Big family trip

[bugaboofan]

It is MIL's 60th coming up and we all (DH, DD(6 months), SIL x3, BIL x3, MIL and FIL, 3 nephews age 4,4, 2 and 2 dogs (one of which is ours) are going on a UK getaway for 4 nights. We are in two cottages within a shared courtyard. DD is an OK sleeper and we've managed to get into a routine of putting her down for the night about 7.30-8pm (she definitely doesn't sleep through but is relatively settled for a while whilst we manage to get some dinner) The in laws all want to plan big family meals each night, taking it in turns to cook. However I don't see how this will work as DD will be in bed in our cottage (a 2 bed, shared with one SIL and BIL). We do have a baby monitor which reaches 300M but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her alone in a house. Do DH and I take it in turns to miss dinner with the fam and bring a plate over for the one with the baby? Do we take the baby over in the pram then try to transfer her into bed after dinner? We can't have it at our cottage as the 3 nephews will also be in bed in their own cottage. Any suggestions welcome!

from experience it's easier to go with the flow, it's a once in a life time trips so pram, or prop a travel cod up there maybe? Even brake the rules for one night etc have fun x

If you can hear her on the baby monitor, I’d be fine. Lock the doors and you can take turns checking on her, plus have the monitor on. That’s assuming it’s a secure house that’s truly just across a courtyard. Realistically, if she goes to bed 7:30-8pm, I’m guessing they’ll possibly be having dinner while you are still doing bedtime anyway. So Dh can eat and then you can eat when you’re finished and perhaps even he can go sit with her.

We had one Christmas though when MIL insisted on having Christmas Eve dinner at her house, even though Dh and I were staying with his grandpa with baby dd, which was like down the road. MIL said, just leave her, she’ll be fine! Obviously we wouldn’t have been able to use the monitor and it was a completely different property with a road between them. Dh went and collected a plate of food for each of us and we ate alone at his grandpa’s house.

The idea may be more exciting as an idea than in reality though. If there are two sets of small children and both sets of parents need to be doing baths and bedtime, big family dinner may need to be earlier or it’s just going to be MIL/FIL by themselves a lot of the time. They may be keen when they see what a hassle it might be to move things earlier and be a bit more relaxed.

It's only three nights. I'd either go for a travel cot in the house you are sleeping in or just let her stay up a bit later.

What time do they want to do the family dinner? We eat at 6pm to accommodate the kids for things like this. Allows them to be involved then go to bed slightly later. for a few nights it would be fine.