Caravan with a 1 year old

[Louise7777]

Hi all. Lo will be 14 months old in June and we're set to spend a week in a caravan with family. We did a caravan holiday elsewhere when he was 5 months and it was tricky so say the least so hoping it'll be slightly easier now. The plan was to take a bed out the bedroom to put the cot in which the site have agreed however they recommend the cot goes in the lounge. Not ideal with 4 adults. The site does have availability for an adapted caravan obviously more suited to wheelchair users but they have a ramp access so better for a toddler crawling or walking instead of falling out side plus the space in the bedrooms is huge and we could easily fit the travel cot along side our bed which we think is better. Has anyone else done this or got any tips to make it easier? I don't want him sleeping on a proper bed just yet. The beds can be quite high compared to toddlers beds and he's too young. Thanks in advance

What was tricky about taking 5 month old? Sorry - don't have any tips for you but I'm planning to take my 5 month away next month and you've got me worried!

We just used the normal bed with blankets rolled up as bumpers. Much easier!

We have done caravan holidays since ds was a baby and never had any issues.

Please don’t use an adapted caravan if you don’t need one as without them many people can’t holiday at all.

We’ve been going on caravan breaks for 8 years with babies and toddlers and at the toddler stage we use the bed with one of the side bar things to stop them falling out plus a couple of pillows on the floor just in case. It’s never been a problem.

If they have agreed to move a bed for the cot to go in a bedroom o don’t see the issue?

@WoodyOak there is nothing tricky about taking a 5 month old in a caravan, travellers live in caravans with children of all ages 🙈

Put the 2nd mattress on the 1st bed then fold the metal frame down and put it on top, the travel cot will fit in fine, also take Tin foil and cello tape if you DC sleeps in the dark! Put it on the window 😂 make sure the door is always locked OR if open put a chair on its side in front of the door and another in front of that stood up right. We took a 1 year 7 month old and a 1 year 2 month old, one walked one crawled and had no problems....

Next time though i would take wind breakers to enclose the grass next to the caravan.

Thanks all. It was tricky because quite limited on room which is tricky with everything you need to take. I don't feel safe putting him on a big bed just yet. He will climb out and the thought of that will keep me up all night. The first time we went he just wouldn't sleep in the travel cot provided, we've got our own this time, much better mattress. I'm just worried I guess about him crawling or running around in such a limited space but maybe I'm. Over worrying

Thanks HJWT! I was trying to visualise how to get travel cot through the tiny door of caravan bedroom.... then I realised I'd put the cot up whilst in the room! Idiot moment!

We put a travel cot down the middle of the caravan when the kids were babies.

I'm pretty sure I remember disassembling a bed in a chalet once to accommodate a travel cot (obviously we put it back together!)

We did a caravan holiday with DD4 and DD 18months and it was AMAZING! The bed they shared was high, like a m off the ground, and had a safety net that clipped on to the wall so really safe. I got in bed with them when I was ready to sleep and slept on the "open" side so no worries at all! It was so much fun! Not advice for sleeping arrangements, but take your "grubbiest" easy on and off clothes, a bag just to dump all dirty clothes in so no need to be sorting etc. and just have fun being on a bit of an adventure

Practice with the travel cot, put him to sleep in it at home in his own bedroom and in the spare bedroom so he gets used to being in other places.

Also if there is no space for a high chair, we used a folding booster seat with it's own table-tray - the sort you put on a normal chair, so that our ds was strapped in at mealtimes and not roaming around! Made mealtimes less stressful and much less messy! This sort of thing - www.argos.co.uk/product/7073913

I had my 1, 2 and 3 year old in a caravan for a week on my own. You'll be fine.

We went with a very active 16month old. We had a bed guard but worried about him wandering so pushed the two beds together with the bed guard in the middle and I slept on the other bed to be sure. Not quite the holiday we planned but I was still breastfeeding at night anyway, and it meant DH got a whole week of good sleep!

Did see some with a stair gate at the door, wished we had thought of that as it was sweltering and could only open door for limited time when DC was contained in portable booster seat or asleep for nap.

Yes, take a bed guard or make bumpers with towels or blankets rolled up under the sheet.

Absolutely no reason why it should be difficult at all.

Just move the bed, they won't know what you do so long as you put it back.

We took the main double out and out the mattresses on floor for dts at that age. It wasn't relaxing.

Took my DD on several caravan hols from 7 months onwards. I think we used lifted one of the single beds(DD1 who was 3 was in the other)and put her travel cot down. Didn't ask permission, the beds just flipped up.

Tip- We took a piece of black-out material and double sided velcro to make the room dark as she was used to this at home. That way , the bright summer evenings didn't effect her sleep routine.

We've caravanned with ours since a month or two old. We don't bother taking a cot, they just sleep on our laps or get put on our bed. Then depending on bed size (we have had a couple of different vans) either dh sleeps with the bigger kids and I sleep with baby or dh and I both sleep with baby.

I think the important thing is for mum to relax. If you are tense, it will be picked up. Lots of fresh air and activity always makes babies and toddlers sleep well.

Don't.

Just don't. Stay at home and spend the money on nice local outings and all go home to sleep in your own bed. I speak from bitter experience.

Stair gate?

I think the important thing is for mum to relax.

^

Easier said than done

take your own duvets, the ones they provide are usually very thin, it gets very cold at night. Take a plug to put in the hole at the bottom of the shower, easier to bathe your baby. Take plenty of bath mats too.

Sometimes the single beds collapse and one goes under the other, which is worth knowing. A pool noodle can go under the sheet to form a basic guard to stop a toddler rolling out of bed. If you take a bed guard in the future, make sure it will fit narrower 2ft6 beds, which are usually what are in caravans.

Consider taking a travel blackout blind (or just some blackout fabric, cut some small holes in and buy some lick and stick hooks to put on the window, or take some pegs and peg it to the top of the existing curtains).

Really useful boxes are useful as baby baths plus you can easily pack in your stuff to take on holiday too. Alternatively, we just put the shower on very low and cool-to-warm and gently showered DD. She got used to it.

Be careful installing a pressure stair gate as the walls aren't usually very sturdy, neither are the door frames. Just go steady when installing. We kept the front door locked at all times but basically went out every day (and wore the kids out so they slept all night).

We take a slow cooker for meals. Gas pressure can be low at peak times and I've always found the oven takes longer to cook. We put the slow cooker on in the morning so we have something ready for dinner when we got back.

PIL have their own caravan, so we've done a fair few holidays in it with both kids. Luckily it's large and we only stay on our own there.