This morning I got an email from Kayla at reviews.com who works on a research team in the US that reviews baby essentials, and this one was about baby monitors. If there is one really big important “sleep related” item parents want to know about when expecting a baby, it’s which baby monitors go the extra mile (pun intended…).

So, here you go…the work has been done for you by Kayla Allen and the rest of her team – below is a link to their reviews of the Best Baby Monitors of 2017

www.reviews.com/baby-monitor

Live Well!

During the summer months it is very common to become lax on bedtimes. After all, there is so much to do: traveling, visitors, campfire nights, and so on. So in the next few weeks it’s a really good idea to slowly start moving bedtime a little earlier by 15 minutes every few nights, until you get them back to their regular time. Just expecting them to quickly go from 11pm back to 8pm, for example, could be a very difficult transition. Overtired children have difficulty adjusting to new classes, new routines, new teachers, and new friends.

Another area that tends to fall by the wayside is our eating schedule. Often in the summer, because children are sleeping later they are also eating later. So again, this is a good area to start returning to routine. Otherwise, we run the risk that they will eat very little in the morning before school because they are rushed or simply not hungry. So this is another good thing to put back into practice a couple weeks before school starts. You want them to go to school well rested and well nourished.

For young children, especially those who are new to school snack or lunch routines, a terrific practice activity over the next few weeks is with their lunch boxes. It’s important for them to know how to open and close their containers, and where to put unfinished food, etc. Additionally, labeling everything is key!

First year at school? Here is what Vanessa Wiedeman, a Registered Early Childhood Educator, shared with me recently.

“The best prepared Kindergarten children are those who have strong fine motor skills. Children who have developed this physical skill will adapt more easily to classroom routines that can otherwise be overwhelming.

Fine motor skills for a Kindergartener involves the child’s ability to use a pincer grasp. A pincer grasp is when the child uses their pointer finger and thumb to grasp objects. Developmentally this occurs between 9 and 10 months of age, but takes years to perfect and in the classroom becomes complex.

In the Kindergarten room fine motor becomes more challenging because children must be more independent. This means they more often struggle with dressing and undressing, toilet needs, and lunch containers. Furthermore the curriculum will require that they start to copy letters and learn to write. Developing this skill in children should always be play based and fun. Play engages children and is a way to master their fine motor skills.

It is always fun to pack a picnic, even if you are just going into the backyard. Accustom your child to using their lunch bag and containers. The resistance of a twist off container, zipper on the lunch bag and lock containers are great tools for fine motor practice.

The ultimate material for fine motor development is play-doh. This fun and affordable activity strengthens the muscles of the fingers and when paired with tools will be engaging, and provide practice. Try using kitchen utensils, especially culturally themed, to create excitement and diversity. You can also add flavours, colour and herbs. For more of a challenge you can print or draw words and patterns, laminate them, and model how to make small balls or roll long pieces of play doh to cover the pattern.

If your child already has strong fine motor skills you can work on tracing with a pencil. The narrowness of a pencil can be a challenge and for this you can purchase different sized pompoms, place it under the child’s pinky and ring finger to help support the fingers and allow them to comfortably use the pencil.

The challenges and complexity of the classroom can be stressful, but if the child can respond appropriately it will create autonomy and support their ability to self regulate, which contributes to a lifelong successful learner.”

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer holidays, and Live Well!

By Regan L. Forsyth

Every year, in January and February there seems to be an influx of parents trying not to pull their hair out because sleep routines and habits in their homes went out the window over the holidays. Here are a few ways to prevent yours from being one of those families!

Make sure going into the holiday season that you have already established a good nightly routine; this will make it much easier to maintain that structure as you come upon the holidays and the events that undoubtedly take you a little off schedule.

Having a solid routine and structure in place, makes a slight shift in timing much less noticeable. So, as long as you follow your routines, bedtime at 8:30pm instead of your normal 7:30pm won’t be as much of a game changer as it would if you skip parts of your routine.

Try to keep to a one hour rule, so that bedtime is never more than an hour later than normal.

Keep change minimal. Prioritize your most important outings or special events rather than having free-for-all change with regard to being in bed at time. Ask yourself which events/parties, etc. are worth it.

A sleep deficit in a child can take much longer than you might think to make up for, and it’s generally an altogether unpleasant time getting things back to good. Once or twice a week where you let your little one stay up later or skip nap shouldn’t throw things too far off course, as long as he or she gets the rest they need the following days.

It’s wise not to have both a missed nap AND a late bedtime in the same day, as this can cause sleep disturbances at night and now, a previously excellent sleeper has created a habit of waking in the night again. That’s a slippery slope. Another thing to note, that falls under the keeping change minimal idea, is to refrain from two off-schedule days/nights in a row, as this too takes a huge toll and can make for some challenging behaviours that don’t jive well with the joyous holiday spirit.

Don’t lose ground if your baby or child has a history (especially recent) of sleep related difficulties and you have just sorted them out, or are in the process of doing so. There’s a good chance that all that hard work and effort into getting them sleeping well, will go straight up the holiday chimney! Newly established healthy sleep habits are precarious and regression is more prevalent in those first 6 months, after establishing changes and healthy sleep habits in a previously not-well-rested child. They will feel the effects of inconsistencies much more quickly than a child who has long ingrained healthy sleep habits.

Know your child. Some children are much more adaptable than others and feel change in routine less acutely, whereas others can have a complete change in personality after a late night. If your child is one of the latter, stick to your gut instinct and get them to bed on time or as close to on time as possible. Their emotional well being for the following day (and yours) is at stake and it’s usually more important to have pleasant days together as a family, than it is to stay up late.

Routine through the day is equally important. Even when not sleep related, too many changes in routine can cause uncertainty which can manifest itself in a loss of emotional security in some children. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t participate in extra special events, just that it’s best to be sensible about frequency, length, and level of activity.

Plan things (wherever possible) so that they do not interfere with nap times. A sleep deficit at the end of a long, busy day can mean a tough bedtime due to over tiredness as well as night wakings and restless sleep. The farther they get from their daily routines, the more likely you are to see some falling apart and worse, all out meltdowns.

If you stay elsewhere take things from home so as to keep things as close to normal, as far as sleep goes. This can include your sleep sack, lovey, blanket, and pillow. Bedtime elsewhere should be as familiar as possible.

Two very important questions to ask yourself before a late night or late outing:

Is my child somewhat inflexible to change, and more importantly sleep related change, rather than adaptable?
Does my child have high sleep needs?

If your answer to either or both, is yes, planning accordingly can alleviate undue stress for all of you. Check in with yourself as to whether it’s worth it. You might think you can handle it, but the child having the meltdowns the following day, is the one feeling the emotional (not just behavioural) upheaval the most. He or she may have a tough time coming back from those outbursts and end up feeling lost and upset all day long, until they catch up on sleep.

Lastly, keep in mind that the time period after the holidays can be the toughest if you have opted to allow all routine and schedule to go by the wayside. I can assure you that it is FAR easier to keep things as close to the norm as possible, than it is to correct unhealthy sleep habits that were introduced over the holidays. It just takes some extra planning.

Above all else, have a tremendously happy, safe, and loving holiday season!

Eat Play Sleep Family Wellness

The SunMaze at Eagle Creek Farms is ripe with Strawberries (before the frost) and pumpkins to take home, not to mention the amazing sunflower maze which is in full bloom. They also host a Fall Festival, hay rides, gift shop and much more! www.sunmaze.ca

You can find Eagle Creek Farms at 34530 Range Road 14, Bowden, by phone at (877) 224-3939 and by email at maze@sunmaze.ca

Call before you go to check hours and event times!

Lacombe Corn Maze

The Lacombe Corn Maze at Kraay Family Farms offers hours of endless fun for all ages, with over 40 terrific attractions. To name a few: Tire Mountain, The Grain Train, The Pumpkin Pad, Timberline Adventure, jumping pillows and so on. By far our favourite corn maze in the province!

Visit their website at www.kraayfamilyfarm.com to check everything out! They are generally open until mid-October from Tuesday to Thursday 4-8pm, and Fridays & Saturdays 10:30am – 9pm.

Finding the Farm: Take Exit 422B on QE2 – 4.8km (3miles) west of Lacombe. Go 1.6km (1 mile) west of the Hwy 2 overpass on Hwy 12, then 0.8km (1/2 mile) south on Range Road 27-3. Watch for the signs! Always call before you go. (403) 302-1709

The Abby Centre in Blackfalds

With a 3 story indoor play playground and childminding for siblings if need be, you just can’t go wrong. This is a family favourite for us and usually at the top of the list for my kids on rainy or winter days. Although it’s now closed for the fall and winter months, it is worth mentioning that “The Abbey”also boasts one of the coolest outdoor aquatic centres around – complete with a children’s water park and water slide!

Children 2 and under are free, and kids up to 12 can explore and enjoy this terrific space.

Check out their website for pricing and hours, and make certain to bring socks.

*The Abbey also offers a concession and is also a very worthy consideration for birthday parties!

www.blackfalds.com/tourism-recreation/abbey-centre or (403) 885-4039
guestservices@blackfalds.com
4500 Womacks Road

Moonwalkers in Alix

Within easy driving distance from Red Deer, Stettler, Blackfalds and Lacombe, this indoor play place has something for everyone on a rainy or crummy day! Moonwalkers offers a 3,500 square foot indoor Play Center equipped with several slides, a zip line, and many tunnels.

Visit their site at www.moonwalkers.ca or call them at (403) 747-2221 for hours and rates.

They are located at: 5008 – 50 Avenue in Alix, Alberta (east of Red Deer)

*Everyone in the facility must wear socks or slippers at all times.

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in Red Deer

More than just a “museum” the ASHFM offers families interactive games including a multi-sport area with virtual baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer. Visitors have the opportunity to use real equipment to shoot, throw and kick at a virtual screen! Additionally there is a Golf putting area, wheelchair race, snakes and ladders board game and they even host birthday parties too! Lots of discoveries and fun to be found locally.

You can contact them at ashfm.ca or by phone at (403) 341-8614 for hours and admissions and they are located at # 102 – 4200 Hwy 2

The Pools!

For rainy days of course there are Collicutt and The Dawe – both amazing pools, with waterparks and slides for kids. Please note that Collicutt is doing pool extensive pool maintenance currently and is closed from Tuesday, September 6th until Saturday, November 12th.

www.reddeer.ca/recreation-and-culture/recreation-facilities

Have a wonderful season and Live Well!

 
The truth is, that learning is a triad of student, family, and school. All three must be invested to bring out the best in a child. Promoting early literacy at home, after children are school age, is just as important as it was in the early development years. It’s also important to demonstrate that you support your child’s school teachings and their teacher.

 
Here are some great ways to facilitate pre-reading, reading, and reading comprehension at home. I have found these to be very successful over my years of teaching and working with families in all areas.

 
Teach lowercase letters first. It’s far easier to explain what capitalization is for, than is is to have to go back and explain why they now have to stop using uppercase all the time, and it just makes sense, since we don’t write in all caps. Uppercase will come along not long after, as they will learn to recognize it as another form of the letters they already know.

 
Teach the letter sounds phonetically, before the alphabet “names”. Learning the letter sounds before the letter names only makes sense when learning to read. For example “car” cannot be sounded out, if the first letter is “cee”. The letter names with come easily afterward. Once children know the letter sounds, then you can say “Cee says C” etc.

 
Read to them. I cannot stress this enough. Begin reading as soon as young children can sit still long enough, and have special books that you read together over and over again. Repetition is key so that children can begin to fill in missing words when you pause, and can also learn what is coming next. This is important for reading comprehension.

 
For older children, another really important thing to include in your reading times, is discussion of the story afterward. Ask simple questions about what happens in the book, or what might have happened instead, etc. One of the biggest difficulties I have encountered in children who can “read” is that they do not necessarily understand what they have read, and are simply going through the motions. Reading comprehension is imperative for problem solving, and the goal in reading is to derive meaning. Developing these skills is essential to a rich academic life and for life in general.

 
Teach with both sight words and phonetics. Some words, especially those with digraphs and blends, don’t always make sense by sounding them out, so the best way to learn them, is simply by memorizing and recognizing them. Teaching with both techniques is most efficient.

 
Watch for readiness. To begin with (for a toddler for example), just labeling things around the house and using a lot of engaging language is a good place to start. It won’t be long before they are pointing to the labels and asking you what they say or mean, or simply recognizing them on their own. Keep in mind that language development is directly related to literacy development. There is something we refer to as “book language”, which encourages proper sentence structure, grammar, and intonation.
A child who has been read to often and exposed to different reading materials (books, labels, poetry, etc) is immediately recognizable in the classroom. Understanding the make up of words and sentences, will lead straight into having strong spelling and story writing skills when the time comes. Don’t forget to work on that Pincer Grip and fine motor skills, so they are prepared!

 
Work closely with the teacher to make sure your child is keeping up with what they are working on in school and so that home and school are on the same page. It’s important to build a relationship with your child’s teacher and keep in touch with them, so that everyone is on board and you know if there is anything you should be working on at home.

 
Doing a few things that are neither labor, nor time intensive, can set the stage for successful life long learning! Most of all, remember to have fun with books and teach children to respect books and the process of reading!

Live Well.

Getting adequate sleep with a newborn in the house (and helping the baby sleep) is a challenge for any parent, but if you are the mother or father of more than one baby, this can be especially difficult to achieve. Additionally, I tip my hat to you! I know first hand just how tricky it can be to have routine or rest in a houseful of babies the same age.

Yes, you CAN get them resting well, and get some sleep yourself, I promise. It is not easy, but it is so very worth it!
Here is the second half of my top ten tips column, so everyone in a home of multiple babies or toddlers, can get some rest!

Six: Accept support!

And don’t be afraid to ask for it! Whether it be the other parent, a sitter, a friend, your siblings, your inlaws, your parents, etc., you must be comfortable with reaching out. A worn-out, stressed, anxious, and/or upset parent, is easily sensed by babies and can make them feel anxious as well. Having support in the early months, or later when making changes, is crucial to your own emotional well-being, as well as theirs. Not to mention your sanity. If you are hoping to get them eating and sleeping at the same-ish time, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of a second set of hands as much as you need or want to.

Seven: Age appropriate amounts of awake times, to avoid them becoming overtired.

This is absolutely key as a tired or overwhelmed baby is never easy to put to sleep and they will usually sleep restlessly.

Eight: A routine bedtime and a bedtime routine

Choose an age appropriate and very consistent bedtime. The best time to put your baby to bed is sometime between 7 and 8 pm. This ensures that your child will be able to get a solid 11-12 hours in bed during the night, with wakings to eat of course, if they are infants. This time can fluctuate slightly based on the length and timing of the last nap, but should fall within 10 or 20 minutes of their bedtime.

It never too soon to start a routine. For newborns, this can be as simple as going into their room and changing them, putting on the swaddle/sleep sack, singing and soothing for a minute, and then laying them down, soothing them with some gentle touch and your voice.

For older babies, the routine can be longer, between 15 and 30 minutes. I find that children can easily become agitated if the routine is too long so unless it includes a bath every night, you may want to keep it closer to ten or 15 minutes. If you do not bathe them every day, bath should not be part of the bedtime routine, because it would not be the same each night. Instead, move bath time to after morning nap, or something similar. If you do bathe the babies every night, then by all means, have it as part of the bedtime routine.

Nine: The sleep environment

In part one of this topic, I discussed the importance of putting them to sleep in the same place every night. You also want to make some considerations about that environment and safety. The best and safest sleep practices include ensuring:

That the babies are not too hot. My rule of thumb is something similar to whatever they were comfortable wearing before bed, plus one layer such as a swaddle or sleep sack.

That they never have loose bedding or blankets in their sleeping environments. The sheets under them should be tight fitting and the swaddle should be tight. Companies such as Halo, make sleep sacks with a swaddle built in, so babies cannot possibly wiggle the swaddle over their faces.

That they are put to sleep on their backs.
Co-sleeping is a family choice, but I always caution against it. Breathing near a baby’s face, changes their breathing. Co-sleeping and over-heating is also thought to be a contributing factor in some cases of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and SIDS is more prevalent in premature babies.

If you have the babies in one crib/bassinet (and they don’t yet roll) it is okay to have them in the same bed. Later, f they are waking each other up or are rolling/bumping into each other, it would be best to move them to their own cots. Many parents choose to have the cots side by side at first, so the baby knows their other sibling is still right there.

Please avoid bumper pads. They are unnecessary and dangerous.

Ten: Keep a detailed log.

Some parents use an app to keep track of feeds, naps, and everything in between which is fine if you have your phone or computer handy. I prefer a notebook because I can jot down whatever I want, when I need to, without logging into anything or being limited by the apps options. Logging things will allow you to see patterns emerge and assist you in knowing where you may want to make changes!

There you have it… the rest of my ten favourite tips to having well rested multiples. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that every child is a little different – there’s no “magic formula” that will work 100% of the time for every baby!

Live Well! 

Getting adequate sleep with a newborn in the house (and helping the baby sleep) is a challenge for any parent, but if you are the mother or father of more than one baby, this can be especially difficult to achieve. Additionally, I tip my hat to you! I know first hand just how tricky it can be to have routine or rest in a houseful of babies the same age. Though my nieces are now 18 years old, I remember all too well the brick walls my sister and brother-in-law came up against!

Yes, you CAN get them resting well, and get some sleep yourself, I promise. It is not easy, but it is so very worth it!

Believe it or not, I actually find that twins tend to end up being my best “clients”, because right from the get-go, they have to deal with being a wee bit more patient, and more noise (including sleeping through their twin’s grunts and groans) than their singleton friends.

When I work with families of multiples, I certainly cater my support and sleep coaching to the individual baby, but many parents are surprised to learn that part of my recommendations don’t greatly differ from those that my other families with only now baby, receive.

In saying that though, there are indeed some differences, so here you will find five of my top ten tips for everyone in a home of multiple babies or toddlers, to get some rest! In the next upcoming post, I will outline the remainder of these helpful hints.

 
One: Use their adjusted age.

Many twins and triplets are born premature. Make sure to use their adjusted age when looking at guidelines, sleep habits, and sleep coaching or training.

While most experts will tell you that 38 weeks is considered “full term” for multiples, when looking at things like routine, feeding, awake times, amount of sleep that is optimal, and so on, it’s best to work with the corrected age. For example, if I am working with twins born at 37 weeks, and they are 5 months old, I would create a plan geared toward considering them as just over 4 months. This is important because careful consideration of ages and stages, and what is age appropriate developmentally, is a crucial part of the coaching process. For parents working on sleep hygiene who are not using a coach, it is equally as important. Do keep in mind though, that every baby is different and you should consider your child’s disposition and how you feel about their readiness to make change or implement routine.

Two: Put your babies to sleep in the same place every night.

 
Whether your babies have a room of their own or share a room with parents or siblings, it’s important that you put them to sleep in the same place every night (and for naps during the day as much as possible.) Putting your children to bed in a familiar place lets them know they are safe and that they are in a place where sleep is to happen.

Three: Routine!

Consistency and predictability are really important to babies and toddlers. When they know what to expect at bedtime, it makes it *much* easier for them to make the transition from waking to sleeping. For multiples, this is even more important, if the rest of the family wishes to eat, sleep, shower, or have a break. It’s not easy, especially in the early months, but you will come to be very very happy that you have them on the same sleeping and eating schedules, and they will adapt.

You can absolutely feed them at the same time – yes, really! If you are nursing you can nurse them both at once (providing you have patience and creativity) or you can store breast milk to bottle feed one while you nurse the other. If you formula feed, just get creative (perhaps sit on the couch with one on either side of you) and life will be much easier.

Once they are older (beginning between 4 and 6 months) and are capable of sleeping through on their own), then you would feed only the baby that has awoken, as they might have different sleep needs. By then, you will feel a little more rested (hopefully!) and be able to get up at different times if need be.

Four: Do your absolute best to teach them to fall asleep independently.

Again, this is challenging for all parents, but moreso with twins and triplets, because if they are fussing a great deal, they may be waking each other up. However, it is definitely not impossible and 98% of the families I work with, are successful in doing this. It would be too lengthy to explain the steps to achieving this, here, but feel free to check out the blog at eatplaysleep.ca for my recommendations on how to do so!

Five: Have reasonable and age appropriate expectations for them AND for yourselves.

This is crucial to your own sanity, as parents! When you fist give birth, your body stays in survival mode for several weeks, to ensure you have the energy to help another human make it through. So, that is the best time to try to establish your comfort zone with regard to your goals for the babies and their sleep

Stay tuned for the remainder of my top ten twin tips, in the next post!

Live Well!

Like a good number of parents of young children (especially those with wee ones we’ve worked so hard to get into a routine and schedule), I would prefer to see annual time changes abolished, but since I can think of better things to spend my time advocating for, I do my best to live with it.

Here are some ways you can too. There are a couple of different approaches you can take, to make things a little easier (hopefully) on and with your babies & toddlers:

1. Ignore it

For those of you who have children on excellent sleep schedules already, my very best recommendation is to just dive right into using the new time. Wake them a little earlier on that first day if you would like, and then hopefully he or she will be ready for bed at their usual 7:30pm (new time) which might feel like 6:30pm to them. I rarely recommend waking a sleeping child, but in this instance, a few minutes early in the morning to set your whole day on a bit of an earlier schedule, should help. The best way to “wake” a sleeping baby is to not really rouse them yourself. By that I mean, it’s best to go and open their door or go into a room near their bedroom, and make some household noise. This way they will hopefully think they have woken on their own, naturally. It will take a few days for complete adjustment to happen, but it will!

2. Gradual Adjustment

You can also slowly introduce your baby to the new time in the week prior to the time change. Start by waking him up slightly earlier than usual (using my ‘not-really-waking-you-up’ strategy). If his usual wake time is 7:30am and bedtime is 7:30pm, make it a 7:00am waking and 7:00pm bedtime a couple/few days before the actual time change. On Sunday, go back to 7:30pm (which will feel like 6:30pm). Since they have been going to bed at 7pm for a few nights, a 6:30pm bedtime shouldn’t be too big of a stretch. In this way, once the clocks spring forward he will already be adjusted to the new times.

Parents of Early Risers – This is a day of celebration for you!

Let your baby wake at 5:30am (example) as they normally would….it will actually be 6:30am on the ‘new clock’ and you can go about your day as you normally would, with the exception of bedtime feeling a little early for them (possibly). If this is a concern for you, just have your early riser go to bed a little later on the clock than normal, for the first few days (7:30pm for example instead of 7pm) and then 7:15pm for a few days, and finally, back to 7pm.

Hope that helps ease the transition a little bit!

Live Well.

If you are planning a family trip or getaway with a baby or toddler, it really is important to consider how travel plans are going to affect your child’s sleep routine. This is even more important if you have recently undertaken any sleep coaching or sleep shaping, because recently learned healthy sleep habits are more prone to regression, than those that are long ingrained. Keep in mind that often the biggest sleep related problems related to traveling, rear their ugly heads once you’re back home!

Often, the point of going away on a trip with your family is for fun, relaxation, and enjoyment. The last thing you are probably hoping for is an over-extended, exhausted, anxious child but fortunately, with a little planning, you can organize your trip in such a way that will promote very little disruption. You surely want to have a happy, alert, and well rested baby or toddler so that the whole family can enjoy themselves…instead of doing damage control for the entire holiday!

 
The following are some helpful hints to keep in mind, so that everyone gets the sleep they need during your travels and afterward:

 
1. Refrain From Bed-sharing ESPECIALLY if your little one previously had a dependence on sleeping with you or having you in a bed beside them.

 
One night can change your life for months. If you’ve worked hard to get your little one sleeping independently, you don’t want to start the decline down the slippery slope of re-introducing yourself as a sleep ‘crutch’. Even if you’ve never co-slept, just one or two nights can still create a mess once you get home, because your baby can decide this is the preferred way to sleep from now on.

 
I remember bringing my son into my bed JUST ONCE when he was 18 months, because my husband was away and I thought it would be cozy for both of us. (I laugh now.)
Prior to that, he had slept only in his crib (or playpen when away) every single night since he was moved from his bassinet at 6 weeks. Here’s how that went:

 
Firstly, he was used to having the confines of his crib sides to keep him safe, so he rolled and turned so much, and woke himself up when he didn’t feel that security (or I moved him) that he had a horrible sleep. Secondly, not one minute of that entire night was ‘cozy’ and relaxing for me. He was so used to having his own private sleeping space, that he wanted nothing to do with being snuggled up with me. He saw cuddles as an awake time thing for us to do together and not a night time thing so would push away (with his feet – fun!) on whatever part of my body was in his sleep space, which usually ended up being my face. Now, I was additionally restless, worrying about him taking a dive off my bed, since I couldn’t have an arm around him or really even touch him. He ended up back in his bed at 2am so we could both be rested, but he did NOT forget the new routine of brushing teeth, getting his sleep sack on and coming into my bed.

 
So, to this day (almost 3 years later), he still expects to lay with me for a few minutes before going to bed because it’s now part of his preferred routine. There is no more teeth brushing and then into his bed. Bedtime routine now takes at least 20 minutes instead of 10.

 
So yes, ONE NIGHT, is all it takes!

 
The moral of the story – always have the hotel/family member/friend provide a crib or cot, or bring along a playpen so your child has their own sleep space. Very important. Further, if at all possible (in a house or condo, etc.) and better yet, have the kids in their own room.

 
2. Remain Consistent with Bedtime and Routines

 
While some slight changes (a nap in the stroller or bedtime an hour later than normal, one night) probably won’t have any detrimental and lasting affects, having naps that are completely out of routine and a much later than normal bedtime a few days in a row, will inevitably result in a baby who is cranky, over tired, and out of sorts. And NO ONE wants to endure constant meltdowns on top of the regular stresses of traveling with kids.

 
So, do try to keep nap times at their regular intervals (after whatever the normal amount of awake time is) or even sooner if you’ve been active and swimming, playing on the beach, or spending a lot of time outside. A busy baby or toddler will need a nap a little sooner. Keep bedtimes as close as you can to regular time too, to keep things on track as much as possible.

 
3. Avoid Over-extending Your Little Ones

 
While on vacation, especially if it’s your first with children, you may be tempted to still plan outings as activities as you always have. Well, you may not now be able to spend the entire day at the beach or go for a full afternoon of lunching and shopping. If you want things to go as smoothly as possible, it is best to keep a pace similar to that which you might have at home, where you take into consideration nap times and bedtime, for the most part. These are part of your baby or toddler’s daily schedule, just like at home; too much wiggle room with them will lead you down an unhappy road. It will lead everyone down an unpleasant road.

 
4. Make the Sleep Environment as Familiar as Possible

 
Take along the same crib sheet, blanket, lovey, and so on, that your child has for sleep at home. This will help him or her to feel as secure as they do at home and get used to the new bed for a little while. They are more likely to sleep restfully if they are reminded of home.

 
5. Be Prepared for Resistance

 
It’s normal and even expected that babies and toddlers are going to be confused and push the boundaries and sleep rules when they are somewhere new or out of routine. If they can see you, for example, or the room is lighter, chances are they are not going to just lay down and drift off as they do at home. Plan ahead for this, by starting the bedtime routine a little earlier and by being relaxed and patient yourself. Don’t expect to tuck them in and leave the room immediately as you might at home.

 
In other words, avoid making set dinner plans for 7:30 PM if bedtime is normally at 7 PM. You’ll probably get a call from your in-laws before you even sit down to order a glass of wine.
Even the most excellent sleeper will be a little out of sorts in a different environment and you can save yourselves both any anxiety by being prepared for it.

 
So, please do keep in mind that at first, when in new surroundings, your baby might fuss for a while at bedtime or wake up at throughout the night. You should handle this the same way you would at home. Remain consistent with your rules/techniques/routine and how you handle bedtime and night waking. As creatures of habit, a baby will sense uncertainty in you and feel even more out of sorts. Likewise, If you are prepared, calm, not rushed, and consistent…your child is much more likely to adjust to the new environment and will be sleeping well again within a couple of nights.

 
Most of all, have fun and enjoy your adventures as a family. A well rested family!