How do you cope with jet lag and children??

[Lowen37]

the furthest we have been with the children is paris so am wondering if anyone has any tips??

how do you and your children cope with jet lag?

are dd's will be 4 and 5 when we travel!!

 

[Elise79]

Have just come back with DD who is 2 1/2 yrs and I can tell you what we did.

Outbound we kept her up when we arrived and took her out and kept her stimulated until her usual bed time around 8.30pm and the we stayed up until around 10pm. She woke around 5.30am the following morning and we settled her back for a little while but got up at 6.30am as we had a 8am breakfast booked. Normal from then on.

On the way home she slept on the plane and in the car. We then let her have an hour and half in the afternoon followed by bed as normal. Next morning slept a bit late but then back to normal following day and been fine since.

We always like to get on to the new time as soon as possible. Children as surprisingly adaptable

 

[team harris]

We have never had a problem going out - I think the Disney excitement carries them through until the body clock has caught up!
Coming home (youngest they have been 6 & 8), we leave them to their own thing, but allow the first day at home for sleeping when they want, by second day they have adjusted themselves.

 

[dixonsontour]

My daughter was almost 4 on our 2009 trip and nearly 5 on the trip we've just come back from.

Outbound - she doesn't sleep on the plane. She fell asleep in the car on the way to the hotel for a few mins. We managed to get checked in, get something quick to eat and then all of us early to bed. 8.30 orlando time so 1.30am UK time.

Accept they will be up early the next morning and make the most of it - we did a 7am chef mickey breakfast.

We make the most of being up early and do rope drop in the parks and have an afternoon break at the pool. Then evening meal and early to bed 8.30/9ish for us all!

Florida is the only place I get up early (i'm NOT a morning person). Time difference is a real plus for me this way.

We did this for the first week and got lots done and it suited DD well. She wont nap so this ensures she is not overtired.

Second week we did some later nights to see fireworks, halloween party and had a few lie ins.

On the way back DD only sleeps a short while. Both times we've had to wake her on landing and she has cried all the way through the airport.

When we get home we all go to bed. My DD slept most of the day, got up a few hours then slept all night. We have a nap then try and sleep as normal.

I try to get her back on her usual sleeping pattern (and back in her own bed after two weeks of sleeping with us) asap.

It is always far worse on the way back.

 

[Lowen37]

Thank you thats really useful!!

i'll definetly have to allow an extra day or 2 when we get for re adjuisting!!

 

[aaronandterri]

i think weve been lucky here, we have 5 kids and have taken them at all ages and theyve been fine, i was very worried about Izzy last year she was just 1 and still like a baby as shes my preemie, but she adapted amazingly slepping till 7.30 am florida time the first day!
We always do the keep them awake as long as possible dont let them sleep for too long on the first day/ flight and there fine after that, we do however suffer jetlag coming back is always far worse, again i try only to let them nap that first day back then early nights all round.

Good luck!!

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

No problem at all on the way out - she even sleeps in well enough the next morning. The way back is definately harder though.

Try to get them a nap on the plane and then only a very very short nap before bedtime. They will want to sleep as soon as you get home but that must be restricted at all costs!! I let DD sleep for about five hours this August and had to really struggle to wake her.

That night she was not ready to sleep until "Florida bedtime"!!!!! (And we had stayed awake so were very ready to sleep). She took days to get back to normal but I was off to work the next morning bright and eager!!!

 

[tinkerpea]

Hi
We have travelled with our boys since they was babys our Disney trips they was aged
Twins 1and half and other son 3 the travelled at Twins 3 and oldest nearly 6 Have just come back from a trip and they was Twins 5 and oldest 8 ..they coped wonderful like a previous posted said except they will be up early the first few mornings Im not a morning person but I am up with the kids when at Disney and make the most of it!
Our son has ADHD and low spec Autism so he finds it really hard to wind down or fall asleep on the plan wilst the twins will have a good few hours ( thankgod for seat bk TVs with games on!! ) when we get to the hotel although tired and local time is always around 4.30 when we arrive we try and keep them up till at least 8...they have always gotten up stupid early like around 5.30 on the 1st day but i think this is due to all the excitement as well as a little jetlag,
We usaully just go with it though and try and exhaust them on the 1st day so they carry on sleeping in a good pattern we have found that on every trip If you do a 2 wk its best to get eraly things done the 1st wk and then the later stuff like everning parades and fire works in the 2nd wk or if for one then just at the end of the holiday ( we always do 2 )
when we get home you usually have the wk end to get over it and i find this is when the boys feel it due to the night flight and no excitement to keep them going! with the boys being school age this time when we travelled we did find that they was a little more tired and slept in later then usual when they came home from school they actually fell asleep on the sofa all that wk before bed time but with in 2 days they was back to normal

 

[Bad Llama]

On our first trip my son was so excited he was up at 3am, having arrived at 9pm the night before !!

We've learned a couple of things since then - e.g. keep them up as long as possible on the first night - maybe go out for a meal as they are so excited. On on the first day, we then don't do too much and have an early night, the kids are then fully charged for the rest of the vacation

Have fun

A.

 

[2Tiggies]

On our first trip my son was so excited he was up at 3am, having arrived at 9pm the night before !!

We've learned a couple of things since then - e.g. keep them up as long as possible on the first night - maybe go out for a meal as they are so excited. On on the first day, we then don't do too much and have an early night, the kids are then fully charged for the rest of the vacation

Have fun

A.

Yes! Keep 'em awake when you arrive and have them go to bed at (or a little later than) their normal bed time. My DD is now 8 so it's a different story. This year she was up at 3 am GMT the day we left and stayed awake past midnight EST (26 hours ) However we were up at 6 am and had time for a leisurely breakfast before arriving in good time for rope drop at Epcot on the first full day.

Going over is not a problem. Your biggest challenge is not having them wake you at 3 am in Florida, hence the above advice.

Coming back? Kids dont seem to suffer jetlag. The parents do!