Vacation Help

Do you know anyone you can borrow a portable crib from? It may be hard to get her to sleep in it but if you get it ahead of time you could try it out before you go so she'd be used to it.

The 9 yo should be entertainable. Take along books, crayons and coloring books, games, etc. The baby can be laid in a dresser drawer on the floor by the bed. Put a small blanket or pillow in for padding, and that should work. My M. tells of putting my baby sister in a doll buggy for the nite once. Be creative.

Whenever we travel with my 17 month old or stay at my mom's or in-law's house she sleeps in her pack and play with a sheet on it. She has been doing this since she was little every few months, but never had a problem transitioning back to the crib. They are only about $60 for the Graco ones, and they are extremely light and easy. Good luck!

My daughter loved watching videos on long trips. We have a travel DVD player that we only use it on long trips. It keeps her ABSOLUTELY QUIET. Also, do you have a pack and play? Borrow borrow one from a friend. My kids both slept in it and they did fine. Perhaps put the little one in a room alone, or in a place in your room where she can't see you, thats what I do and they did fine.

First thing make sure that you have lots of games to keep them entertain. You might have to buy a portable playpen for the 20 month old. But if you really have to ket the kids sleep in the same bed. You will never know but to try it. That doesn't means that the baby will be depending on you or your husband to put her to sleep.

S.:
Have a great trip! It will be much easier than you think. For the car, movies always work well with our kids. I also pack a bag with suprise activities for the kids, stickers, markers, travel doodle pads, etc. Obviously you've got an age gap, but at least your 9 yo can help entertain the baby. When my youngest was 2 we drove 10 hours on a trip, and he did fine between the DVD player, books that make noises, and a lot of his favorite small toys. Also make sure to schedule your travel so you can optimize naps in the car (if your youngest is a good car sleeper that is). We went to Hilton Head on that trip and there were many places down there that rented cribs. We did it all online--it was set up in the house we rented when we arrived, and they picked it up after we left. Easy as could be! Just search online for crib rental with your destination. Otherwise, bring along a pack and play if your little one will sleep in it still.
Good luck!
B.

My kids are now a little older, but we travel A LOT, even when they were babies. It was almost 4 hours to my folks! I agree with a lot of the comments. We had a rule "never stop if a baby is sleeping and always stop for a crying baby" ! We tried to plan when we left close to nap time or when we knew they would get tired. We did not have a TV or DVD and I would not recommend it for just 4 hours. People have always told us how well our kids traveled and we think it was because we just learned to have fun together without high tech stuff. Of course we had lots of CD's/music to sing along with and fun interactive stuff. About the bed. Our kids slept with us and transferred to a real bed with guard rails before they were 20 months, so we just brought a sleeping bag. Fitting it up to one wall. We used it a couple of times for nap time prior to using it on a trip. It was like we were "camping" But, the rental of the Pack and Go's sound good too! Best wishes for your trip!

Do you have a portable crib to take with you? If you don't, I am sure you can find a friend or someone to loan you one. My daughter used hers for all of our travel until she was almost 3! I take along all of her usual bed fellows- sutffed animals, her blanket, etc. to make the bed as much like her bed at home as possible. Also, before any trip longer than a couple of days- I hit the dollar aisle at Target, the Dollar store, etc. and stock up on some cheap but safe toys. For a week long trip- I will usually even spend the money to buy each child one nice toy as well ( a new set of blocks, etc.). New toys will undoubtedly keep their attention better than the ones they already have. For the car trip, I take puppets, books, magnadoodles, etc. Since your kids are far apart in age- I would recomend the kind of car dvd player that we have. It is actually 2 different screens and each can play a different movie (or the same if you prepfer). You can plug headphones into each one.
Hope this is all helpful!

S. - I am right there with you, but we have a 2.5 y/o and a 6 m/o and we are driving Tuesday to NC (12 hrs total with no stops)!!! I am not worried about our 6 m/o as she will have things to play with, but my son is what I am worried about as well. Though we have done a lot of traveling since he has been born, we haven't done any within the last year. Anyway....I am planning on taking new books (lots of them) from the library, we do have a DVD player in the van, some music cd's that he likes and some toys. I know of some parents that go to the dollar store and pick up a new cheap toy for each hour of their drive so the kids always have something new to play with, so maybe that is an option. Of course, snack/drinks, stuff to color and just making fun with the surrounding is a lot of fun. Such as getting the semi's to honk their horns or making race car noises (if they are into that) to help occupy them. We also try to pick out animals along the way as well. Hope all these ideas help...good luck and have a great trip.

Dear S.,

I have a 6 yr, a 5 yr., and a 9 month old. I've traveled with the other two many times in the past when they were much younger and what I always did was this. When they are not around buy some new stuff for them to take along on the trip. For the older one, some new books or travel games to keep them occupied. Maybe even perhaps an MP3 player if they don't already have one? They have some really inexpensive ones for kids right now that will cost you about $30. For the younger, grab a small book bag and just put some new books and toys in it. I always called this the surprise grab bag and I'd put stuff in it that I know would entertain them.
As for sleeping, do you have a pack 'n' play you can take with? I don't know if you are flying or driving but if you are driving, that's an easy thing to take with you. Or you can get an inflatable toddler bed from One Step Ahead. And that's a little easier to take with you on a plane if you are going that route. It doesn't have the high sides that she's used to but you could always play the "sleep like a big girl" card and use some kind of reward system for getting her to sleep in it.
If you go to www.onestepahead.com and go to the travel section you should be able to find a number of different travewl ideas for your little one.
Hope this helps a little!
-A.

Hi S.! Sounds like a fun vacation! When my boys were that age, I made sure I took 2 milk-crates (one for each) with their favorite books, toys, drawing games, etc. Might be time to check out the DVD players (for vehicles)....sometimes you can find them on sale....or a portable one for your 9yo?? Just a thought...that's good for the 5 hour trip. Re: the crib, port-a-cribs were a lifesaver for me.

Good Luck!

Why don't you see if you could rent or borrow a pack-n-play for the trip. We've done that, even when he was over 2 and it worked very well. As for the trip, lots of books, magnetic books, crayons, the 9yo can use a leapster or other learning game or dvd if you have a lap top. Good luck!

We took our 10 month old on vacation to a condo & we used a pack & play for him to sleep in. At home he always refused to nap in one, so the first night we let him fall asleep with us then moved him to the p&p & he was fine the rest of the nights.

Next best thing to the crib is the pack n'play. We used ours when we went away last year. Ben was about 18 months at the time, and he did wonderfully in it. Just take a familiar blanket or two and some of her stuffed animals to keep her company.
As for the car ride there & back, I'd take some different musical toys (use them for as long as you can stand them). Maybe start the adventure right around her nap time, if she has one, that way she'll be drowsy and the car ride can help lull her to sleep for at least part of the trip.

S.,
What entertains your kids at home? My 9yo reads all the time so we always take a few good books that he can read. We also take Gameboy's and a portable DVD player for each kid. If you don't have one ask a friend, parents who have them know how great they are on car trips. I am sure they would loan it to you for the trip. Most kids under two or three will sleep in the car most of the time. So make it comfortable and if you are traveling during the day make sure you have sun shades. One thing that always worked for us is to leave at bedtime. The kids go to sleep and you and your husband have a few hours to just be together, or nap and trade off drivers. Do you have a portable crib, if not, borrow one. You don't want to spend the whole vacation with everyone miserable because the baby won't sleep.
Good Luck!
Have a safe trip.

We went to the library and rented books on tape or cd. The younger ones come with the book and he can follow along. It dings when it is time to turn the page.

For the crib, we always just take our pack 'n play for the baby/toddler to sleep in when on vacation.

For the trip, I wouldn't worry about it too much. A 5 hour drive is no big deal. Just pack a bag/backpack of toys for each of them.... the 9yo can pack his/her own with books, music, small toys, leappad, etc. For the 20 month old, just bring some small sturdy hard books, small toys, color wonder markers/books, etc. A handheld video game would be good for the 9 year old. If he/she doesn't have one, you can buy a single game one like battleship or tetris in the toy section for like $10. If you have a portable DVD player to bring along, that'll also be nice. Bring a soccer ball and frisbee, too. About halfway through, stop at a rest area and make the kids run around with the ball/frisbee for 30 minutes to burn off some energy.

We routinely do a 3 hour drive to my parents (5 yo, 2yo, 6 month old -- plus 2 big dogs) once or twice a month. It's a non-stop drive and the kids are content with just 1 bag each of toys... half the time we forget the bag of toys and they just have the normal few small things that are in the car and they are great. We do a 12 hour drive to upstate NY every few months doing what I described above and they are fine, too.

Another way to keep your 9 yo entertained is make him/her the navigator. Show 'em how to read a map and where you are going and let him/her let you know when turns are coming up. We started doing this with our 5 year old and he loves it. He managed to get us half-way to NY in December without any mistakes.

we went on a vacation last summer with a 9 year old and a 18 month old. for the baby we left very early around 4 am then she slept for a good portion of the trip. for the 9 year old we have portable dvd player and he watched movies. we had about a 12 hour drive and made it without any meltdowns from any of the kids. we also took a portacrib and that is what our daughter slept in, she also was in a crib it didnt hamper her sleeping at home at all. hope you have a great vacation.

Can you take a pack n play with you for the baby to sleep in? We use a dvd player in our van for long trips, and it helps some.

Rent a crib. If its a time share type condo they ussally have things like that available. If not go to a second hand store and down there and buy one the porta crib shouldn't be that much. then you can sell it back to them when your done. As for keeping them busy take age approbate books color and travel games and don't forget the snacks and drinks.for good tips go to Parenting magazine web site.Don't forget about all the road games your parents probable shared with you.like watching for license plates.

I would say plan to make lots of stops for your kids on the way. Sitting in a seat can make them cranky. Also, Have you looked into a portacrib? They worked well for my kids. Usually you can find one in good shape at a yard sale or consignment shop.

Also, for the 9 yr old...you might make up little bags of surprises...activities, crayons, etc. Every so often let him brake out a new bag. That way the toys don't get old and boring. I usually went to the dollar store and got fun cheap stuff.

Every July we go to families house. The trip takes 11 hrs. We have three children.Keeping a baby busy is not easy. Get new toys that he hasn't ever seen...something new will keep them occupied longer. As far as sleeping goes, use a porta-crib. There wonderful! They don't take up much room and they fold out easily anywhere! Good luck.

I would definitely invest in a pack-n-play for the 20 month old. You can set it up and haveit next to your bed and not have to worry about starting the habit of her sleeping with you and your husband. I think that the pack-n-plays run around $50-$75 at any department store. Hope that helps.

Hi S.!
1. Make sure you bring someting they can hold on their lap that has edges. That way the crayons/legos/carrots won't fall on the floor or into the crack of the seat. We use trays with 1-inch high sides.
2. Don't make the mistake of starting movies too soon in the trip. Yes, it keeps them occupied, but that's ALL they want to do. We have a rule--they have to do other things for 2 hours until our first rest break. We bring a soccer ball to kick around at break time (even the little one loves it) and we have races ("to that tree and back") to get them moving.
3. We also play a couple of unusual car games. The "Song Game" is a game where you choose a word (e.g. star)and then try to come up with a line from a song containing that word--"When you wish upon a star", "Twinkle twinkle little star",etc. We play boys against girls so each team has an adult. Each team takes turns coming up with a song to match the word, then we pick a new word. The littlest always goes first, and we always pick a word that is in Disney songs or nursery rhymes to make it easy for her. We can easily go for 20 minutes or more on this game. We also play "The Minister's Cat." The first person starts, "The minister's cat is an adorable (or awful or abominable) cat." The next person says, "The minister's cat is a beautiful (or black or biting) cat." Each person continues with the next letter of the alphabet and thinks of an adjective to describe the cat. This helped my little one practice her alphabet and learn about describing words when she was 3.
4. Make sure you bring along fruits and veggies in the car cut up in small plastic bags. They are hard to find on the road, and it's an easy way to make sure everyone is getting their 5-a-day. If there are no other choices, they'll eat what's there. Have fun on your trip!

Good luck with the five hour drive! Your 20 month old will get bored and want out for sure. I am sure you don't want to stop much, on your trip, but maybe you should, just so the kids can stretch their legs! I have a daughter who is now 2.5 and the one thing we bought was a portable DVD Player. (My husband bought it from Target, I think?)It attachs to the back of the head rest. We bring cartoons for my daughter to watch and it works great for long trips. Also, bring a bin of toys & books too! In regards to sleeping arrangements, when we went to North Carolina last summer, I brought my "pack-n-play" and my daughter slept in there. It is worth it to have one! :) The first night may be a little rough, but it works out a lot better than to let her sleep in your bed. I hope this helps!

Depending on your 20 month olds height, a pak n play might be perfect. When my daughter was about a year old we went to spend a week at my fiance's parents. We took the pak n play and it was perfect for her at that time. But of course some kids grow out of those quicker then others. I know at 20months my daughter wouldn't have been able to fit comfortably into it, but her father is 6'5 and I'm 5'10 so she's really tall for her age. I made the mistake of letting my daughter sleep with us once on a vacation, and your totally right, it created a dependency and she wanted to do it at home as well. Good Luck!

As far as sleeeping goes, get a portable bed. You can get a neat one from One Step Ahead catalog. They have sides, we used it for our kids until they were big enough to sleep in sleeping bags or on real beds. The kids can roll out so we always found a corner in a room and then placed our bags on the other end to make a firmer support.

As far as travel entertainment I have the kids pack a few things to do, but they get bored with that quick! So I by a few new things for them to do! New crayons & coloring books, new reading books, sometimes it's a neat type of candy. For example last year I found spiderman smartee dispensers. I get many items from the dollar store or the dollar section of Target and such. A couple of items can be $5, but most is pretty simple. My son loves dinosaurs so a new plush would make him happy and my daughter loves horses. I also buy about 4 new movies. They get 2 on the way up and 2 on the way back. Not sure if you want your 20 month old watching tv that your 9 yr old watches, but maybe you can find something simple they would both enjoy, like a movie about horses (my daughter loves them) if they both like them, or something like that. By the way, I give a new gift about once every hour if they behave. Longer if they don't. So if one is good and the other is not they will see the reward the good kid is getting and shape up quick!
Have a great trip!!!

Try taking a travel crib, like a travel play pen thing. I was so afraid of putting my kids in bed with me so I had one I took with us everywhere if we went on vacation or just out of town a few nights. It works out great!

try a portable crib.

Invest in a portable DVD player. Make sure you have everything you need to make it work in your vehicle. Traveling is very boring for children & miserable for adults when they're not entertained. Set aside some favorites or buy some new movies to take. Read books to the 20month old. They usually love it. Sing songs! My kids loved it & so do my grandkids. We colored pictures. Plan on entertaining your little one at least part of the trip yourself. Buy him some new toys & put them up until the trip & keep them in the car for the return trip. Take a playpen for her to sleep in. Most kids don't know the difference. If you don't own one, perhaps you could borrow one. Have fun!

We just returned home today from a 5 hour drive vacation(our first also). My kids are 7, 5 and 2. Go to www.momsminivan.com. I got some great travel ideas from the site, especially ones you could use for your 9 year old. I packed a "travel bag" for each of my kids, with folders that had drawing/coloring pages, travel scavenger hunts and travel bingo. The web site was great. Good luck on your trip! We had a great time.

We just got back from our first vacation with our 16 month old and it was a 5 hour car trip normally (8 hour with our daughter b/c we stopped every 1-1/2 hours. I think stopping frequently to let the kids burn off some energy is a great thing. We stopped at a mall to let them run around. We got a portable DVD player for the car and played her favorite video (Baby Einstein First Signs) that kept her happy when she wasn't sleeping. As far as sleeping, do you have room for a pack-n-play? Our daughter has only slept in a crib and she did great in a pack-n-play while we were gone. Good Luck!!

My advice is to check the area that you will be vacationing in and see if there are any children's rental stores. You may be able to rent a crib for your stay.

Try getting her used to sleeping in a pack and play. Set it up at the house and let her try it a few nights here and there. Then on vacation you can use one and it won't be brand new. She will be familiar. It still may be tough the first night or so but it will be a lot better if she has done it before.
My littlest loved a large magna doodle and a baby type leap pad on our 14 hour journey at Christmas. She was 21 months. Lots of baggies filled with snacks, etc. also filled the time. Bring her favorite blankie or toy for the car as well. Good luck! You can find great toys at a deep discount at children's resale shops.
The baby will probably do better than you think since they are usually happy just to look around at this age.

Do you have a pack-n-play or know someone that you can borrow one from? That's what we always did and my kids were both fine. As for keeping them happy, we took a 14 hour trip last year (broken up into 2 days)and things went well. We bought a portable dvd which was fabulous (especially for a 14 hour trip), again, if you don't have one, maybe you could borrow one? They are expensive. We also took lots of breaks, and took lots of snack and took magnadoodles and some other things to write with/color. Do your kids like Leap pads or have portable game systems? Good luck! Have fun!

Don't know where you are going, S., but ask your condo rental company about renting a crib--sometimes they can bring one to your condo (or a pak n play) or there might be an agency in the area from whom you can rent baby equipment.

S.,
We traveled to Disney last year and my daughter was 2 yrs. old. We bought children's cd's for the music and a DVD player (our car doesn't have one built in), crayons coloring books, books for her to "read", familiar toys and her favorite blanket. It was a very busy trip down there but she didn't get too bored, when she did we stopped at rest areas and let her run and play. Just have fun and don't stress out too bad!
See if you can borrow a Pack-n-play from someone for her to sleep in, it's similar to a crib. What about the 9 mo. old's sleeping habits?? I bet if you asked around somebody could help you out.
Have fun! Enjoy!
R.

Depends on where you are going, but try babysaway.com. They have lots of locations and rent cribs, high chairs, strollers, etc. They set-up before you arrive. I have not used them, but my friends who have all had good experiences.

I have a few ideas for entertaining the kids. We moved from California to Ohio last year and had to drive with a 11 and 5 year old the entire way so we had to find things to do. I don't know if you have a car dvd player, but they are wonderful. Another idea would be making a travel bingo type game. We created our own and laminated them to use dry erase markers with. Find clip art online of things you might see along the way. Might not want the little one to use the marker, but she could look for things too. We play the abc game a lot. Looking for things that start with the letters of the alphabet. Or, eye spy. That is always a good one. Take along a cd of toddler songs for the little one and everyone can sing. As for the sleeping arrangement, pack-n-play's are a great portible crib to take along. I don't blame you for not wanting to let her sleep with you. Its a hard habit to break so I would try to figure something else out. Even using the couch with one of those bed rail guards might make it seem "crib-like" enough for her. Hope you can use some of this info!

Congratulations on scheduling your first vacation! A nine year old should be no problem for a 5 hour trip. The key is to plan ahead and include stops in that plan. Every hour and a half to two hours, plan to stop for potty and exercise breaks. Allow them to run around, skip and do something physical at the rest area. Take a variety of snacks and plenty of books, crayons, and other seat games that she/he can play. Also consider car games dealing with license plates and other sites you all can see along the way. For instance, make a list of states and look for license plates from each allowing the child to check them off as you go. Make a list of animals or other things (like a blue truck, a red convertible, etc.) and do the same. These are probably available online now.

For the 20 month old, try to leave at a time when he/she is not overly tired but is due for a nap during the trip. Try to let him/her sleep as long as possible even if it means the older child has to wait a little longer for a break. Call ahead of time to the condo you are staying and ask about renting a crib. Many associations at resorts have them on hand. If not, look up rental agencies in the area. Again, in most resort areas you can rent anything from medical equipment to special needs, like high chairs and cribs. Search online for places like that. They will in most cases deliver it on the day of your arrival and pick it up on your day of departure.

If possible keep the kids on the schedule they are used to at home, getting up, naps, bedtime, mealtimes. It makes it more pleasant for everyone.

I hope you have a wonderful experience. Just keep in mind that when you vacation with kids, it is different than being childless. It is all about them! Your joy will come from seeing theirs.

5 hours isn't too bad. I'm sure they'll probably sleep most of the way. A portable DVD player always keeps my boys happy!! Also take a pack and play. My son is 21 months and he still sleeps in one at hotels and grandma's.

Pack a few toys for them to play with in the car. My mom used to give us baby wipes & let us "clean" the back seat. We loved it. We'd play like that for hours. As for the baby, we have a pack n play. They sell them just about everywhere. That's what we used for our baby to sleep on vacation and it worked great. Have fun!

I also have a 9-year-old, and luckily, they are old enough to negotiate with! We travel a lot, so I have a couple suggestions. First, it is a MUST to have a TV. Back in the day, we weren't strapped in, but now kids are. A TV is the best way to keep the kids entertained. If you don't have a TV built in the car, you can get one that straps to the front seats. Borrow one if you have to, but definitely get one. Then stock up on your movies from home. OR even better, since it is a special occasion - buy or rent a new one. Fresh movies that havn't been seen yet will capture the attention longer. If you have head-phones, then you and your husband can listen to your own music (or talk!).

Also, I would talk to the 9 year-old and explain that the trip is going to be long, and give (her/him) control on how to handle the trip. That way, they won't feel slighted in any way when it is the 20-month's turn for entertainment!! Give (her/him) options: You can play your Nintendo DS while your brother/sister watches a movie (i.e. The Wiggles). Then when the 20-month old is sleeping (which he/she surely will on a trip that long!), it is the 9 year old's turn for a movie (more her/his age-appropriate). Bribery is also a beautiful thing when it comes to trips.... I use bribery only under special circumstances, and traveling is one of those circumstances - especially for older kids. Buy her a new game for the DS, or tell her if she helps keep the 20-month old happy the whole trip, you will do such and such for her (i.e. take her/him to a park just the two of you when you get home), or buy her such and such (a Webkinz for example).

Cheap lap tables can be bought at Meijer or Wal-Mart too - that way my kids can color. New (cheap) coloring books are usually a hit because they are "brand new" - with brand new crayons.

I always have my two kids pack their very own backpack full of toys/games/etc. That way they are in charge of what entertainment they want for the car.

Snacks - definitely bring fun snacks. Their own special water bottles too, the kind that don't spill.

Your car will be a disaster, they always are on a road trip.... but who cares! As long as the kids are happy - everyone is happy!

Good luck! Have fun and be safe!

Oh - bring a port-a-crib for the 20-month old!! Borrow one if you have to. Bring (her/his) special blanket/pillow/stuffed animals.

For the drive, little presents each hour helps the time pass by. Can be as simple as a pack of gum or fruit snacks wrapped up, or, depending where you are going, can be something they will use on the trip ie. shovel and pail if going to the beach. Pipe cleaners are a fun thing to have in the car. Your older one can make all kinds of sculptures and jewelry. You might want to be prepared with crafts or activities for your hotel/condo for rainy days too. Play-doh would be a great thing both children could play with, also, dominos are a hit with my kids - the older ones can match the numbers, and they can build with my little one. Crayons, paper and some new stickers are always a hit as well. If you aren't opposed to it, a portable DVD player can be a lifesaver.

The crib. I wouldn't recommend using the hotel's crib if they offer one. In my experience, I have found that they are not the greatest (old, dirty, not sure if they meet current standards). If you don't have a port-a-crib, borrow one. If your child has a special lovey or blanket or music that you use at bed time, bring it!

I hope this helps. I have 3 little boys 7 and under and we have traveled to Hawaii, Guam, Australia, New Zealand, and all over the states (yes, we are military). Kids go with the flow as long as you don't get too stressed out. Bring along things that make them comfortable - a special pillow or toy, and make it an adventure!

Hi S.,
I do know there are places out there that rent out baby accessories cribs, pak-n-plays, exersaucers, formula, diapers, bottles, etc... for those traveling on vacation so you don't have to bring your whole house with you :)
I remember when we traveled to Arizona and Florida we looked some up on the internet...some will deliver right to your condo and pick things up when you leave.
I hope this helps!
Have a WONDERFUL TRIP!!!!!!
T.

Buy one of those DVD players that hooks on the back of your seat! Also go buy a travel pack N play she'll sleep like an angel :)

Wow, you have received a large number of responses so far! Here is one more quick one. During our annual fourteen hour drive I have wrapped little "gifts" up and given them to my daughter to open along the way. When she was younger we gave them to her every couple of hours, and as she has gotten older we let her open one every time we entered a different state. The excitement of this helped keep her mind off of being cooped up in her car seat. We also utilized the play areas of restaurants on breaks so she could let off some steam.
Enjoy your trip~

I am sure you can purchase or go to a thrift store to find a traveling "playpen crib". Your little one will feel right at home and sleep very well on vacation. make sure the 9 year old has plenty to keep her occupied, books, music, activity books. You'll be at your destination before you know it.

A well traveled grandma!

For the drive I suggest getting a portable dvd player or you can go to walmart and buy the two headrests with the dvd players in them so each child can watch the movie, there only about 150.00 dollars if you do alot of traveling I would suggest the built in ones. And for the condo, do you have a pack n play because my daughter will sleep in that with a crib sheet and she loves it. Plus it is so easy to put up and travel with. I hoped I helped.

I just got back from a trip with my 19 month old daughter. We flew, but to help keep her quiet, we took some new toys and books, plus her favorite blanket. Could you drive in the evening when they are more likely to sleep in the car?

As far as the sleeping arrangements go, we tried the pack and play (it worked in the past), but she would wake up crying and want to come in our bed which is not allowed at home! The last night we were there, we bought a cot that was not even half as high as the bed and put that directly next to our bed on my side. When she would wake up in the middle of the night (I think she just didn't realize where she was) I would rub her back and let her know that mommy was right there with her. She would fall back asleep and slept on the cot the entire night! She woke up three times that night, but easily went back to sleep with reassurance and I did not even have to get out of bed.

I hope this helps and you have a wonderful vacation!

Congrats on getting to go on a vacation. We traveled for Christmas to my parents in Iowa. A 17 hour trip. The one thing that really helped us was a portable DVD player. We borrowed it from someone in our church. My two year old daughter loved watching her movies in the car. As for the sleeping arrangements, do you have a pack-n-play? If not ask friends to borrow one. If you think your daughter might not sleep in it try telling her it is a special vacation bed. Maybe if you are excited about it she will be too. Good luck and I hope you have fun. K.