Childproofing Bed on Vacation

We use swimming pool noodles under the fitted sheet but my neighbor just rolls up towels and places them under the sheet also. I hope this helps.

I have already put pillows or rolled up beach towels under the fitted sheet to provide a "bumper rail" on each side. By putting them under the fitted sheet, they seem to stay in place better than just laying them next to the child!!!

If there is room, put the mattress on the floor!!

air mattress on the floor.

Hi, you can most likely rent them. Try the website "babyaway" or google baby rental equipment for the outerbanks. most rental companies will drop them off at the house upon your arrival. I love the convenience so much that I now rent almost everything when I go away, stroller, pack n play, bed rails, tub of toys, etc so I don't have to deal with packing it!

I have not tried this myself, but I know this has worked for others: try tucking a syrofoam "noodle"--the kind you use as a pool toy--under the sheets. They are long enough, and travel well.

I have 4 kids, all under 5 years old, and I know what a pain it is to childproof while travelling, but I really think that your 4 year old will be ok without bed rails. Since the trip is this summer, why not start trying her without them at home pretty soon? My 4 year old son has mild autism and is pretty crazy at bed-time, but he has been sleeping without rails for almost 2 years now. He has never fallen out of bed. (Climbed out, yes. Fallen out, no.) Maybe you can start by having her bed against a wall so she can only get out on one side...? Just an idea.

You may not want to hear this, but you may have to drag the bed rails down with you (at least one of them). We also rent a house every summer in Duck, and 3 years ago my son was almost 5, my daughter almost 3. We went with friends of ours with a 4 yr old daughter. The kids' room had bunk beds up against the wall, but we still brought bedrails for the open sides. It brought us great peace of mind. Another thought would be putting the mattress on the floor if there's enough room. Good luck, and enjoy your vacation!!!

The company One Step Ahead has a blow up tube style bed rail that is great for travel. Here is a link

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...

Though personally, I like the advice another gave about folding up a comforter under the sheet, a lot less expensive! Have a great trip!

Hi- No need to bring the bed rails. Push the bed to a adjoining wall, and tuck her in closest to the wall and place extra pillows on the other side. If there aren't enough pillows then opt for rolled up towels. Unless she still falls out of bed consistantly, then maybe opt for the bed rails.
ANother thing would be to sleep with her if the concern is still there.
While I have no idea where the Outer Banks are or is.....When I have traveled, and if my kids have fallen out of bed, they put themselves right back into it. Ages 2-9.

Mom of 4.

Hi R.,
I have a 5 year old son who has been with us on beach vacations every year since he was born! I know that in the Outer Banks, there are equipment rental places where you can rent rails, cribs, high chairs, etc. Cannot think of the exact names but just google "vacation equipment rentals" or check with your realty company (or any realty company) in the area for a recommendation. Have fun!

Hi

Although I have never done this...people buy 2 large funnoodles (long tubular pool floats) when they get to their beach destination and put them under the bottom sheet at the edge and it prevents "roll offs".

Hope this helps

Try putting her twin on the floor with no rails before you leave to get her used to staying on-my two year old has never rolled off yet in three months! In the rental queen, if you can, move one side against the wall for her to sleep on, and if no one is in the bed with her, put pillows to block her in...or she may have to sleep on the floor-which my kids love when we travel. Good luck!

The child catalogue, One Step ahead, sells inflatable bed rails, so I bet they are easy to pack for vacations!

Hi R.,
We vacation on the Outer Banks a lot and there are many places that rent baby items. I know that I found a place last year that rented strollers and cribs, so maybe you could rent bed rails. The company Ocean Atlantic Rentals does rent them. Just google Ocean Atlantic Rentals. The cost is $15 per rail, and they will deliver to the house where you are staying. Have a great time!

Hi R.,

You may want to check with the rental agency that you are renting your house from to see if they have any. I know in the past, we have rented houses there that have cribs and other baby things, so it may not be unreasonable to think that they would also be able to supply a bed rail. I have also seen portable bed rails. Good luck and have a great vacation.

We always to just ask for extra pillows and pile them on the sides of the bed. That way, if my daughter should roll toward the edge, the pillow were there to warn her that she needs to "move over." It worked quite well.

R., we bought a bedrail specifically fo travel. When we traveled by car, we brought it with us. If we traveled b plane, we didn't. If we were visiting people and they didn't own a bedrail, we would ask them to borrow one. Once we even had someone buy one for us (we reimbursed). When our kids were really young we sometimes had to rent things onvacation (cribs, car seats, etc. and learned how awful (dirty, broken, etc.) rental items can be. Bed rails are not terribly expensive and, on sale, renting may not be that much less than buying.

Also, there were times when we just pushed desk chairs against the open side of the bed, after making sure the other side was against the wall. We also would put pillows up as well.

Have fun!

I also have a house on the outer banks and my daughter (she is 3) has to sleep in a bigger bed also when we go down there. At first we used to lug the bed rails everywhere because I would be a paranoid mess thinking about her possibly rolling off the bed, until she was at home in her bed with the rails and still rolled off the bed! What I do now when we go somewhere and she sleeps in a larger bed is that I put her down, then when I know she is in a deep sleep I literally pack the bed with pillows around her so they hug her, but not so they disturb her. I will even go as far as to put some on the rug at the ends of the bed just in case. Thankfully the pillows have worked out very well and she sleeps very comfortable within the "pillow boundaries."

We've used the back of chairs against the bed and that has worked. One side of the bed is typically against the wall (or you could move it) and then turn the dining room chairs with the backs against the bed. Good luck!

We've brought my son's sleeping bag with us and then let him sleep in that on the bed or on the floor which ever worked better with the space we've had. Last year we just used extra pillows along the edges and moved him back to center before we went to sleep. Also you may be able to move the bed against a wall for more security we were able to do that when we rented a house. Have a great vacation.

Hi, R.. I think they sell portable bed rails. I believe I have seen them in the One Step Ahead catalog. Or you could try a barricade of pillows. Since she'll be in a Queen Bed, maybe you could put her in the center of the bed and she wouldn't roll off.

I've rolled up an extra comforter (to look like a tube) then have placed it under the sheet. It creates a bumper effect. Has worked for us.