the bunch is 'shackin up' for the holidays

Traveling to visit family shouldbe an easy affair since it is your family. [cue: crazy laughter!] Holiday traveling is about bonding with one another in more ways than one. Quirky habits are unveiled to the world when everyone is stuffed in a room, sleeping on the floor and maneuvering the day on little sleep. Linda's kids (now 4 and 5) have only recently adjusted to 1) sleeping in the same room/bed 2) sleeping in a new place. Previously, in any new location, they would go to sleep late and wake up extra early leaving everyone tired and irritated for the first 24-36 hours anywhere. Cara's kids were conditioned from the beginning to sleep anywhere on anything. Linda is jealous.

Baby Bunchers have unique considerations when it comes to lodging because they can't risk A) their kids waking each other up, B) their kids waking other people up, C) other people waking their kids up. As we all know, the Baby Bunching machine is a finely oiled one, and it typically doesn't allow for sleep cycles to stray off course.  Sleep deprivation + Baby Bunch = nuclear meltdown.

Keep a few things in mind:

• Lodging away from home, in the long run, is a growing experience for everyone. Kids need to learn how to adapt to new situations. If you anticipate it will be a horrible experience for all, stay a brief amount of time and head back. Sometimes being on the road is better than being crammed into a small space with multiple kids....at least until they're older.

• Think outside the box on sleep arrangements. Perhaps toddler could sleep with a favorite aunt or grandma. Baby isn't picky about surroundings, many times a closet or bathroom will keep toddler (or older kids) from waking up the baby. Maybe even you can be the one to take to the floor on an inflatable bed in the living room. Don't feel confined by the number of bedrooms of a house.

• Get your gear loaded up because you probably need extra equipment to lodge your Bunch for the night or two. 1) Bring the bed. We're big fans of the pack n' play. But we just saw this inflatable toddler bedfeatured at Cool Mom Picks.  Genius! It might help reduce the number of portable cribs you have to stuff in the car. 2) Noise machine. If you don't have one, get one. It makes away from home easier if you can drown out the noise.

• Bring your sense of humor because not everyone will have one. Getting baby and toddler to sleep in a new place can be challenging.

 

Comments

[Kelly]

Great tips! We travel w/ a huge box fan that we set on HIGH while the kids are sleeping to keep anyone else from waking them up. It's been a huge help. (We also use it at home too, so it's a familiar sound)

[sierra]

Lol. This brings a lot of the earlier trips back. The best was when the 3 month old slept in an open suitcase on the floor of the closet and my husband and I each slept in twins with a toddler apiece. All I can say is bring your own pack and play, the ones pple will borrow for you can A.not appear. B be so ancient its just not safe no matter how much duct tape a friend offers.

[kelly]

ugh, we attempted one night with all 4 of us in a room... yeah, wont be doing that again. my toddler who usually sleeps great, woke up every time my 6 month old did, which was about 6 times in 8 hours. miserable. we'll have to figure out something before Christmas. :/

[jean grow]

We just had the worst visit yet... and thank God that our uncle has a love for children, a sense of peace during life's messy moments, and a great sense of humor! (I'm not joking... the horror here is understated, but not for the faint of heart.)

Just before we left, my older twin said "no Tom house, mommy house" and I thought "oh my, he doesn't like it here, or maybe I just do a good job at making peaceful days at home" and then the puke happened... right down to puking that yellow bile that says nothing more can come up... turns out home is just a better place to be sick. And then I found out how big-boy swim trunks (the twins' favorite potty-training priviledge, all day every day) can have a strainer-effect... and this was all over my uncle's kitchen counter top! Just as I was retching, trying to strip off my pukey dress shirt to cradle the eldest into the bathroom without dripping... my uncle walks through calmly, gives me a supportive, loving smile (without any concern for his kitchen) and goes outside to smoke his cigar! Oh, what I wouldn't have given for him to smoke it inside and cover up that stench! By the time he came back in a few minutes later, the Clorox was doing its job and Gabe was happily bathing in baking soda.

This was before the screaming daiper rash... three kids under three and a snowy pass between us and home. God bless Uncle Tom and his Christmas gift of studded tires!