Routines on holiday...do you stick to them?

[addictedtovicounts]

i am taking my Ds (34 months)away next week... the weather will be hot and we have lots of activities planned, so he will probably have a nap in the day, which i dont mind.
the problem will come with the evenings, we are going with frinds, some of which have children( all older than mine)who dont have any routine at all even at home and are willing to let child sleep wherever...including in the pub! i know this as we went away with them last weekend and although i offered to take children back with me so they could go to bed ( 9pm) they kept them out until gone 1am.i love my friends but there child their descion.
do i try and keep my son to his usual routine or just for that 10 days let him sleep when he needs to. he is usually a 13hours a night boy and is usually a good sleeper and dont want it to distroy his routine or have a grumpy child the whole holiday.
any suggestions would be welcomed!

[BerylCole]

No, routine goes out the window when we go on holiday. It doesnt feel like a holiday if I have to do the whole bath-bed routine at 7pm! Luckily, we've never had too much problem re-establishing routine once we're home, but I do sympathise with parents who do have problems and for that reason stick to the routine.

[Hulababy]

We have never really been one for routines as such anyway. Fortunately DD was always happy to sleep as and when, and if she went to bed late she slept in later too.

So, on holidays DD didn't stik to routines at all. It worked for us, but appreciate it isn't always right for everyone.

[addictedtovicounts]

thankyou all... i unfortuately dont have a partner, but also dont mind sitting and reading and enjoying the peace if i put mine to bed early. i got told to chill out the last weekend, but hey i know my child, i dont mind being flexible but thanx to all of you i will be sticking ( mainly) to my routine and enjoying the benifits of a lovely child!

[MmeLindt]

I agree that while they are young, DC are better kept in a bit of a routine. We were not so strict on holiday but still put them to bed at a reasonable time.

Even now, the DC are 5yo and 7yo and they still go to bed about 9pm (approx. an hour later than normal) if we are on holiday other than an odd night, if there is something special on.

I would stay a wee bit later than your DS's normal bedtime but get him off to bed at a reasonable time. You are the ones who suffer if he is grumpy and tired the next day.

[Mumwhensdinneready]

When mine were little we kept to the routine and they were in bed at 7pm on holiday.
I was was too afraid that the careful balence of sleep v grumpy child would be disturbed.

This meant no restaurants or bars for us,we had a take away and a bottle on the bacony/terrace.But it's only for a few years.
Now they are able to stay up longer than me.

You don't have to follow your friend's routine (or lack of it) . It's you who would have a crabby child for the whole holiday. I often think that't why parents use kids clubs on holiday. Keep them up until all hours then pack them off to kids club to grizzle at the poor staff.

Maybe you and your partner could take turns to go out?

[Seona1973]

when we went we gave the kids a bit of leeway and they stayed up later most nights (I am talking 10pm though not early hours of the morning). We found they didnt sleep later in the morning so they got progressively more tired and a bit crabby. DS (2.7 years at the time) was ok as he started having a nap in the buggy after lunch each day (had given it up at home) so he wasnt totally unbearable. I would advise you to have some days where things are done to the usual times and then have some where they stay up later so they dont get too overtired.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

We have always kept to daughter's sleep regime. If she loses any she's murder and won't sleep in the morning to make up. It's your call, but hopefully someone else with more recent experience of that age group will come along soon.