Connor is still in his crib at home. He crawled out once last fall but didn't do it ever again. I don't want to give him a big boy bed until Scott comes home or if he crawls out again. That crib is a pain in the butt to take down. (Think Allen wrenches and 6 hours.)

Anyway, we are traveling to see my dad (pray for us, if you've seen my post on the general board) and they don't have a crib and he's too big for a port-a-crib. We'll be there a week and they're getting a "junior mattress" to put on the floor in my room.

What do I do if he does not want to sleep on that mattress or go down for a nap? Do I just keep putting him back on it? At night, I don't want him sleeping with me. I have to do that at the inlaws and he kicks me ALL night long.

By Kaye on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 08:10 am:

Yep, that is what you do. You have to remember on vacation the goal is to get sleep though. So you don't want an all out battle. If he won't lay down and stay, you can lay with him till he crashes. At bed time you can move him to his mattress. But if you play it up, like oh conner what a nice bed, Grandpa sure must think you are special for you to have your own bed, etc. He will probably enjoy the novelty.

Another side note, take some packing tape with you, you can child proof a room in minutes with it, tape over outlets, secure loose cords, etc. When my kids were this age, it was such a lifesaver when staying in hotels, it became a packing staple!

By Tripletmom on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 08:10 am:

Can you put the mattress against the wall and use a safety rail for the other side.(to make him feel secure)If you get there early enough maybe playing on the bed and getting him use to it might help.Maybe a new stuffed animal for a big boy might help.Talk alot about sleeping on a mattress before you go to let him get used to the idea.Will he lay down and look at books and fall asleep on his own?Good luck! I really dread the day when the boys need to go to a bed.

By Breann on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 10:14 am:

Maybe let him fall asleep with you, then put him down on the mattress?

By Luvn29 on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 11:08 am:

Kaye, the first thing I thought of when you said bring some packing tape with you was "If all else fails, tape him to it!" LOL!

After all, you did say in your post that on vacation the goal is to get some sleep!

Disclaimer: I am just kidding everyone! I know it is never right to tape a child down!

By Andi on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 11:35 am:

I was ging to suggest the same thing as Tripletmom. Good luck.

By Jjb on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 12:21 pm:

We've been in that situation before...it's rough since they're too big for the port-a-crib and too small for a bed. We've put a mattress against the wall in a corner and put a dresser or other piece of furniture at the end and put a lot of pillows on the side- a bed rail is a great idea (I'll have to use it with DS no. 3 this spring). We used a lot of bribery. Both DS's had to do this and they both fell off the mattress during the night, but it didn't seem to bother them so we left them on the floor sleeping. We were tired and they seemed okay with it. Good luck with your trip...on all fronts.

By Nicki on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 12:38 pm:

Lol, Heidi, when we changed over to Lara's big bed, her crib mattress was temporarily put on the living room floor. She decided at that point she wasn't quite ready for her big bed. Sooooo....she slept on that little mattress for a week! She loved it! She decided it was her "raft" and she camped out on it during the day and couldn't wait to sleep on it at night. Like Triplemom, I placed it next to a wall, and at night I put some pillows along the other side. She'd secure her favorite animals along the wall so they wouldn't fall overboard, LOL.
Like you, I would worry about sleeping at a different house because Lara, at this age, does not do well with change. Yet, so often I worry and things go smoothly! I will think good thoughts for you.:-)

By Bellajoe on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 01:13 pm:

Adena, that's the first thing I thought of too


I have nothing different to add Heidi, so i'm just going to wish you good luck!

By Bobbie~moderatr on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 02:16 pm:

Adena, "Disclaimer: I am just kidding everyone! I know it is never right to tape a child down!"

It isn't okay to tape your child??? I must have missed reading that in my how to be a perfect mother book... LOL

Duct tape should be found in the children's department.. There you go ladies, Duct tape with rubber duckies on it or baby bottles etc. Perfect... The owners of Duct tape should grab on to that idea, they could make millions on it. Think of the uses for it, besides taping them down that is..

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 02:38 pm:

Haven't read all of the other responses, but I also wouldn't let him sleep with you if you don't want him to. I would keep putting him back. Once when traveling Natalie slept with me (which was fine, I didn't mind although she never has at home), and the second time she did a sleeping bag.

We bought a toddler sleeping bag (we were staying with family and there weren't enough beds AND she was too big for a porta-crib). It's Barney, so at the time she LOVED it. We took lots of her favorite stuffed animals from her bed at home, including her bedroom nightlight,and it wasn't that bad. I was expecting a lot worse. We had the sleeping bag out around the house for a week before our trip.

I think Tripletmom's idea is also a good one. (That's as far as I got!) Good luck!!

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, March 7, 2007 - 03:10 pm:

A long time ago, when we used to sleep at my FIL's house, Sarah slept in a sleeping bag, right on the floor, because there was really no other place for her to sleep. She would have been about 3. Emily would have slept in the portable crib.

By Mrsheidi on Thursday, March 8, 2007 - 07:26 am:

Thanks, everyone! I just bought him some Little Einstein's sheets...he's going to love them. Maybe the novelty of it will be enough?
Gail (stepmom) just emailed me today and said, in response to my ground rules email, "You seem a little stressed about your visit."

Uh. Yeah. She must have forgotten that Connor cried almost the whole time we visited last time and I had to get up at 6am every day because that's when Connor woke up. (It was freezing in the room because they put us in the basement.) This time, I requested the upstairs guest bedroom.