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Agree with everything @hilsy85 said! I prefer crib naps for both kids but will forego them for travel.
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E does okay. He sleeps best at home, in his own crib, but can also sleep in the car/stroller if he's tired enough (even now, at almost 2). When we travel his first night was usually crap, but he'll usually be okay after that.
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We just did our first vacation with our LO and he is 6 months. He developed a nice little schedule with 2 naps a day, so we just alternated staying behind at the beach house while the other hung out on the beach with the family. He's too nosy to sleep around people and the family made too much noise.
However, it's going to depend on your child! Some kids can sleep anywhere
And I felt he would have slept on the beach if it had been just us, but the other kids made waaaay too much noise for that one to happen. And it's also a personality issue in parenting (I think) too. I'm a scheduler and planner by nature, so the nap time being predictable is important to me and doesn't stress me out, whereas my sister can drag her kids anywhere; nothing fazes her and her kids adjusted.
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The younger they are, the easier it is to get them to sleep on the go. We had my LO out all day and she napped in the ergo (LIFESAVER!), car seat, stroller, etc. We were so pleased and patted ourselves on the back for having such a laid back baby. HA.
Fast forward to now, 18 months, and we recently went on a six hour car ride where she didn't sleep AT ALL. So yeah, traveling is a little tricky now the older she gets.
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For L it depended on his age. As a newborn he would pretty much sleep anywhere. But at 6 months old, when at home he was consistently STTN, he refused to nap or sleep anywhere else. Even if it was his playpen that he sometimes slept in at home, he would scream and scream before napping in it at either of our parent's house, and when I took him up north to my grandparent's house my STTN baby only slept for about 3 hours a night because he would stir a bit in his sleep and then flip out at the unfamiliar surroundings. OMG it was hell, and it made no difference that I had been making an effort to have him be able to sleep/nap in different places. Now at 12 months he's somewhere in the middle...he will STTN pretty much anywhere, but naps are much more difficult, and a 12 month old without his naps is a freaking nightmare.
And honestly? Don't be so hard on your brother and SIL. It's impossible to realize how sacred naptime is before becoming a mom - no matter how much you've nannied, being a parent is 24/7 and all-consuming. Nap time is the only time that I get a break and can get stuff done around my house or just chill and do what I want to do. It is not something I'm willing to mess with or experiment with when I can just go back home, let LO nap, and have my 'me time.'
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I think you can probably make it work. My LO used to take her best naps on the go. She now won't sleep more than 45 min or so in the car seat or stroller (usually sleeps 1.5 hrs at home), but we aren't tied to the house. She just has three naps instead of two on days when we are running around.
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@wonderstruck: thanks for your insight. And yes, age has a lot to do with it. I know being a childcare provider and parent are two entirely different things-all I meant is that I've observed sleep in different infants more than a typical first-time parent-to-be. I don't mean to be hard on them, but it's a little frustrating that they pulled my mom aside to say "their" way of strictly crib sleeping was the #1 best thing you can do for a child to set him up for success for the rest of his sleeping life. Mommy Wars are never good-especially within your own family!
@troberts1021: I'm a planner too-hence inquiring about this well before I become a mom!:-) thank for sharing.
@Zbug: this sounds a lot like what I'm hoping for. Most sleeping at home in a quiet environment, but the ability to be at least a little flexible when we need to be!
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I try to be home for nap time unless we can work in a car or stroller nap and we're doing something awesome!
@ChiCalGoBee: the sleep coach I saw recommended having them home for their naps more often than not and I thought this was good advice. Kids tend to thrive on routine so having regular nap times and a space for napping (like the crib) tend to keep them happy.
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Until about 5 months my LO would only nap in his sling - it's taken a lot of perseverance to get him to nap in his cot or pushchair. I think personality is a big part but I also think what you do in the early days can have an influence - I never ever put my LO down as a newborn and I think this may have meant he found it extra hard to nap without constant contact!
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Lo is about 12 weeks and naps best when held, in a carrier, or in the stroller. Crib naps are short and unreliable for us, even though she sleeps great at night
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@Kemma: Definitely...sleeping not at home will definitely be an exception, not the rule. I also know that a family vacation is worth a few days of less-than-optimal sleep for us, as we don't live near any of my immediate family and I wouldn't want my baby to miss being with aunts, uncles, cousin and grandparents.
@Bubbles: Good to know! I have a feeling I'm going to be pretty paranoid in the early days, and want to be in the same space as LO at all times. I did get a portable bassinet, and hope that I can have him sleep in that most of the time so he gets used to sleeping by himself, but can still have his anxious mommy nearby to make sure he's still breathing;-).
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@ChiCalGoBee: yeah I sort of view it as most babies around the world/through the ages haven't been tied to a crib to nap. In many areas, babies are still strapped to their mothers' backs for large parts of the day and nap when they are tired. I'm not suggesting you adopt this strategy but babies usually adjust
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At that age DS was pretty flexible. While it's not the most restorative, we made exceptions for special occasions like travel!
At his age now, we much prefer his one nap to be at home. 19 months
And I felt he would have slept on the beach if it had been just us, but the other kids made waaaay too much noise for that one to happen. And it's also a personality issue in parenting (I think) too. I'm a scheduler and planner by nature, so the nap time being predictable is important to me and doesn't stress me out, whereas my sister can drag her kids anywhere; nothing fazes her and her kids adjusted.
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