Travel with a toddler

[bubbaray]

OK, mommas. I need some help. We travel reasonably often with DD. She's 25m, 29lbs, can't remember how tall, but about average. At home, she is still sleeping mostly in her crib. When we travel, she's up until now usually slept in a PNP, or coslept with us.

Neither the PNP or cosleeping is working for us now. I think she finds the PNP uncomfortable and too small. Cosleeping is driving me craaaaazy, b/c then she wants to do it at home. We have enough sleep issues as it is, KWIM?

So, what do we do? Get some sort of air mattress and have her sleep in the floor (we usually travel with a gate).

Other ideas?

TIA


Melissa

Maya Papaya!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040411/3/4/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

[jbowman]

We're about to leave for the weekend, and this will be our first overnight trip since Ellie started sleeping in her "big girl" bed. We are bringing a really huge, soft comforter that we are going to try on the floor. Not the greatest solution, but I think the PNP would be uncomfortable (and we'll be using that for baby Alice). We may get a roll-away bed and move the mattress to the floor, if the comforter thing doesn't work. HTH!

[ciaobella]

We just got back from a 2 week trip with our DS and we used an inflatable children's mattress and it worked great - we used Thomas the Train, but it comes in lots of different styles (you can usually find them at Target, Walmart, etc). If you search under the Bargains forum, I think they were clearing out Care Bears somewhere recently. Hope this helps - good luck!



http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33735.jpg

[bubbaray]

The rollaway is a great idea for hotels. Duh, I should have thought about that. So, will you bring some sort of crib rails or does Ellie sleep safely without rolling? Maya still rolls on her big girl bed, which is why we're still using the crib (sigh).

Let me know how the comforter on the floor works. We travel a LOT to friends houses in the summer, so that's why we were thinking something like a Thermarest or similar mattress. Maybe a Dora sleeping bag or something like that, only used while travelling....

If you see a Honda Odyssey on the highway with a twin mattress strapped to the roof, that might be us. ;)

Thanks!

Melissa

Maya Papaya!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040411/3/4/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

[bubbaray]

WOW, that would be PERFECT! CareBares would work so well -- she appears to be off her Dora binge and onto CareBares books....

OK, I"m off to hunt that down. Do you have a product name or manufacturer??

Thanks!

Melissa

Maya Papaya!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040411/3/4/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

[californiagirl]

We use an inflatable mattress -- the one from One Step Ahead. Works great.

[ciaobella]

Well, it looks like the bargain is over - I am sorry!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001NE4OY/ref=nosim/104-2328115-1247928?n=3375251

It was an amazon deal. I know that my DH found care bears in store at either Walmart, Target or Toys R Us when we were looking for ours.

Here is the link for what Walmart has online: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=133143

Here is Target (they have Care Bears!):

http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=in_br_display-ladders/601-8656674-7431315?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=108141011

You can always try eBay as well - I got mine there new in box because Thomas was out of stock online at the time.

Good luck!

[ciaobella]

Well, it looks like the bargain is over - I am sorry!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001NE4OY/ref=nosim/104-2328115-1247928?n=3375251

It was an amazon deal. I know that my DH found care bears in store at either Walmart, Target or Toys R Us when we were looking for ours.

Here is the link for what Walmart has online: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=133143

Here is Target (they have Care Bears!):

http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=in_br_display-ladders/601-8656674-7431315?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=108141011

You can always try eBay as well - I got mine there new in box because Thomas was out of stock online at the time.

Good luck!

[jbowman]

Ellie has never slept with rails on her bed, but she doesn't move around that much (and FWIW, she only has a mattress--no box springs--on her bed, so it is very low to the ground). We'll fold up the comforter so it's a little softer and more bed-like. The Dora sleeping bag is a great idea!

And if you see a Honda Odyssey with a giant comforter in the back, that's us. ;)

[jbowman]

Ellie has never slept with rails on her bed, but she doesn't move around that much (and FWIW, she only has a mattress--no box springs--on her bed, so it is very low to the ground). We'll fold up the comforter so it's a little softer and more bed-like. The Dora sleeping bag is a great idea!

And if you see a Honda Odyssey with a giant comforter in the back, that's us. ;)

[bubbaray]

Thank you soooo much. I just called the Target closest to me and they have a Dora one in stock! Maybe they will get the Care Bears one before I get down there! :)

Thanks so much!

Melissa

Maya Papaya!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040411/3/4/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

[mudder17]

I just made a suggestion over in Around the House (T2 travel cot thread) and it worked great. We used the Ready Bed, but because Kaya is used to sleeping under a crib tent, we put the Ready Bed in a pop-up tent that was part of a $9.99 clearance set in the Camping Section. The tent is wider than the Ready Bed, but just the right length for the Ready Bed and Kaya loved being in her tent. We put pillows on the outside of the bed so that if she rolled off, she would land on pillows. We were able to twist-tie the tent closed, although in the end we didn't have to (although she asked us to, since it was part of the routine, LOL). Anyway, for her, it was just as neat as being in her crib tent. In the hotel, we put the whole tent on the queen size bed next to us, and put a quilt (the hotel bedspread) on the floor of the tent and she was perfectly comfortable. We put a pillow on either side of her so that she wouldn't roll all the way to the edge of the tent and it worked fabulously.


Eileen

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33732.gif for Leah
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33734.gif 27 months...
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_-6_Kaya+is.png
Kaya will be a sister, ~11/14/06!

[bubbaray]

Oooh, another idea I'm stealing! :) What a great idea....

Inflatable toddler bed, sleeping bad AND a tent -- Target, here I come!


Melissa

Maya Papaya!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040411/3/4/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

[MamaKath]

2 thoughts.

1- Ready Bed. Costco, Bjs, Walmart, and Target are the stores I have seen these in recently. My kids love these, and they are great for travel.

2 a small play tent. Just watch that you don't get one with a plastic floor for safety reasons. Lots of kids love the thought of camping out indoors. :-)

GL and have a great trip!!!

[kransden]

My big suggestion is bring along a comforter (my choice), blanket etc. that still has your scent on it. My dd will snuggle in and sleep if she is surrounded by mommy and daddy "smell". Otherwise, we are up all night - sigh.

Karin and Katie 10/24/02