Back from Vacation and Toddler Not Sleeping like Before

This is completely and totally normal!!! Not fun, but normal. "Re-entry" is hard for all of us but particularly for little ones. You took an amazing trip and that is a good thing! In the long run, your child will be better off for having participated in new adventures - it actually builds confidence about going into new situations, improves social skills in dealing with new people, and so on. You can talk about the trip and how nice it was to meet new people, how you will go on more trips, etc. THen say how wonderful it is to be home and back to our routines and favorite things like her room and the babysitter. It will pass once you get into the swing of things again. Just go back to your old familiar patterns and don't change anything except maybe a little extra reassurance.

Not ruined, no, but a bit traumatized perhaps.
Her entire world was turned upside down and the memories are too raw , and she too young, to put them in perspective yet.
Love her up , reassure her, let her settle back into her normal routine on her own. You will know when she is ready.
She needs to know you will be there and things will be the way they were. Use plenty of gentle kindness.
Some children do not do well with changes..she seems to be one of them.
Quite a bit of patience here is called for in order for her to sort this all out and allay her fears.
Tincture of time and this, too, shall pass.
Best wishes and God bless
Grandmother Lowell

It sounds like she had an amazing trip, and got used to having her parents (and her friends) with her 24/7. It must be tough getting back to her old schedule, and having to sleep alone again and have time away from you again, but she'll get back to the routine after a while. What a great adventure- we are considering taking our 2 yr old on her first camping trip soon.

Hi H.,

Sounds like you had an awesome trip!! No I am sure you did not "ruin" your daughter. You didn't say how long you have been back but I am thinking that she is just going to have to readjust to her schedule and people around her now that you are back. She just went through a great experience and those 12 days she got used to and comfortable with the people in your group and is used to you sleeping in the room with her. You are probably going to need to start over with a relaxing bed time routine and get her used to it again. I don't know if you took pictures but maybe putting together a little photo albumn of the people from your group and some of the things that you saw on your adventure and then looking at it and talking about your adventure before she goes to bed, let her go to sleep with the photos, maybe that will comfort her. We took our then 15 month old daugher to Disney for 9 days a few years ago and she got used to us sleeping in the same hotel room every night and having her cousins, nana, papa, aunt and uncles with her every day. It took about 2 weeks after we got back for her to sleep through the night without one of us staying in the room till she fell asleep and to readjust to her life here with just mom and dad. Kids are pretty adaptable. She got used to your routine the 12 days that you were on vacation and I am sure that in time she will readjust to her routine at home again. Good Luck.