Where Will My 8 Month Old Sleep at Grandma's?

He should be fine in a pack 'n play for both sleeping and to keep him safe, however, having him sleep and play in the same place may confuse him. They have some gate type things that can be formed into more of a corral type space which may be more better for play.

A pack n play would be the safest method, could you borrow one from a friend. I run a daycare and have children as old as 2 years old taking naps in a pack n play. They fold up nicely and are easy to transport. Good Luck

When I went to my moms house this last summer my daughter slept in a play pen.... It was no big deal for her..

He is so not too big for a pack and play. They are fine until the child can crawl out of it. My 2 1/2 year old still sleeps in it when we travel. Great investment...get a pack & play.

I would go with the pack and play. The instructions indicate that a pack and play is safe up to 35 inches tall or 30 pounds. I had to stop using mine when my son turned 2 because of the height restrictions and now I use a portable bed called a pea pod.

My advice is definitely to lay him down in a pack n' play before you buy it. My mom, my daughters Grandma, bought her a pack n' play for sleeping at her house when she was first born and she only fit in it for maybe the first 6 months. My daughter is on the taller side but still for the amount of money you will pay you want to get a few good years out of that purchase. This one only lasted a few months. The brand that we have is a Graco so you may want to try other brands. Good luck and I would love to hear if you find a larger one anywhere!

I agree with the other ladies - my 2 year old still sleeps in her pack n play when we travel, and she is in the 99th percentile for height AND weight (shes a BIG girl).

Shouldn't have a problem at all

Definately put him in a pack-n-play... I still put my 3 year old in one if we are in a new environment. He's not too big. Have fun!

I used a playpen, now called pack-n-play, when travelling and made it all cozy for him to sleep in. That worked well and travels nicely. Many other moms already suggested this- ooops.

Your son should fit fine in the pack and play. We just stayed at a hotel that had one, and our 2.3 year old (who is at the 99th percentile for height), fit fine (albeit barely). His head touched one side, and his toes the other - but he still slept comfortably.

We have a similar situation when we travel to my in-law's house. First we traveled with our own pack'n'play (or you can get a mini portable crib) and then they eventually bought one of their own to keep there. Our kids nap and sleep in the pack'n'play in our room and we know they are safe and confined. I had them in it until their heads and feet touched the ends. You should be able to get another year out of a pack'n'play. It also came in handy when going to a hotel or a friend's house and I sometimes used it on our patio. You might try borrowing one first to see if it works for your son.

N S,

Hmm... I don't think that he is "technically" too big for a pack-n-play... It depends more on how tall/long your son is and whether you think he can climb out of it (my guess is not yet). There is a company called Babies Away (www.babiesaway.com) where you can rent anything you need while you are away from home. They will deliver it to your destination and pick it up when you are done.... strollers, cribs, car seats etc...... A friend used it while in Hawaii and said it was a lifesaver!

Good Luck. Happy Thanksgiving!
K.

Check out this baby rental equipment website (www.babysaway.com), and see if they have a loation in Grandma's area. We have used it many times in Boston, Oregon and Missouri. It's awesome. The stuff is clean and safe and is run by mom's, so they know the importance of keeping the equipment clean. I'm sure they have a pack n play you can rent - my son is 14 months old and he still sleeps in one at Grandma's house. Either that, or see if Grandma has a friend who can lend you one while you are there. Or purchase the basic model to keep at her house for these such occassions. Good luck!

That's too funny I'm a nanny for twin girls who are 23 pounds each woo! Topping the charts, anyways we use a pac n play and it is wonderful! I highly suggest it! And we have a graco just make sure you don't get the one that says prtable crib because those usually are smaller than normal pac n plays

Hi,
My son is 3 and he still sleeps in a pack n play at grandma's house! He is safe and confined and comfortable. I constantly used the pack n play when he was a baby and I needed to make sure he was safe while I helped my older son, went to the bathroom, etc. It is a good investment, not too expensive, easy to travel with and will give you piece of mind. Good Luck.

My 2-1/2 year old 34 lb son sleeps in a pack and play when we travel. Sure, it's not as roomy as a crib, but with his comforter and lovey he is fine. My 16 month old 24 lb daughter sleeps in a pack and play right next to his. They are pretty standard as 'cribs' in most hotels around the world. Happy Thanksgiving!

I agree that he will be just fine in a Pack 'n Play. My son was in his until he was 20 months old, and then he learned to climb out so that was the end of that! My son was also a big baby, and he did just fine.
Have a great Thanksgiving!

Try asking Grandma if any of her acquaintances have a pack n play ("play pen" to her). That way you won't have to lug one along with you. Otherwise, ask if she'd consider buying one as a holiday gift - she can always re-sell it or use it for other grandchildren or lend it out to friends.

My 2.5 year old loves her pack n play at Grandma's even tho she hasn't been in her crib for a year at home. You may want to wait til you where you're going to pick it up so you don't have one more thing to pack (or have Grandma get one ahead of time). Happy Thanksgiving

Dear N S

Have you looked at a peapod for toddlers? It is on babycenter.com, baby ones are about $40 and the toddlers peapods are about $80. If that is not "confining" enough I would say yes for a pak and play. My 18 mo old sleeps in his at the babysitters for his naps, and he has slept there for over a year. Be prepared to put him down before everybody else cuz he will cry. That way when he is finally asleep, it will be time for everybody else's bedtime and there will be silence. Another thing you might want to let him get used to it before the trip, try letting him have naps in it first. Hope this helps.

Pack n Play should work perfectly. My daughter is now 21 months and sleeps in one for over night trips and for nap time a few days a week at daycare. She has learned to climb out recently but would rather let us know she is awake before trying to climb out. Happy Thanksgiving!
C.

He's definitely not too old/big for a pack-n-play. It's basically a travel crib. If he sleeps in a crib at home, this is your alternative on the go. My older son slept in one (on trips) until past 2 years old. It might take a little for him to get used to it, but should work fine. And you'll know he's safe! If for some reason you don't get a pack-n-play and he sleeps on the floor, perhaps you can take one of those cheap gates with you. You can at least childproof the bedroom as much as possible. But if he's anything like my sons, he won't stay put on the floor anyway to fall asleep. Putting him in a pack-n-play can help you keep a schedule/routine/familiarity while away. Good luck!

Your son is not too big or too old for a pack n play. My son is 18 months and sleeps in his pack n play when he goes to visit my mother. You can find inexpensive pack n plays at your local walmart, target, kmart, even costco has them sometimes!! Also, you might want to have your husband gently talk to his mother about babyproofing when you come to visit with baby, she may take it as a personal attack if you say something to her.

We still use the pack and play and my daughter is 18 months. Sometimes babies r us has them on sale and they are worth it. They fold up easy and come with a carrying bag. Good Luck

My 2 year old daughter (about 28 lbs)still sleeps in our pack-n-play when we travel. She is getting to be too long for it and if it's put too close to the edge of the bed she can climb out on to the bed... but if I could find a longer one I'd still use it!
I think mine came from either Target or Babies-R-Us and I don't remember it being a lot of money. Also there are a few different sizes. I know that Graco makes one that is quite a bit larger than the one we currently have...and it has wheels for eaiser traveling.
Hope that helps!

My son slept in the stroller. Not the most fun solution, but it really worked. I could have him next to me, but not inthe tiny bed at my parent's house and I didn't have to bring yet another baby thing with me.

The stroller I used was a big one, not one of the $20 variety that was gifted to me. I hope you find something that works!

You might want to check out places that rent out baby equipment in the area. Friends of mine used a baby equipment rental company when they traveled across the country. They delivered all of the ordered items and picked them up when they left. Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving! :0)

My parents checked out garage sales & craigslist. They bought a highchair, crib, & a stroller. All pretty cheap. Perfect for the occasional visit. Then after were gone they take it apart & put it in the garage.

We have twins and had the same challenge. We found this GREAT website called http://www.travelingwithkids.com/. THey have some really cool travel beds there as well as a set of wheels that strap onto the back of thier car seat that turns your exsisting carseat into a stroller. Which means less for you to carry!! I hope this helps.

I have heard that mini cribs are great. They usually cost between $125 and $200. They are just a smaller version of a regular crib and they usually fold smaller. I know you can get them at Target and stores like that. I also don't see why couldn't use that pack n play. If your son only weighs 23lbs that shouldn't be a problem. Hope this helps.

I know everyone is already telling you to use the pack n play even though you say your 8 month old out grew it. I'm wondering if you mean out grew in the sense that he stopped liking it because he got heavier and it's so darn hard. If so, I bought a matress for ours. I googled on line to find it and could possibly dig up the details if you want (just email me). It's about an inch and a half thick and fit perfectly. Made it a lot more comfy. Some would say the matress is a safety hazard. Your call. Good luck traveling!
N.

During the first year of my Son's life we visited my Mother in laws house which was a few states away about 5 times. The pack n' play worked fine because my Son is an active child also. Walking at 9 months and crawling at 4 months, we needed something to keep him safe and secure. After visiting so many times, my Mom in law decided to just by a permanant crib to keep at her house which worked out well also. Your son is only 8 months. He's not too big for the pack n' play. The pack n' play will come in handy when you need to do chores around the house and you want to make sure he's safe in his area. Plus, we took it to the park so he had a place to nap if we decided to be out for a longer period of time. My advice. Get one.

A pack and play will be fine for him for a couple of nights. I suggest getting hold of one now and letting him nap in it before you go away. This way it will smell of him and be familiar in the unfamiliar house of grandma's.

Do not use it as a play pen though. This may confuse the little guy and back fire on you whenyou are away.

Have a fun and safe trip.

M.
www.themomteam.com/britmum

Dear N S ,

Hmmmm, that is a problem, for one thing, call Grandma and ask if she has any suggestions about the baby sleeping . Maybe she has an idea. I used to take a small play pen and pad for my children to sleep in when we were visitng and it worked out o.k. I do think that you are on the right track in your planning. C. N.

We've always used our Evenflo Playard (same thing as a Pack and Play) every time we travel with our son. He's almost two and still fits. I bought a piece of foam that fits under the main mattress thing to make it more comfortable, and I bought a sheet specially made for Pack & Plays. You might be able to find a used P&P on Craigslist or Berkeley Parent Network (or on this site?) before you go.

I think the pack n play is a good idea for sleeping at Grandma's house. My 3 1/2 yr old daughter still sleeps in one at nap time. She shares a room with our 2 yr old son. He used to sleep in it at naptime but would climb out 3-4 times and wouldn't nap. So we switched them around. Now he sleeps in the crib and she sleeps in the pack n play. She is pretty bit for it but she usually curls up to sleep in it and seems to do okay.

My daughter slept in a pack-n-play until she was 3 and just wasn't having it anymore!