What do you do about routines when you go on holiday?

**ismee** · 13-07-2008, 07:23pm

We are going away for a long weekend at the end of August with 9 members of DH's family. It is a sort of holiday camp place called Potters and I am really looking forward to it.

My baby will be about 16 weeks old then. At the moment she has her bath around 6.30/6.45pm, then bottle and is usually in bed by 7.30 latest and asleep by 8pm latest. She seems to love this routine and gets upset if we leave it later as she gets very tired.

I was wondering what people do when they go away? Should we just carry on the routine which will mean not having a meal with everyone else or a night out or should we bring her out with us and let her fall asleep in her pushchair? I always feel really sorry for babies that I see asleep in pushchairs in pubs and restaurants but will it really be so bad for a couple of nights?

Any advice or experiences shared would be great!

**Moffgal** · 13-07-2008, 07:33pm

Having seen threads about this before I know people are divided on this, but it's just what suits some doesn't suit others.

All I'd say is you know your baby. If you think she'll be fine sleeping in her buggy and then transferrng to her cot later then do that if you're ok with it.

If not, have you enquired about baby listening services on the holiday camp? Or it may well be that a monitor will work fine and you can hear she's ok and just keep nipping back to check. or you could splash out and hire a sitter for a couple of the nights. I've used the safe hands network twice in the past with no complaints.

http://www.safehandsnetwork.com/

**Chell** · 13-07-2008, 08:01pm

My two have always had a good routine at home but are happy to have a change when they are away from home.

**Mrs B** · 13-07-2008, 08:04pm

I would be quite relaxed about it, and certainly go for the pushchair in the evening option at that age. Make the most of being able to go out with them while you can - it gets harder as they get older in my experience!

**Minky** · 13-07-2008, 08:05pm

Personally, I would stick to the routine. But that is MY choice and I accept not everyone does this.

Last time we did Mark Warner (the week after Madelaine McCann was abducted) everyone took their kids to dinner with them, and it broke my heart. You saw 12 - 18m olds awake and desperate for sleep at about 10pm, crying and whinging....

We either got a babysitter or put Lulah to sleep in her bed, and then when she was totally out of it, transferred her into a buggy then wheeled her down to dinner. She wouldn't have gone to sleep in her buggy IMHO.

When Tabitha was 12w we went to Bedruthan Steps and got a babysitter every night so we could go to dinner (it was too far for comfort for a monitor, for me - ie not in the same building).

For me, getting them to be good sleepers and eaters is my number one priority, so I would sacrifice a lot to that end!

Some people don't seem to be bothered either way, but that isn't my pov.

**Hello Kitty** · 13-07-2008, 08:11pm

We tend to stick to a similar routine to home but perhaps not so strict with the timings. G has never been one to sleep in a buggy so that has never been an option for us. We have modified what we have done so that we probably dine a little later and then when she goes to bed we read on the the terrace and have a few drinks then. I agree it depends on the child too but G is a total nightmare when tired especially when she was much smaller.

**Badgirl** · 13-07-2008, 08:20pm

Another option is to do the bedtime routine as usual- then once she is soundo transfer her into the pram already asleep and she should stay that way and you can go out

Small babies are pretty portable- its when they get older its more difficult

**mel** · 13-07-2008, 09:12pm

If we were away for the weekend, we used to try and stick to the routine as much as possible, but would put them to bed in the pram at bedtime, and then took them out with us in the pram once they were asleep-they were both happy to sleep in the pram!!. Now they are older it is more difficult

**L66TTY** · 13-07-2008, 09:21pm

Pram for me too.

Or wrap when he was 6 months old we went to Spain on holiday and I just popped him in a wrap when we went out and he slept quite happily in there. he wasn't tso keen on his pushchair as it didn't lay completely flat and also got quite scared when we were in busy places.

Now he would just crash out in his pushchair.

Kids are pretty adaptable ime I don't think you will mess anything up by one weekend away!

**ismee** · 14-07-2008, 08:56pm

Thanks for your input everyone, I am still unsure what to do but it helped to get some different views about it!

**Moffgal** · 15-07-2008, 11:33am

Another option which we are doing soon is using mobile phones as monitors. The room is to far away from the bar for reception on the monitor (we think). I get free calls to DH so I'll just call DH leave the phone in the room and we can listen on his phone.

I think it times out after an hour so we'll just nip in, check on him and ring DH's phone again.

**Maudie** · 15-07-2008, 11:52am

We will keep to DD's routine but that is primarily because I have always let her set her own routine (within reason!).

We had DH's parents to stay in February and for two nights on the run we went out for dinner. On both nights I bathed her at her usual time, gave her her feed, put her asleep in her car seat and then went to dinner. We did this two nights on the run and the second night we were in a particularly noisy restaurant and she was unsettled so she paid me back (and for the next two days as well!).

It was just too much for her and in hindsight I should have realised this rather than bow to the 'oh it will be lovely for her to meet x and then we can take her out to dinner' pressure from the ILs.

I think babies are remarkably adaptable but I think it does depend on the environment you are in. I also think that DD sensed I was uncomfortable taking her out the second night.