I Use a Crib Tent at home....how Do I Travel

Updated on June 28, 2010
C.M. asks from Denton, TX
5 answers

Help!!! My 20 month old recently began climbing out of his crib at home so we put up the crib tent. The crib tent has been so helpful and we are all finally back to our original sleep routines. I used it as well with my daughter and it was awesome up until I was ready to move her to a toddler bed (obviously not fun!).

Anyway, my daughter din't climb out of a pack and play so we were still able to travel. My son does. We had two miserable nights at my in-laws this weekend because we couldn't get him down. 10:30 the first night we finally drove him around and he went to sleep. The night night we tried driving him around earlier and to no avail, so I had to hold him until he finally passed out at 11:00. Both nights he woke up sometime in the middle of the night and climbed in bed with me. At home, in hhis crib he sleeps all through the night until the morning. Bedtime is also pretty easy. I lay him down and he cries for just a few seconds to a minute and he is out.

So, my question is.....what do I do when I travel? I looked up graco canopy and although it looks really good it is not instock anywhere. Are there any other options?

Edit****
For those of you who don't agree with my parenting style of using the crib tent...
I am looking for advice on what to do from people with similar parenting styles, not critique on things I do.
Starting at 5 or 6 in the morning my 20 month old wakes me up. I fix him a snack. An hour later my 4 yr old wakes up. I make them breakfast then we head out to the park or some other activity before it's hot. Then we come back, eat a snack and play. Then we eat lunch. Play some more then 20 month old naps and 4 year old has quiet time. When it's over I make another snack. Then we play some more or go to a play date. Then I make dinner. After dinner and when it is a little cooler we go outside and jump on the trampoline or swim. We come inside and I bathe them, brush their teeth, read a story and put them into bed. I am with them all day, every day from 5 or 6 am until 7 or 8 pm doing things for them all day without any help. My husband works crazy hours but even when he is home he is not super helpful. So, by the time bedtime arrives I am ready for them to go to bed and let me have just a few hours of ME time. There is no reason that it is not okay to use the crib tent. Kids need to know that they need to go to bed and stay in their room when it is time. At 20 months my son is not old enough to understand that. We took the crib tent off my daughters crib when she was 2 1/2. At that time she understood that she needed to stay in her room. Yes, she did come out several times the first few weeks to see if she could get a away with it. Then she gave up and would stay. Until my son can understand that, then I need some way to keep him there. I put in very long hours cooking for them and playing with them. They can stay in their room when it is bedtime.

So please-advice only, no critiques on my parenting style :-)

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D.W.

answers from Gainesville on

My guess would be even if you found something to go over the pack n play you wouldn't get a restful night like you do at home. When we used to travel to the in-laws all the time my son's routine was always messed up and he never slept very well.

I used to try very hard to keep his eating and nap/bed schedules as close to what he was used to but it was still tough. I used to bring the same books and such that he was used to and do the same bedtime routine and get things calm for him well before him going to bed and that did help him wind down for the night.

3 moms found this helpful

A.S.

answers from Detroit on

I just recently traveled with my 23mo old to PA and then MA, staying in each state for 2 days. I'm not a bed sharer, but under this special occasion, I allowed him to sleep with me. It was a brand new environment, I sleep light enough that if he awoke, I'd know it, and we both slept a TON better. And if I wasn't ready to go to bed, but he was, I would lay with him until he was asleep and then sneak out.

I too use a crib tent. Originally it was so the cat didn't sleep in his crib with him. Then it was to keep him in the crib. He can climb out of the pack n play or his crib. But he was comfortable sleeping in bed with me when traveling and still preferred his bed when we got home.

2 moms found this helpful
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L.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Try www.onestepahead.com. I think they have some kind of travel tent. I've ordered a couple different things from there and have always been satisfied.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.C.

answers from Springfield on

Tedious as it sounds, when my kids were still in a crib and we needed to travel, we disassembled the crib tent every time and took it with us. It really only took about 5 minutes to get it back on. Of course a travel version might be easier if cost is not an issue. Our crib tent lasted through our 3 kids so taking it down repeatedly made it none the worse for wear.

FYI to anyone who is wondering....my kids loved the crib tent. It made them feel very secure and cozy, and I didn't have to worry about them climbing out in the middle of the night. I think it's one of the best baby inventions ever! My friends who didn't have one always had major nighttime issues with kids having to be in a big bed before they were really ready because they were climbing out, but then they wouldn't stay in their rooms. One friend has a 5 year old who STILL won't stay in her room. My 3 year old didn't want to give up his crib, in part because he liked the enclosed feeling of the tent. He has been in a toddler bed for a year now and for awhile it was like he still thought he couldn't get out, so he stayed in there and yelled for me when he needed me.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.H.

answers from Toledo on

I' m asking my self what is a crib tent, when a child is not safe in a crib you put them in a bed and take the crib down, sometimes when my son gets scared, he climbs in bed with us, he is so big it is uncomfortable, when he was smaller we made room for him cuddled him and made him feel safe. If it became too much for us like when he grew bigger, we talked to him about it saying you need to stay in your own bed or send him back to bed, now we put the tv on cartoons so if he gets up at 730 and we are sleeping he can watch tv and we can get the rest we need. Your child is almost 2 years old, he needs a pattern that is so elusive to parents. What do you do every night before you go to bed? Make him a part of it as well as your older child then when the teeth brushing and pottying and bathing and or undressing has been done there is time for a story or cuddling then to bed with a night light on. You may have to repeat it but its easier when they do it with you, then they know its time for bed. Best of luck to you!

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