Travelling with Little Ones – Getting Enough Rest (the kids, that is!)
My son Jason is now a rambunctious, happy 4-year old. For the three months of his life, we lived in a house in California while we worked with the Marine Corps. Then, the Lord changed our plans, and we spent the next 3 years on the road, living in a travel trailer. Of course, when you live on the road, and pull a trailer, the whole family must ride in the tow vehicle, which at this time just happened to be a 15-passenger Ford van. At the time, all 7 kids were living with us, and so it was quite a trip, to say the least! So, Jason has spent more than half of his life on the road!
Keeping an active toddler happy in the car seat is no small feat in itself. But I have found that all of my kids get cranky mainly for two reasons: they are either hungry, or tired. (As a matter of fact, those are the main reasons I get cranky!) As I said before in my other Happy Highways post, I try to always keep some sort of snack on hand for any trip of almost any length. I find this to be very helpful both to me and the children.
Here’s some ideas to help you keep the kids from getting tired and wired:
1. Make sure you take any favorite bedtime things with you.
My son Jason likes to take his quilt and his toy beanie cow. Johanna takes her pillow and her stuffed panda bear. Lydia, who is 9 years old now, still likes to take a blanket to bed and a few choice stuffed animals. I say this just to show that each child is different, and each one has certain things that he or she likes to bring. I try to make certain that we have those things as we travel, to gie the kids a “homey” sort of feel. It just makes them more comfortable and relaxed.
2. Try to keep their bedtime routine the same.
Our bedtime routine includes family devotions, brushing teeth, making sure everyone has used the bathroom. Then I say memory verses with them and pray with them. This helps them to think of the Lord as they go to sleep, and they always know that Mom is praying for them. If we are driving late, I try to keep the routine the same. It may be one of the only ways they know they are supposed to be sleeping!
3. Try to keep their naptimes consistent, too.
We may be driving, but kids still get tired, and they still need their naps. In our naptime routine, I read some books to Jason, put him to bed, say verses with him and pray with him. Of course, most of his bedtimes include a good tickling! As we drive, I may not be able to actually put him to bed, but if I go through the normal routine with him and give him his favorite bedtime things, he knows he’s supposed to go to sleep. Sometimes I even tell him just to rest quietly, since even that is a help. When he was younger, he would almost always sleep, but now he sometimes just rests. Even the rest time is good for him, though, and good for the rest of us, I might add!
Maybe some of these ideas will give you a boost on your next trip!
