How do family rooms work then?!

[Bragadocia]

We've been invited to attend a wedding and it will mean staying here www.chilterns-stay.co.uk/the-fat-fox-inn-watlington.aspx the 4th picture in the slideshow is the family room.

DS recently turned three. Bedtime is, and has always been, an extremely trying experience. When we do get him asleep, we have to stay really quiet to keep him that way. I don't quite understand what people in our situation do? DS is unlikely to sleep if I am in the room as he'll be trying to 'entertain' me. He has a cot with sides at home - a weekend away seems an unwise time to let him loose with a regular bed (bottom bunk).

And then if/when he does sleep, I guess that's me sat silently in a dark room until I get bored and go to bed myself (and hoping DH doesn't wake us both when he rolls in pissed and the end of the evening's fun).

What do people do with kids this age then? Before, we've rented cottages or borrowed someone's house - never done pub accommodation or B&B.

When we've done this I have usually just gone with the flow - put the TV on to something suitable and let DD or DS stay up until they pass out from tiredness.

An iPad or tablet with games/video on it and headphones is your friend, if you have one. Either you can use it or your DS. You after he falls asleep. If the place has wifi, use the TVCatchup app to watch live TV, or whatever you've downloaded.

As for the sleeping arrangements, I haven't looked at the pictures but I often end up having the DCs in the big bed with me and kick DH out into their bunk bed. Done that a few times!

I wouldn't stress about it too much. It's one night, he will catch up on sleep easily enough, presumably you don't have school to worry about the next day, it will probably be you/DH who worry about it more. Enjoy the wedding!

For a wedding I'd let him stay at the party until he drops and/or you are ready to leave anyway.

I've sat in the bathroom and then just sat on the bed, drank a glass of wine and read my book

Unfortunately, he doesn't have a track record of 'dropping off'! We've always had to get home for naps, since he was about 6 months. Neither of us drive, so not sure about what we'd do to get back to the pub at that hour if we stayed at the party bit.

It's two nights, pre and post wedding, with 5 hour journeys by train (three changes) before and after.

Can you not take a travel cot or is it too small?

Can't really take a travel cot on the train along with car seat, pushchair and clothes type luggage - it would all be a bit much. I'm not sure they'd fit DS now - he's the size of an average 4 year old. We don't like him being in the cot at home, but we're moving soon and just wanted to get him settled in a new home before making sleeping changes.

Put him to bed, leave the room & sit outside the door in the corridor.

In this sort of situation we'd let him go to the early part of the party with us, then put to bed say an hour late. Then I'd sit in the bathroom with a book for a while. Take in a cushion/spare pillow/stool to make it more comfortable. Kiriwawa's idea of a glass of wine sounds good too! Then take advantage of the excuse to go to bed early and catch up on some sleep.

Sorry - I meant that I sat in the bathroom while DS was going to sleep so he couldn't see me and then sat on my bed after he'd dropped off - sadly I can't be in two places at once :o

DS is also not great at dropping off but I've kept him up late at a wedding and he fell asleep within minutes

Most hotels have travel cots you can borrow for no charge. Just ring ahead.

You take child to party and stay as long as the child remains in a nice mood.

In the case of DD1 this was quite likely to be 10.30 or 11pm. I've known her be entirely reasonable after half the adults have gone home and we've been able to stay and tidy up. DD2 would have been grumpier, except no way was she going to be shown up by her sister.

At a wedding the trick is to find the other slightly older children, if they are happily dancing your DS will join in.

If it wasn't child labour, I'd hire you DD2. She's now 12 and takes small children entertaining as her job at all grown up events. She is very good at it. She got some DDs to stay for the evening party because she'd done such a efficient job all day of three year old minding.

DFs not DDs

I agree stay at the party... It seems a lot of hastle to end up in an early night! We used to put dd in our bed with us and she'd see us ignoring h and trying to sleep and so drift off!

If its going to end up with you leaving early and your dh staying out late It seems a bit rubbish for you, would it not be easier to go alone? Can you not stay at the wedding venue?

Tbh if you are not intending to stay at the party you are going to a huge effort, I certainly wouldn't go if I thought I'd be leaving after the day time!