Traveling with Almost 2 Year Old- Travel and Mattress Question

I vote for the pack n' play. That's what we did at that age.

For the drive, definitely pack the video games & dvd player.

Buy new toys for each that they have never seen before.

Stop often & get out to stretch their legs & not feel "couped up" in their
seats.
Be vigilant when stopping at rest stops to pee.

By 16 months both of my boys were sleeping on twin mattress on the floor (I preferred this to the crib).

I definitely wouldn't waste an money on buying something just for the trip. If you want her to go back to the crib, you can let her know that this is a special bed just for this trip. Or you can look at it as her transition into her big girl bed.

You could also let her sleep with you. Some kids have trouble sleeping in strange places, and sleeping next to Mommy or Daddy can be a huge help.

I suggest that she'll sleep where ever you put her. Any of your ideas will work. I don't know what would be the problem with letting her sleep in the play yard. My daughter is planning on having her newest baby sleep in one. She's starting with the bassinet part and when the baby outgrows that putting her in the play yard. Many babies that age do so. It was designed with that option in mind.

My daughter purchased a second hand crib twice, once off Craigs list. I went to the home, saw that it was clean and smoke free and that the crib was in good condition. Just because it's second hand does not mean it's moldy, smoky, has dust mites, etc. Look at it before you buy it.

My two yo granddaughter sometimes sleeps in a regular twin sized bed and she doesn't fall off. Even if she did, the floor is carpeted and she would not get hurt. LOL She falls both by accident and on purpose all the time while playing. How is falling off a twin bed any different? A trundle is just a few inches above the floor. I would not be concerned with her falling at all.

Teach her to stay in bed. Just gently return her to bed every time she gets out. She'll know in a night or three to stay in bed.

Another idea is to rent a crib and mattress when you get there.

We had a Pack-n-Play and my kids were quite comfortable sleeping in it.

When I do a long drive with small kids I plan LOTS of stops along the way. I would stop at playgrounds, restaurants and points of interest just to let them out to stretch their legs. Movies and video games are very helpful as well.

I'd go with the pack n play and put extra padding in it.

For the road, as much as you can, pack meals in a cooler and stop at rest area or parks to eat, where your kids can get out and run. Making a child behave in a restaurant, even a fast-food one, is like torture during long drives. Plan ahead to stop places where your kids can run during that time.

Portable DVD player and books for sure. A Leapster or DS or other handheld game for the 6 year old. My 6 year old also just started to love doing car games, like the roadsign alphabet game, on long rides.

She is old enough for a toddler bed. She's almost not a toddler anymore.

She is fine to sleep in the play pen.If she naps in it at all now then she's comfortable enough to sleep in it.

If you make a stop every 2-3 hours and let the kids get out and run around for a while you'll be much happier. They'll be much happier, they'll do a lot better.

I do a schedule much like this.

8am, get up, pack up, go eat. Get on the road by 9am. If you start earlier you'll need to stop for a morning snack.

Noon, stop and eat, let the kids run around.

12:30 or so pack them back up and head out again.

3pm. Stop for an afternoon snack. The little one should be hungry after napping. Don't stop until that one wakes up. Have some snacks for the other one in case the little one sleeps longer.

Then back on the road. Stop for a good solid dinner. The kids will really need time here to run crazy. They need to run off all the energy they've stored up all day. If you're spending the night at a hotel then this might be a good time to just stay put. You can put the swim suits on and go play in the pool and get them good and worn out. They can also use the cool water to reduce any inflammation from sitting in that same position all day. They're on vacation too and getting to play is a great time for bonding and fun they'll always remember.

If you continue on the road another few hours after dinner then you need to stop around 8 and have a good snack. Get teeth brushed and jammies on at the location you stop at. They'll still need some play time though.

Then you can get back in the vehicle and drive all night if you're up to it. They'll be asleep before too long and okay to sit there. I always put the car seats in a slightly reclining position so their heads would not bob around.

If you leave your home in the evening after dinner the kids can already be in jammies and have some simple snack foods to eat. They'll go to sleep and you can drive as long as you need here too.

There are lots of options but movies are the best. They last over an hour and they completely entertain them. You can drive that long and have pretty much peace and quiet until the credits start. This is a good cue to stopping too. After each movie is over you have a natural time for a break.

Put a comforter in the play pen. Just fold it up so it's soft and fluffy and let her lay on that. Your parents probably have an extra one. Or buy an egg crate when you get there and cut it to fit.

My daughter slept on the lower trundle with a bed gate when we would visit my mom's house. It worked out great! My older child slept on the upper/higher bed of the trundle. It was something special just at grandma's house. Try that before buying a crib, etc. If you go through the rules for sleeping in the special bed it should work. Good Luck!

Sounds too young for a bed. When we went to Florida w 2 year old, I rented a crib. It was delivered and picked up. This might work if such a company exists in the area u r staying.

You can buy a blow up toddler bed. It has small walls on it so they can't roll out. They don't cost that much, maybe 50 bucks. We actually dragged one all the way to Ireland...We originally bought it for a drive from Il to NJ.

My son has been in a low, twin sized bed since 13 months. She will be fine. She might get out, but there is not a safety issue. I would not want to drag a mattress around. Just try to make her understand she stays in the bed unless she is scared or truly needs something. My son got it.

Twin size trundle is fine. My son went right from cosleeping to twin mattress. Even rolling off it isn't much of a drop, and if you're worried about that, you can pick up a pool noodle and put it under the sheet to create a "rail". She can still get out of it, but a baby gate on the door will help. If you have the pressure locking kind, they can travel with you without being screwed into the parents' wall. We got ours at target for less than $30 and it worked great for years.

http://www.target.com/p/evenflo-memory-fit-ii-plastic-gat...

Why don't you rent a crib? It isn't really that expensive and it will be cleaner and better maintained than buying one second hand (probably). If you don't want her to be able to get up, then don't put her in a toddler bed or a mattress on the floor.

You could also bring your own crib mattress but use it in a rental crib.

Finally, do your parents have friends with grandkids? Maybe someone they know has a crib that you could borrow for the month.

Hi A.,

We drive to DC twice a year with our kids. Are you driving alone or with another adult? If you are doing it with another adult - consider leaving in late afternoon and going straight through. This works well if your parents will be there on the other end to take over child care while you sleep.

If you are alone, than I would suggest taking it in 3 days. Day one - Boca to Savannah or so...Day two - onwards to Richmond / DC area Day three - arrive NY. Try to leave early each day, have books / games, a "gift bag" made of wrapped items from dollar store to bribe them back into the van a few times. Try to stop every 2-3 hours for a "get the wiggles out break" - you need to participate - run, laugh, have a race, dance, wiggle, do the hokie pokie!! Lots of snacks and drinks.

We don't have a DVD player in our van and don't allow video games. We play music, do car trip games (even our 2 year old can look for a red car or a blue car, etc), have a mandantory "quiet hour" - during the 2 year old's nap time and usually the 7 year old falls asleep also. Plan to stay in a child friendly hotel - perhaps one with a pool (get more wiggles out for sleeping at night) and near child friendly dining options. We try to picnic for lunch, have a breakfast included hotel and then have to eat out only once. If we think eatting out will be too tough - get take out and have it in the hotel room.

If you chose to do a bed, even a toddler bed, than your baby won't go back into a crib when you get home!!! WARNING!! My 2 year old stays in his own pack n play with a comforter for extra padding. Not a problem.

Bring all comfort items - stuffed animals, blankies, etc. Good luck! C.

Have you ruled out flying? I cannot imagine such a long drive with those ages, especially when gas prices are so high and jetblue flies direct from so many places in FL to so many places in NY in about 3 hrs.

For a 2 year old I'd also feel most comfortable with a play yard or a travel crib. My little one stayed in a crib until she was 3.5 so I'm a fan. Perhaps your mother could see if anyone she knows has a crib or a portable crib (which feels much better than a play yard for sleeping although dimensions are the same) that she could borrow for the month for you.

we used this for our travel crib: http://www.walmart.com/ip/11993216?wmlspartner=wlpa&a...

Safe travels and enjoy your time with your parents!

I'd get an air mattress. I'd worry about her rolling under the bed with the trundle. With an air mattress, you can under-inflate it slightly so it's hammocked a little in the middle, which will make it harder for her to roll off.

Plus, it's easy to pack.

Be sure you get the one with the built in pump.