Back To Our Routine...Thank Goodness!

From December 29-January 5, we went on vacation to Florida. The weather was warm, there was lots to do, and all this caused B. to get far off of his normal schedule. On day 5 of our seven day trip, B. finally lost it. He stopped napping, stopped sleeping for more than a few hours at night, slammed doors, used bad words he learned at school from other kids (that is a topic for a whole other post!), and ran around screaming things like,

"No!"

"Get off of me!"

"Don't touch me!"

and more lovely phrases. We tried time outs, taking toys away, and more, but nothing really helped to improve his behavior. We were more than ready to go home when we left on January 5th.

What we came to realize was that B.'s schedule was really important to him. We had taken this for granted at home. It was normal and not something we even considered, but for B. it was everything. On vacation we went from a very set routine, to days on end of lounging, free time, late dinners, and unusual activities. He just couldn't handle all the changes. Coming to this realization really helped me get over B.'s bad behavior. Understanding why he was acting like a maniac made it a little easier to deal with.

Our belief that a disturbed routine was the reason for his behavior was confirmed once we got home. B. immediately jumped right back into his sleeping, playing, napping, eating routine, and his behavior was noticeably better very quickly. It took about one week for him to really get back to his usual self, and I am happy to say that life is much better for our whole family now that this has happened.

For future vacations, I have learned a few key things.

1) Seriously consider the length of the trip in regards to the child's tolerance. Too long can lead to disaster!
2) Try to keep toddlers busy. The less free time B. had on our trip=better behavior. When he had time to do as he pleased, the doors started being slammed and the screaming ensued.
3) As much as possible, stick to meal, nap, and bedtime schedules. This normalcy can help ward off some meltdowns.
4) Remember to bring plenty of entertaining toys and activities with you and save some for later in the trip. half way through our trip, B. was tired of the toys we brought with us. He had no interest in playing with them anymore. If we had some new toys or art supplies to bring out part way through our trip, he might not have lost it as quickly.

I am sure I will think of more tips, and I will revisit this topic again in the future. We plan to travel back to Florida this summer to got to Walt Disney World for a few days. There are still moments right now that make me think I am insane for planning another trip with B., but we will make it through and plan according to some of the lessons we learned on this trip.

-Denise