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My husband and I recently took our kids to a small amusement park that's geared towards young children. It was a day trip for us, unlike many of the families that were there, so while we had woken up on the early side to pack and get ready, we started the day pretty well-rested. Our kids were so excited, and their energy was infectious. As we walked into the park, we were all smiles; joking around, and generally having fun. As we stood in line for our first ride, my husband looked at me and said, "Look around...everyone is scowling!" I looked around, and he was right. Even though the park had only been open for a few minutes - not nearly enough time for parents to be exhausted by the day, almost everyone looked miserable.
Vacation with kids is hard! Let's face it; we don't do it for ourselves, we do it for our kids! We want them to have new experiences and make memories and to have traditions to hold onto as we get older. All of that truly is magical. And it's also hard.
Over time, I've learned that the level of hard that vacation is in our family is directly correlated to our kids' level of tiredness. If we've stayed out late or if we ditched a nap in favor of fun, everything starts to deteriorate. I'm talking hyperactivity, impulsivity, extreme emotions...the works. Conversely, we realized that when our kids get a good night of sleep, vacation is a whole lot more fun.
You might be thinking, "That's great, Ali, but how the heck do I get my kids to get a good night of sleep on vacation?" Don't worry, I've got you! Check out my top 5 tips for maximizing your kids' sleep while on vacation. If you want even more awesome info, check out my Guide to Maximizing Sleep While Traveling!
Without further ado, here are my top 5 tips:
Bring all of your child's sleep comforts from home. This one is a biggie! All of the things that your child uses at bedtime at home are sleep associations for them and will help them sleep while away as well. This might be a favorite sleep sack, a special lovey (for toddlers old enough to have a lovey in the crib), the sound machine, portable blackout shades and even favorite books. It may feel like a lot of things to pack, but trust me; it will help!
Set up your child's sleep space as soon as you arrive at your destination. There are two reasons to do this. 1st, if you've been traveling all day, your child may be ready for nap or bed soother than she typically is. By having the sleep space ready, you have somewhere for her to go as soon as she needs to sleep. The other important reason for this is that by having the space set up, your child can get used to her new sleep space. I recommend setting up the Pack n' Play and then let your baby play in it while you unpack. If you have an older child, set up the sleep space together. Allow your child to decide where to put the sound machine and to practice talking with you on the monitor so that she's confident you'll hear her in the night. After that, play together or read books in her sleep space.
Stick to your child's bedtime and nap times as best as you can. This one can feel hard when you're on vacation, but I promise you that it will make your vacation 10 x more fun! If your kids are under 5, it may not be your year to stay out late for fireworks or to roast marshmallows under the moonlight. The more you throw your child's sleep schedule off, the less regulated his body will feel and the harder it will be for him to fall asleep. The same goes for naps. Do your best to help your child nap on the go, or return to your home away from home as nap time approached. Once rested, your child will be so much for ready to have fun again!
Role play bedtime and sleeping in the new space. Sleeping in a new space can feel unsettling for a toddler or preschooler. Take some time to role-play falling asleep in this new space. Practice what your child should do if he needs you, what to do if he wakes up in the middle of the night, and even walking from the bed to the bathroom. This will help ease any fears your child may have.
Show your child you believe she can sleep in a new space with your words and actions. When our kids feel uncertain about something, they look to us to see how we feel about it so that they know how to process the situation. Be confident in your child, and act and say things that show that you believe they'll have a great night of sleep in this new space. After the first night (where needing a little extra comfort is common), you may even want to do a modified version of the sleep training method that you used with your child at home. One tough night of clearly sharing expectations and supporting your child in meeting them can lead to a whole week of great sleep while away!
Give these tips a try the next time you're away and be sure to drop me an email to let me know how it goes! If you're thinking that your kids don't sleep well at home, so there's no way they'll sleep well on vacation, I can help with that, too. Book a free Discovery Call with me to learn more about how I can help you totally transform your child's sleep in just 2-3 weeks!
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