Napping Between Dumbo and Cinderella

Posted on 06 19, 2006 under The Manual by Noodad | Comments

Vacations are a great way to provide your kids with new experiences, a chance to see parts of the world that they would otherwise not experience, and to spend time with family. That"s a lot for a kid to handle and most time it is enough to sweep the leg right out from under them. If you are on vacation, and your kids are young, it is really important to try to work in a few naps in the process before vacation goes all Cobra Kai on them. "Put"em in a body bag Johnny. Yeah!"

I spent last week trekking through the Disney Experience in Orlando, Florida. When you shell out $60 a kid per day, believe you me, you do your best to get your money"s worth. This meant, for us, to get there when the park opened and to stay as long as possible. And add long lines before  exhilarating rides and you get a series of extreme highs and extreme exhaustion.

 

There are few instances in a day at a big amusement park like the Magic Kingdom for a kid to catch their breath. And there are few places to get some shuteye when you do find the time. Compound that over a week of parks: Epcot, Animal Kingdom, MGM, etc and you can set yourself up for a huge meltdown. Here are a few pointers I picked up after a week of vacation to keep your kids on their nap schedule:

• Take what you can get — even if your kids are used to one or two solid naps in a day, you need to put yourself in a different mindset. They might drift asleep and steal 15 minutes here or there. The key is to not worry about length, just that they have situations where sleep can over take them.

• Set yourself up for success — Kids will sleep when they are tired. But not if you are shoving ice cream and souvenirs in their face all the time. Give them opportunities to steal some winks either in  a stroller, a baby carrier, or in your arms.

• Bring or rent a stroller — The last thing you want is to have to hold your kids all day. Their will be plenty of time for that waiting in line for Dumbo. Give your arms a rest and your kids a comfortable seat.

• Scope out the shade — There were times when my son fell asleep and I parked with him while my wife took my daughter on a ride. It is important to try and find the prime shaded areas. Prime locations mean far enough from heavy trafficked areas, close enough to the exit of the ride, and under a tree or overhang.

In the end, your kid will only have fun when they are awake and well-rested. So make sure when you are dealing with multiple days, you give them the best chance to succeed with early bedtimes. Good luck noodads.

 

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