How can I get my DS to sleep at Grandma's?

[girlchick]

Most weekends, we all stay over at my MIL's house. It's an hour-and-a-half drive away, which is why we stay. My DS is 8 months old and from the very beginning we had sleep problems with him. These have mostly resolved now (after finally using the controlled crying method at 6 months). He generally will now go to bed at 8pm and get up at 7am without waking (unless ill or teething of course!). He has a bedtime routine and sleeps in a room by himself.

When at my MIL's house, he has to sleep in a big travel cot in a big room next to our bed. His cot has been in the same position since he was a week old, so is familiar with the room and noises. He will have a cut-down version of the bedtime routine (impossible to do the same at MIL's) then is put down awake into cot with a familiar toy. Will usually cry on and off until we go to bed, or scream continuously until I pick him up & rock him, then I put him into bed with me and my DH goes and shares a bed with his 5 yo nephew! Can't put him into the bed on his own before we go to bed as he will crawl out of it and hurt himself. Can't really do controlled crying at MIL's as they all disapprove and make it really difficult for me.

Any advice or ideas?????

have you tried taking his bedding with him so that it smells the same?

Is the matress ok?
I found the matress in our travel cot really hard and uncomfortable

Does he have a toy that could go with him at all?

Have you tried settling him in that cot instead of taking him into bed with you?

Make sure your DS doesn't overhear your DH saying 'My! What big teeth you've got Grandma'.

ds at 16 monts still doesn't sleep well when we are at my parent's (we always stay over too about 1-2 times a month). We all sleep in the same room there though.

He does sleep in the early evening in the cot but I do have take a lot longer to settle him. As soon as I go to bed though he almost always wakes up and I always end up putting the bed mattress on the floor and having him in with me or taking him into bed. If dh is there he gets the floor or if lucky a bed in another room - depending on who else is staying

I do find that if we only stay one night he is terrible. If we stay 2-3 nights he is definitely more settled by the third night.

Not sure what to suggest as ds is 16 months old and I can guarantee that the first night or two spent away from home is disturbed. I just try and comfort him - I couldn't face the controlled crying thing somewhere other than at home. one of the reasons we don't go to my parents every week is that ds's sleep is so bad when we are there or at least that is a good excuse I can give anyway

I now go less often but stay for a bit longer. That way I don't have to face the broken nights so often. Sorry I don't have more tips for you just sympathy and commiseration.

You don't say what age DS is, I wonder does he have a nappy bin in his own bedroom ?
The smell of a room MiL's house may be very different.