How well does a toddler cope with the time difference?

[A whole new world]

Next year i'll be taking a 2.5 year old. It's easier with a baby as they don't have a routine. I was just wondering how well she's gunna cope with the time difference. We intend to have out sit down meal at US lunch time, so that it's more like the UK dinner time.

I just wondered if anyone could share their experience or tell me how long it took for your LO to adjust to the time difference.

Thanks

 

[london75]

Half a day, seriously quicker than us. In our experience though I wouldn't expect their stomachs to fall into line. While they got used to sleeping very quickly, they tended to only eat what they want when they want with no amount of coercion getting them to join us at normal mealtimes for a good few days.

We've been going for 5 years since the eldest was 9 months and it's only now I've stopped trying to control mealtimes and just let them have as many ice creams and adhoc meals as they want when they want in the day as long as they have some pasta or rice and veg in the evening at the villa. It is working so much better. We frequently go to restaurants and the eldest only wants bread at midday so we let her as long as she has say cucumber and carrot sticks and a strawberry sundae after. We get a nice sit down meal and she gets the snack her stomach wants and there are no fights and definitely no "right, we're going back to the villa if you don't eat your lunch" moments.

 

[orangetiggs]

i'm taking 23 month old twins and i intend to still try and keep thier routine but on us time after a couple of days so lunch here is 12 and lunch there will be 12

 

[Mrs Stonfiesta]

we just got back - last monday and dd is 20 months. We took her at 6 months and she was absolutly fine but had a more strict routine at 6 months than she does now so i was a little worried but she was fine. My tips would be on the way out they will be up for 5 more hours than normal if you keep your timings (ie bedtime at home is 7.30 so i wanted roughly the same in disney - so normal time plus 5 hours iykwim lol!) so basically we got her up a little earlier the day we left so she was more tierd so she had a 4 hour nap on the plane (normally has 2) so she had dinner at normal uk time (4.30) and then would normally have bedtime bottle at 7pm uk time so at around this time (was probably a bit later) we gave her a second dinner (so she had brekkie, lunch, dinner 1, dinner 2 and then bedtime bottle) so tricked her into thinking it was earlier than normal and then bedtime bottle at 7pm florida time - my logic was she eats every 4-5 hours and we were gaining an extra 5 hours so just add another meal . But it worked as she fell straight asleep at 7.30 florida time no probs and didnt wake until 6-6.30am florida time which was perfect for us as we like to be at the parks for rope drop. She was then on florida time no probs!
I think the key to get them onto a different time zone is meals so just make sure you eat at roughly the same times every day. we were a little slacker with her bedtime than we are at home so she was normally going down between 7.30-8.30 and some mornings we did have to wake her as it was getting to 7-7.30am but that was fine as we just made sure she was in bed earlier the next night and hence up at 6.30-7am

Coming home has been slightly different at she has been waking at 10pm thinking she is hungry and wants her dinner this meant the first 3 nights were quite tough but we never got her out of her cot and just kept reasuring her bedtime, sleepy time etc and then by day 4 she was waking but only for about 30 mins and then last nigth she slept through from 7.30-7am whithout waking so i would say she is back to normal now!!!! . I think if you stick to a similar routine but just move it 5 hours then you will be fine, if you did some late nights and then some not then i think it would probably just confuse a toddler that is used to a routine so wouldnt advise that - we didnt manage any fireworks as they were all 9-10pm and we thought this would just be too much for dd so we left them til next time when she will be old enough to understand. have fun and try not to worry as i am sure your lo will be fine, i was very worried about how she would be on the plane, in the heat, with the food, with the time difference etc etc but in hindsight i didnt need to as she was fine with them all and had the most amazing time its amazing to see it through your childs eyes and any teething issues will be so worth it .

 

[wayneg]

Been taking DS since he was 3, never a problem adjusting but he had(and still has) a very healthy appetite and never refused food
Going with relatives this August, DD will be 3, I am not as hopeful she will adjust as well, every child copes with things differently.

 

[disneyholic family]

been traveling to WDW every year since DS was 6 weeks old....
DD and DS never showed any signs of jet lag in the states, but we always took it easy on the day we arrived...

however, on the return home, they did seem to take several days to recover...

 

[Elise79]

We have be bringing DD since she was 9 months and she will turn 3 next month.

We just add an extra meal on arrival and keep her up till around 8pm which is her usual bedtime.

This time she was up earlier than usual due to a storm waking her at 5am and she was scared. Next day we were up at 4am for the shuttle bu the day after she slept till 7am and has done everyday since.

She will also do late nights by napping during the day - for example she stayed up for the 10.30 Fantasmic last night. She is really good about things like that and always has been.

You will be fine (coming back is a little tougher)

 

[CAROLINE4]

i agree it is coming home that is the problem!.. we plan on getting to the villa grabbing something to eat and letting the children get to bed about 7 that way they will be ready and raring at the crack of dawn to get to mk for rope drop! xx

 

[chocolateMinnie]

found a trip with our dd when she was 20 months easier than now for jetlag - when you are there and when you return they are easier to pop into a buggy and let them sleep. At home she was sleeping from until 7. There she went more or less 11 until 11 which was fine as evening we were up late and she slept in stroller (even through the fireworks!) and in a morning we dressed her and gave her breakfast and she slept through until almost lunchtime. Just meant one adult had to stay with her and not on rides until about 11 but we were happy with that and then she joined us all on rides when she had come round.

 

[A whole new world]

If you gave your LO an extra meal on the first day to help them adjust, what did you give them as the last meal? Was it a full dinner?

Thanks

 

[Elise79]

We grab something to eat at a CS restaurant and choose something we know she will eat. Usually mac'n'cheese or a hot dog as she will eat them even when tired.

So on travel day we usually have:
Breakfast - buffet at the hotel at the airport
Lunch - on the plane
Tea - on the plane
Supper - at a CS after checking in to the resort.