Making travel less stressful for little ones

Taking the kids on a spring break or summer vacation?  Going away to summer camp or to Grandma’s for a week?  Being away from home can be stressful for kids of all ages, from toddlers to pre-teens.  Here’s a simple trip to make bedtime in a strange bed feel more like home:

Pack your child’s special pillow case.  If your child doesn’t already use a special pillow case, buy one in his or her favorite cartoon character or sports team a few weeks in advance, just for fun.  Wash it in your normal detergent so it gets that smell of home.  (As a kid, my mom always used Gain- I still think of home when I smell it!) 

Pack it in your bag, and when you arrive at the hotel or rental or Grandma’s, slip your little one’s favorite pillowcase over the pillow that’s already there.  While adults are known to be picky about their pillow’s fluff factor, kids are generally easier to please and the familiarity of the favorite character pillow case makes it seem more like home; and bedtime just got easier! 

One bonus- buying separate pillow cases with characters for your kids is much less expensive than purchasing the entire sheet set- plus if you choose a neutral set of sheets, you can switch out pillow cases as their latest fixation changes!  We’ve been through Dragon Tails, Scooby Doo, Football teams, etc…..  For some cute ideas try these at Find Gifts.com!