We will be going on vacation to Hawaii next year with my twin 2 1/2 year boys. They are 21 months now and will be put into beds around their 2nd b-day. (Still in cribs) Has anyone else had experience with children this young in hotel rooms? Since they don't have their own room at the hotel, how do you get them to go to sleep? Now, we just put them in their cribs at 8:00 and they talk to each other until they fall asleep. Will they sleep together in a bed or will my husband and I have to sleep with them? My husband and I don't really want to be going to bed at 8:30 each night when they need to go down. We do have an option of getting a 2 bedroom condo and we could put them in their own room. Is it worth the extra money? Will they want to be in a strange room? Do I need to bring bed rails with? If so, are there any that can fit in a suitcase? Any experience in his matter will be so helpful! Also, do you need carseats in a taxi?
The 2 bedroom condo is well worth the price!! We have 2 year old twins. They adapt wonderfully in their own room. I would recommend renting cribs or pack and plays. There is a website that allows you to rent baby equipment through out the us -- babiestravellite.com is an example of one internet site.
Good luck!
A. - I've traveled twice to Mexico with my son...first time at 13 months and second time last month...he was 21 months. First time the hotel had a pack and play for us...which my son hated. So we asked them to bring in a twin mattress and we pushed the bed to the wall at the top and one side. The other side we pushed our bed up against the side and put furniture at the bottom so he could not climb out. Worked great. Even though he wasn't used to sleeping in a twin bed...he was fine with it. The last time he slept in a crib and was fine for the whole trip. He slept in his crib next to our bed. Worked out fine. My son is a heavy sleeper so we were even able to play cards and keep the lights on in the room with my parents after he went to bed and he was fine with that. However he also spent 6-10 hours in the pool every day so he was zonked. Ready to sleep. We had a great experience but we also travled with my parents so we took turns staying with him while he napped during the day and went down at night.
Good luck - hope it works out for you. Sounds like a wonderful trip.
From my experience, hotels have complimentary folding cribs or pack-along playpens that they can set up for you in the room. Hope this helps. I'm not sure about the carseat question.
First- congrats on going to Hawaii- very exciting and fun!
If you have the 2BR option, go for it. That way you and your husband can have some privacy and the kids can go to bed at their normal time.
Call the hotel to find out what equipment they have- very often they will have cribs, rollaways, and sometimes bed-rails. You shouldn't have to bring that with you. You may need to reserve these in advance- do that right away.
As far as getting them to sleep- just stick with your home routine as best you can. For us, it's bath, jammies, brush teeth, story, bed. Simple. Kids take comfort in routine, and the closer you can stick to theirs, the better. The first night they will likely be so pooped from traveling that they'll crash without a fuss- the second night they might notice that the scenery is different but by then they may not care. Just don't call any attention to it- make the differences something to have fun with- it's an adventure!
Let them pick a few comfort items from home- a few small board books, a favorite stuffed animal, blanket and pillow. Kids are incredibly flexible and resilient when you give them the right tools and it seems that you're doing the right thing, thinking about this right now.
As far as carseats in a taxi... never had any experience, but if it was me, I'd grab a minivan-taxi and try to use the carseat. Check with a cab company or a travel website for Hawaii!
Good luck, have fun, and don't forget the sunscreen!
K.
Hi A.,
I recently stayed in a hotel with my 9 month old. We shared a room and put him in a crib and draped a blanket over it until he fell asleep (yes, like a bird). It worked, but it made our vacation a little boring (he goes to bed at 6:30!). We couldn't do anything for fear of waking him up. I would definitely suggest splurging a little and getting the 2 room condo. You're going to want the flexibility, especially in Hawaii. Hope this helps a little and you have a wonderful time. Hawaii is beautiful! Good Luck, S.
My husband and I stayed at a hotel for one night with out two girls when they were 2-1/2 and 9 months. We all slept in the same king sized bed. Believe it or not we all actually slept. The girls went to bed a little later than usual, but not that late. Again we only did it for one night. If we had a longer stay, I would go for the a separate room for the them.
I don't know if you made your reservations yet, but if not the best option is to ask for a 1 or 2 bedroom suite. The one bedrooms usually have a sitting area with a pull out couch. Then you don't have to go to bed at 8:00. Also, if that is not an option, try a room with a balcony. The kid can go to bed and you and your husband can sit on balcony enjoy a cocktail or tea and watch the sun set and enjoy a nice peaceful grown up time.
We are doing our first "big" vacation this year with our 3 and 2 year old. We have done a ton of long weekend trips with the kids. But we decided for this trip we would rent a condo. We are going to California and the cost of a house vs. a hotel room was not that much different. We have a full kitchen and 2 bedrooms a living room and dining room 2 balconies and are a couple of blocks from the beach but have ocean views. The cost was about $300 more for the week than a hotel, but we think it will be well worth it and making breakfast and some picnic lunches at the beach, we will make up that money. I got some info from another Mom to look at the www.VRBO.com to find vacation rentals (across the country).
Best of luck to you.
By the way, car seats are a law in any car. It is just unsafe not to be buckled in as an adult or child. You may want to look into the car seat/stroller conversions or your sons might be about the right size for the smaller booster seat (light weight and easy to carry. You also may want to check with the cab companies and the hotel, they might have some for travelers.
Have Fun
E.
We took our then 21 month old daughter on a week long trip to Maine this past September. She had moved into her big bed a month before the trip. We a variety of rooms, since we moved a lot. The suites with a separate room were definitely better, since my husband and I could continue to talk or watch tv or whatever. However the 2 beds in one hotel room also worked fine. We even spent one night with 3 of us in one King bed, by accident, which worked out surprisingly fine. When we had the 2 beds in the same room, we just laid in bed with the lights out when it was bed time and let her fall asleep. After about 30 min we were able to get up, turn on the tv, talk quietly, etc. until we were ready for bed. My daughter is a really good sleeper and doesn't really awaken easily, which I'm sure helped, but like I said it all worked out much better than we'd anticipated. Another option is just to bring a baby monitor and set it up in the room at bedtime, leave the kids to go to sleep while you go to the lobby to hang out or whatever, and then return after you know they are out. Enjoy your trip!!! Should be great.
Also, you do need carseats in a taxi or any vehicle where your children are traveling.
If your kids are in big beds, I would definitely say bring bedrails. There is one that folds up and fits in your suitcase - mine is a med size (I think 24 inches?) and the bedrail fit diagonally across the bottom. It's the portable Regalo Sleeptite bedrail. We used it on our trip and now when we go to Grandma's or wherever - love it! It is a little heavy, but not as heavy as a Pack 'n PLay and definitely easier to port!
We have tried it both ways...we have gotten the extra room and we have gotten the single room but requested a balcony so that when the kids would go down, we could sit outside and have a glass of wine. If putting them in their own room together is closer to their routine at home, it might be worth the extra $ to have some relaxing evenings on your vacation rather than bedtime struggles. I would pack your baby monitor either way. Also, they can be put back into cribs for vacation. We've explained that they get special beds on vacation. Many hotels offer bedrails and/or almost all offer cribs. There are also rental services that rent baby paraphanalia from high chairs to sand toys. We used one when we went to Hawaii. You can find them on the internet. Lastly, I would definitely put them in boosters for the cab. Many of the roads in Hawaii are twisting with 1 lane bridges to pass.
When we went on vacation in May this year we had our two boys who were 1.5 and 2.5 in the hotel room with us. Our 2.5 year old had been in a twin bed since his 2nd birthday, but we had a travel toddler bed that blew up with an air pump that we used for him. (The younger one was in a pack and play). We had a horrible time getting them to sleep because they were used to being in seperate rooms and not only were they together, but Mommy and Daddy were there too. When we went away later in the summer we let the youngest sleep in the pack n play in our room for a few days before we left to get him used to it, so if you get the toddler beds you might want to try that. If you can afford the condo that would probably be best! As someone else said, make sure to bring things they are familiar with such as pillows, blankies, or stuffed animals. If they usually listen to music at bedtime, have favorite bed-time books, or a movie they watch at bedtime make sure to bring that too!
We just recently took a vacation w/ our 1 1/2 year old twins. We only stayed in a hotel for a few nights (we all shared a room). Mine also tend to talk until they are exhausted and then fall asleep. We had ours sleep in pack-n-plays, but yours may be a little big for those. They will most likely be fine if they have each other even though the room is strange (I also feared that once we got to our destination). At the hotel, the only way to get them down was for us to turn off the TV and go to bed also -- not fun if your entire vacation will be hotel-bound. I am not sure about the difference in cost, but it may be worth the money for extra room.
Hi A.,
My husband and I recently went to Hawaii with our 19month old. We rented a 2 bedroom condo but the other room was for my husbands mother to come over and stay because she lives there and we don't get to see her that often. For our daughter we just put up a pack in play (which you can rent for $15-$20 a week) in our room. When it was time for her to go to sleep we put her in closed the door and went out about normal. It was just like being at home. We just took familiar items like her teddy and blanket and she was fine.
Now on the taxi cabs. You do not have to use a car seat. You just have to sit in the middle seat or set your child in the middle seat of the car. The only times I haved used a car seat is when it was just me and the baby and I was taking it anyway because we were going to the train and I needed it when I arrived at my destination. I hope all this helps.
Hi A.,
My name is D. and I have had experience traveling with little ones. My advice to you if you are concerned that the boys will not sleep while you and your hubby are awake if in the same room is to get the 2 br and bring along a pillowcase from their own beds (to make bedtime more familiar) alos a small balnket that had been in their cribs for a few days so that the smell reminds them of being in their own beds at home. I am sure that you can request 2 cribs from the hotel if you need them. Have a great trip and do not forget the sunblock!
Aloha
We always get a two room suite if we can. Otherwise, it's lights-out at 8:00 and no grown-up TV! Some hotels have a sort of one-bedroom with sitting room arrangement that works well for us. (we don't mind sleeping in the same room - it's the bedtime that causes the problem.) I really don't recommend everyone in one big room for more than one night.
For the beds, I guess it will depend how it goes with the transition but most hotels have pack-n-plays available for guests.
As far as I know you do not need car seats in a taxi, my daughter is 22 months and we have stayed in plenty of hotel rooms with her. We bought her a "my cot" (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997...)
, however she is already in a big girl bed. When we travel we have to go to sleep when she goes down b/c there is nothing else you can do in a one room situation...if you can afford the condo I say do it. When we travel out of state to her grandmas house, she sleeps in a room by herself, we always make sure to bring her pillow and blanket from her bed to make it familiar. Also if they sleep with anything special like a teddy bear or something pack it! The only other suggestion is to make sure that they are extra tired the first night, after that they should be fine, atleast they have each other to keep themselves company. We have traveled a lot with our daughter starting when she was only 2 weeks old, if you want to ask me anything else feel free to e-mail me ____@____.com
Thanks and have fun! C.
