple times we went there and this last time since they were a little older we used sleeping bags. Both options were fine for nighttime, but they have yet to nap there in all the times we have gon . Everytime we go I continue to try and put them down for naps just incase 1 of them really does need/want to nap. I bring our video monitor with us and just keep an eye on them the whole time. Once they start doing something they shouldn't I go in and yell at them. If you don't have a video monitor, you could stay in the room with them or right outside the room to keep an eye on them.

Good luck!

JILL MOM TO
KOURTNEY 3 LBS 1 OZ
KEEGAN 2 LBS 1 OZ
KARVER 1 LB 10 OZ
10/4/08 @ 29 weeks

We took our first trip with our girls last summer when they were the same age, except we flew, a total of 6 hours with one 55 minute layover. Nobody slept on the plane (they don't sleep in the car either, so we were kind of expecting it). They each had a crib in a separate room at my in-laws' house. We brought along their sound machines, as well as two toys they have in their bed.

Surprisingly, they slept fine when we were there. Went to bed with no problems, and even the bad sleeper, the one who would wake us up several times a night, slept through the night all but one day - and even then she only woke up at 6. I think they were so exhausted after that first day of travel that they had nothing in them to put up a stink that first night. After that, I think it was a combo of the new surroundings and activities and people tiring them out, plus them having slept so well they first night they didn't need to worry.

Amy

Julia, ^Caitlin^ & Gabrielle



Visit us at http://onealaskanmom.wordpress.com

My kids will be 3 in August. We have traveled a couple of times. Our most recent trip was in early May when we went to my dad's, which is about 10 hours away. The kids did great traveling. When we were there they slept wonderful at night but we co-sleep. Nap time was a nightmare. They did not want to nap and then they were cranky. I tried to take their favorite things that they sleep with every day at nap time. You know your kids better than anyone and I would do what you thought was right. I know that I love to plan but they always seem to change my plans. Good luck and have fun on your trip.

My kids are 23 months and all of our family lives about 2 1/2 to 3 hours away. We go at least once a month to spend the night so we can have time to visit with everybody. My kids do not sleep well away from home at all. My mother-in-law has a crib and two pack-n-plays for us at her house, but my kids just won't go to sleep like they should. They never take naps when we are away from home and they don't go to bed until 10 or later (our normal bedtime is 7:30-8) I wish you much luck!!!

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