Comments on: What I Learned Over Christmas Break about Schedules, TV and Getting Outside

By: bgirl

bgirl — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:11:52 +0000

good post! but I just wanted to tell you ALSO to cut yourself some slack : ) your instincts and heart are in the right place, but even rock solid schedule / routine maintenance isn’t foolproof when you’re away from home!

we had four days of road tripping for our christmas break (yes, four days in the car)- i *think* those are what threw us out of whack b/c both boys napped in the car more than they normally would have slept by day, thus setting the stage for slightly weird sleep schedules for the next week? L did fine, but even with nap times, eating times, and outside playtime on the same schedule as home, E was waking up every 20-30 minutes every night we were out of town for a WEEK! (ahhhhh!) – so much for the long awaited rest over the holidays i’d been looking forward to for months…

Definitely do what you can to maintain normal grooves, but also just roll with it when necessary – holidays, new places, new foods, more people, new toys… sometimes it all just makes for an extra spunky kiddo and some of these components are out of your hands and part of the fun/good/bad/challenging/exciting/ugly/crazy vacation equation. Don’t beat yourself up over it! (…just remember all this energy and the burning desire to getyour attention when they reach the “yeah-whatever-you’re embarassing-me-mom” phase ten years down the road ? )

By: melissa

melissa — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:33:27 +0000

Haha- oh yes. Traveling with a little one is tough but in the end things all go back to normal!

By: melissa

melissa — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:32:16 +0000

Thanks Morgan! I’ve heard of the book but I didn’t know it was published locally nor have i read it! I’ll have to pick it up!

By: Krissi

Krissi — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:07:00 +0000

Well, I’m glad you figured it all out! Great tips! Thanks!!
.-= Krissi´s last blog ..Aloha Friday #2 =-.

By: David Martin

David Martin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:45:44 +0000

Hey Cousin!!
Hmmm….If I can remember, I can learn from all of this you said…:). We hope to visit next Christmas in Costa Rica…so Dana will be around 1, but she’s gonna be overwhelmed with different schedule, food, etc..etc..gotta learn to keep an eye on things like sleep time. so much to learn..sigh..

By: Roy Scribner

Roy Scribner — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:17:22 +0000

Ugh, that sounds a lot like our Christmas break – sleep schedules out the window, parking the kids in front of the TV while we visit with family (guilty!) and a general disruption of “normalness.” The girls weathered it okay and I even got my 9-year old out for a hike on Christmas Eve, but my poor 5-year old son didn’t do much better than yours.
.-= Roy Scribner´s last blog ..2010 Mountain Hardwear Family Camping Tents =-.

By: Morgan Siem

Morgan Siem — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:03:12 +0000

Hey Mel!
Great post. There’s a book that makes your point about how being outside surrounded by natural green can reduce hyperactivity and attention deficit in kids. It’s called “Last Child in the Woods” by Louv. It’s published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, where I used to intern.

By: Tweets that mention What I Learned Over Christmas Break about Schedules, TV and Getting Outside — A little about motherhood. A little about kids and the outdoors. All adventure. Adventuroo -- Topsy.com

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:51:34 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mel_culbertson, Jackie Logli. Jackie Logli said: What I Learned Over Christmas Break about Schedules, TV and … http://bit.ly/5lTOpH [...]

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:29:32 +0000

I can totally relate! It’s amazing how responsive little ones are to routine. I’m a believer in straying from routine every now and then, for special occasions, or when the situation necessitates it. But, boy, do we pay the price!

But, just like you discovered, I always find that once we re-establish routine (and typically suffer through a few nights of crying it out), all is well.

Thanks for the great resources, especially the information about activities in “green settings.” Very interesting.
.-= Suzanne´s last blog ..Super glue =-.