Fellow grandparents, I have a question for when your grandkids are visiting

[stephanier.1765]

My grandchildren are moving nearby. They are 2.5 and nearly 1. Since the baby is closer to toddler than baby, I don't really want to invest in a pack-n-play for when they are at my house but instead figure out a way for them to nap comfortably on the floor. If yours sleep on the floor, do you just create a pallet on the floor from blankets or have you found a more comfortable way for them to sleep? Thanks!

[Scarlett]

3 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said:

My grandchildren are moving nearby. They are 2.5 and nearly 1. Since the baby is closer to toddler than baby, I don't really want to invest in a pack-n-play for when they are at my house but instead figure out a way for them to nap comfortably on the floor. If yours sleep on the floor, do you just create a pallet on the floor from blankets or have you found a more comfortable way for them to sleep? Thanks!

How exciting!

[rocassie]

My MIL had a foam fold up chair for kids, that would unfold to lay flat for a bed.  Even as my kids got older they used it for a good long time because it was comfy for them to use when watching a movie, night sleeping, playing video games, etc.  My MIL actually kept them unfolded, stacked, and under the guest bed when we weren't visiting.

[Tenaj]

We have a blow up mattress and a folding padded mat.  The kids honestly like the folding mat better so I think I'm going to get several more.  We did save our pack n play which is nice for that stage after rolling until 2ish.  We've also just made beds up on the floor, too.  But the padded folding mat gets my first vote.

[MooCow]

We have playpens. One for upstairs and one for downstairs. However, she's only one and we've had them since she was born.

[theelfqueen]

My parents have one like this for nephew (3)

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001EQ66WK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_9SK9DTQ0884J226QNQB6

And a pack n play for niece (1)

My dad pulled out backpacking mats for my kids when they were little. 

[KatieJ]

We have a “guest” room for our out of state visitors. At first I would borrow a pak n play when my grandkids would visit, but as the number of grand kids grew and came in batches of two,or three a year, we bought a used one for our guest room, that was up all the time. 

Our youngest granddaughter is now 2 and lives nearby, but rarely would actually nap in thr pak n play. She preferred someone to hold her, or she went home. 
 

We also had a blow up bed with a pillow and cover attached. It was loved !
 

I would wait and see what kind of Nappers your grandkids are, getting some input from their Mom. 
But if a pak play works best, You can find them easily on Craigslist. Just be sure to not buy some off brand. PakNplay brand go up and down easily. 
Another thought, some paknplay set ups include a diaper changing attachment that is quite handy!

Edited July 4, 2021 by KatieinMich

[Clemsondana]

My kids never slept well in a pack and play once they got past the infant stage.  My parents had an inexpensive twin mattress that they put on the floor once mine got to the toddler stage.  We also have an extra twin for kid guests - we store it under a bed.  It's on the floor so even if they fall off of it they're only 4 inches off the ground.  The foam flip chair is also a good idea - usually twin fitted sheets fit them well enough.  Even though my kids are big, we still have the crib set up in the guest room in the basement because we've had nobody to give it to.  We have been known to take out the crib mattress and put it on the floor for guests that have multiple young kids, so an inexpensive crib mattress might work for naps and overnights until the kids are 5-6, depending on how tall they are.  If you use a twin mattress, kids can sleep on that even as teens.  Some kids also like sleeping bags on the floor - my kids both had little sleeping bags with cartoon characters on them that they liked when they were little.  

[katilac]

No grandkids here, but grand niblings and other tiny visitors just get a pallet on the floor. I have an open floor plan and can always see them; I might feel differently if I wanted to put them to sleep in a different room. Plus it's not a continual thing, so, truth be told, anyone little enough to worry about in that way is usually being held while napping, lol. 

[SKL]

My kids did well with a pack'n'play (shared) for sleeping, until they were old enough to sleep in a regular bed.

I bought this item (in white) for my folks' house when my kids were wee tots.  Besides making it easier for my folks to babysit, it gave my kids a break from my folks' dog.  😛  https://smile.amazon.com/North-States-Superyard-Colorplay-8-Panel/dp/B006NTY1HU/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=play+yard&qid=1625421455&sr=8-8

[Garga]

My in-laws had some ancient mattresses for cots they would use on the floor. They passed them on to us and my sons still pull them out from time to time if they have a sleepover with a friend.

If I was you, I’d get some sort of cot mattress, or perhaps these sleeping cot pads.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Garga

[KSera]

1 hour ago, KatieinMich said:

I would wait and see what kind of Nappers your grandkids are, getting some input from their Mom. 

This. None of mine were the kind who would nap at someone else’s house unless held in arms.

[wendyroo]

9 minutes ago, KSera said:

This. None of mine were the kind who would nap at someone else’s house unless held in arms.

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, none of mine could fall asleep in anyone's arms (unless they were miserably sick) past the age of 6 weeks. They would just get more and more worked up and unhappy, screaming and arching their backs, often scratching at themselves or thumping their heads painfully into the adult's shoulder because they were so tired and disregulated.

All they wanted was to be left along in a crib or pack-n-play in a dark room with white noise so they could fall asleep in peace...well, it still took a few minutes of crying sometimes, especially if they were even a little overtired, but ~5 minutes of fussing to sooth themselves and they would sleep for 2 hours.

[athena1277]

2 hours ago, Clemsondana said:

My kids never slept well in a pack and play once they got past the infant stage.  My parents had an inexpensive twin mattress that they put on the floor once mine got to the toddler stage.  We also have an extra twin for kid guests - we store it under a bed.  It's on the floor so even if they fall off of it they're only 4 inches off the ground.  The foam flip chair is also a good idea - usually twin fitted sheets fit them well enough.  Even though my kids are big, we still have the crib set up in the guest room in the basement because we've had nobody to give it to.  We have been known to take out the crib mattress and put it on the floor for guests that have multiple young kids, so an inexpensive crib mattress might work for naps and overnights until the kids are 5-6, depending on how tall they are.  If you use a twin mattress, kids can sleep on that even as teens.  Some kids also like sleeping bags on the floor - my kids both had little sleeping bags with cartoon characters on them that they liked when they were little.  

This is a good idea, but a toddler bed/crib mattress would be easier to store and would work until they are old enough to not fall out of a regular bed.   Since they are usually waterproof, they are much less “icky” to get used because you can disinfect it.

[BlsdMama]

4 hours ago, stephanier.1765 said:

My grandchildren are moving nearby. They are 2.5 and nearly 1. Since the baby is closer to toddler than baby, I don't really want to invest in a pack-n-play for when they are at my house but instead figure out a way for them to nap comfortably on the floor. If yours sleep on the floor, do you just create a pallet on the floor from blankets or have you found a more comfortable way for them to sleep? Thanks!

The catch is, they crawl, wiggle, roll, and have their own routines. My current youngest grandchild is 1.  If he has a place to sleep - crib or pack n play, then he will sleep. But without it? Exhausted and over tired. We bought a pack and play. If I had a spare bedroom, we’d set up a crib. We also have a high chair. We see them a lot. We want it to be easy to visit. 

[Murphy101]

No grand babies yet darn it but lots of visitors with little ones. I keep an old crib mattress under my bed for this purpose.  My bedroom is right off the living room so it’s right there. I also have a rocker recliner in my bedroom I’m happy to let anyone use if they need to get away from all the distractions to sooth a little one.  If they are old enough sleep in the bed, I have some waterproof flannel pads that I can lay on  it to avoid pee issues.   Most everyone just puts them on the floor on a blanket though. 
I also keep an ikea high chair in the garage that I can bring in if needed.  And I have 3 wicker decorative storage bins in the living room that have little ones toys so they are less tempted to try to go upstairs. (There is not a way to gate off my stairs so if they aren’t at my feet in the living room, we put guardians on them so they don’t get hurts on stairs.)

That’s it. I don’t see the set up changing when I have grand babies bc we have always been pretty low key with baby stuff for our kids. 

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, Garga said:

My in-laws had some ancient mattresses for cots they would use on the floor. They passed them on to us and my sons still pull them out from time to time if they have a sleepover with a friend.

If I was you, I’d get some sort of cot mattress, or perhaps these sleeping cot pads.

Any backpackers - this reminds me of a thermorest.  I think I even have a couple floating around.   I'll keep them in mind as 2dd is coming up in September for two weeks.

[Ailaena]

Y’all are fancy! We just stuck some pillows along the edge of the bed in grandma’s guest room.

[freesia]

On 7/4/2021 at 2:15 PM, Garga said:

My in-laws had some ancient mattresses for cots they would use on the floor. They passed them on to us and my sons still pull them out from time to time if they have a sleepover with a friend.

If I was you, I’d get some sort of cot mattress, or perhaps these sleeping cot pads.

This is what my mom did.  

[matrips]

We used this for our kids and it was terrific.  Loved the inset mattress with the sides so they couldn’t roll out.  We brought them everywhere with us. We had Aerobed Kids but not sure they still make it.  Lasted years and years!

 

[Clarita]

On 7/4/2021 at 10:42 AM, KatieinMich said:

I would wait and see what kind of Nappers your grandkids are, getting some input from their Mom. 

My MIL got a whole setup when we had our first. My kids never napped at the grandparents house (they love their grandparents too much ;p). It was just too big of a fight, the only time they sleep there would be in someone's arms. If they are close enough to do bed time back at their own house or visit without spending the night I wouldn't bother getting anything until they've needed something at your house a few times, before thinking up solutions.