By Angela Ishmael of SwankyMoms.com
It can take a while for children to feel relaxed in a new bedroom and bed and this can make going on vacation a bit of a challenge.
Here are 5 ideas on ways you can make it just a little easier for your child and you when you are staying away from home.
1. Take the bottom sheet off of your child’s crib/bed and take it with you. Put it on the crib/bed at your destination. Take your child’s pillow with you if you can. If you are unable you can just take the pillowcase.
2. Take the pj’s your child was wearing the night before you left with you. We want to try and make the crib/bed as much like home as possible. Taking all of the bedding from home will make the bed smell the same as home. You may also want to take some stuffed animals from home, even if your child isn’t attached to anything in particular, having familiar things around will help your child feel more secure and able to relax just a little easier.
3. Try and keep your routine the same. It’s hard when dealing with different time zones, but try to keep your routines as familiar as possible. Your child again will feel more secure and able to relax and unwind just a little easier.
4. Dealing w/ Jet Lag: One of the biggest pitfalls to avoid is not paying attention to the direction of travel and when your kids sleep. So, when traveling east, better to keep the child up and get that initial bed time closer to local time than fall asleep too early and get up much earlier than local breakfast time. Similarly, when traveling west, your child may have trouble falling asleep that first night. Have books and a movie on hand but wake your child up at local time the next day regardless of what time your child actually falls asleep.
5. Give your child a little extra help at bedtime. They are going to bed in a new environment and even though you are trying to make things as familiar as possible your child may wake up during the night and wonder where they are! Go to them and reassure them that everything is okay and they are safe and you are near.
Personal Bio:
Angela is the Community Manager of SwankyMoms.com. She is a small town beauty queen who traded in crown and town in search of a new adventure. When she is not blogging, you will find her hand in hand with her husband teaching kids in the slums of Nairobi or building homes in the hills of Mexico. She comes from a big loud Italian family, with 5 brothers & sisters. Build relationships is her passion! She talks wildly with her hands and loves to cook; bonus her husband loves to eat, it’s a win-win! Angela and her husband are expecting their first baby girl this fall! It will be their greatest and most rewarding adventure of all. SwankyMoms is her labor of love! She promises to bring you the latest tips & trends, deals & dish. She has a passion for children and supporting the strong women behind them!
You can find Angela online at:
http://www.swankymoms.com/swanky/
Kushies Magazine 
Leave a comment