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Home › Articles › Family Life › Have Nap, Will Travel

Have Nap, Will Travel

Planning Trips Around Your Child's Nap Schedule

By Lisa A. Goldstein

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Keeping your child on schedule as much as possible is something to strive for, says Ann Douglas, 39, a parent from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, and author of numerous parenting books. If you're going on a short trip, this minimizes the amount of upheaval you experience both during the trip and when you return. If you're going to be away for a couple of weeks where there's a time zone change, you may have to switch your child to a holiday schedule for a while and then back to the regular schedule upon returning home, Douglas says.

"Some children are more adaptable than others, so if you have a child who tends to go with the flow, changing schedules isn't going to be a major ordeal for her or for you," says Douglas. "But if you have a child who finds it difficult to adapt to change, you may find that any change to her schedule throws her completely out of whack – something that can quickly turn your vacation into an exercise in torture for the whole family."

Glyck has already flown across country four times and to the Midwest twice with her 9-month-old son. Since he is on a good, solid schedule to begin with, she puts him right on his schedule when they arrive in the new location and then follows local time. Within two days, he's completely acclimated. She plans ground travel during his naptime. If she knows she has a two-hour drive ahead of her, she makes sure to start out close to naptime. "Sure enough, he passes out," she says.

Keeping your visiting schedule light for the first day or two of the trip might help combat your child's reaction to jet lag. Allowing your child to take naps as the need arises will make the rest of the trip easier. If you're going crazy being stuck in the room, try tag-teaming with your partner. Bring along a portable music player. If your child is used to a pitch-black room and you don't have the luxury of having access to a second hotel room, you can also read in the bathroom. If there's a way to shield the glare from the television, turn it on mute and use the closed captions.

For the child who is off schedule, Douglas provides some coping strategies: Help your child get back on schedule by giving meals at a predictable time and instituting some sort of bedtime routine. Be patient, and remind your child that things will eventually get back to normal. The key thing to keep in mind is that parents and experts agree that children up to the age of 4 need their restorative naps. Sticking to this schedule while traveling is easier than it sounds.

"The trick is how you as a parent guide the situation," Sally Goldberg, Ph.D., a professor of early childhood education and parenting specialist, says. "The key words are 'fair, firm and positive.' Be fair to everyone about what kind of schedule and routine you set up; be firm about sticking to what you have set up and leading your family members through it; and be positive by having everyone's best interests at heart. Make plans that are based around what is good for everyone. All family members count."

If none of these suggestions are effective take comfort in knowing that "Just like you return to your normal routine when you are back in your normal surroundings, so your child will do the same," says Goldberg. "Keep to the original schedule as a guideline, and then be flexible from there. Schedules are very important for being at home, but parents can be as flexible as is necessary during a trip filled with other responsibilities."


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