To vacation or not vacation based on your toddlers schedule?!

[lellian]

DH wants to take a vacation. I want to take a vacation. If any two people in the world need a vacation (besides YOU and your DP) it is us. Here's the thing. . .I'm scared to death of vacationing outside our time zone! DD, 13 months, needs her schedule. It is simple: Up at 7 am, nap between 11-12 for 90 minutes, asleep by 7 pm. I NEED her to be on schedule. She was recently sick for a little over a month and our entire household was a cranky, tired, miserable mess. If we travel outside our time zone then I'm screwing with her schedule, and probably making more work for me, right? Or am I wrong? Am I over thinking this? Do we just vacation in our time zone and hope that being in a hotel, although still on her schedule, will work for all of us?

DH thinks I've lost my mind (he wants to go to Sedona, a three hour difference!), but honestly, I'm the one trying to help her sleep when she can't because he's gone M-F on the road. Vacation sounds like more work than it is worth.

Tell me I'm wrong!

TIA!

[sammyloo]

Go on vacation. Just go! We travel constantly with our kids since our first was 3 weeks old (we go about once every 6 weeks) and some are lousy and some are awesome but they teach the kids flexibility and it gets us out of our house and our blah of a town. Go! Have Fun! The worse that will happen is a bit of jet lag and you will learn how to make it better the next time you go!

[brennan]

I found with dd that on vacation EVERYTHING is so different that even if you were in the time zone you'll be doing stuff that's out of the ordinary that she'll have a different schedule...but not in a bad way. Doing exciting things together wears dd out and she sleeps much better. And by exciting things I mean going to a different park, playing on a beach simple things like that. I say go! When you're relaxed your dd will be too and you'll have fun!

[globe-trotter]

I agree...just go! if your worried about the time change..... 3 days before your leave change her schedule 1 hr, then next day 2 hrs, the third-3 hrs and you will on the vacation spot time when you get there (i do this for traveling around the world with my son).

[Peony]

We go to different time zones, the kids adjust. I find that even if we stay here, being in a different place, doing other things, throws off things anyway. When we get back, yes there is some adjusting but it isn't worth not going over. 

[chel]

i agree go.  we took dd1 camping at 11m 3 zones away.  we were up early and went down early.  no reason you have to adjust to the new time.

[oregonianmama]

go go go! Vacations are essential to sanity for me. I always find that my son (17 months) always surprises me with how flexible he is on vacation. He usually sleeps great too from being so worn out! Have fun!

[TheGirls]

I'm with your DH and the other posters.  Go!!!  DP's family lives 3 zones away, we travelled to see them twice a year for all of DD's childhood (only once a year now, but that's because it's so expensive to travel with 3!) Plus she flew a few times for DP's work stuff.  She has her own frequent flyer card.  She'll adjust.  You'll adjust.  It'll be more work than travel without kids, but it is totally worth it.  

[lellian]

I'm convinced. I can survive vacation. . .and may learn a thing or two. I may need a vacation from our vacation when we get back, but I'll deal with it then.

You've all made DH very happy.