Traveling Across Time Zones

We are going to Michigan (from AZ) over 4th of July for my brother's wedding. The boys have never been outside of Arizona-- this is a big trip for us. We'll be staying with my family, which makes some things easier... but I am wondering how I should plan to handle the schedule? The time difference is 3 hours. Should I expect them to be tired at their usual 6 pm or at 9 pm... or should I expect everything to be totally haywire? We do not travel much, but we had a terrible experience last month traveling just 2 hours away and trying to maintain their schedule at a bed & breakfast. I am rather nervous about this whole ordeal.

We have a pretty good little schedule going on (finally!) and I'd love to preserve as much of it as we can while traveling.

Any suggestions or experiences?

 

Dont change a thing! Leave your watch at "home time" and go by your normal schedule! If you switch over to Michigan time it will SUCK when you get home! Since its only a couple days, it should be fine!

 

When we travel - I stick to 'home time' or (1/2 way in between if it means we can all eat meals together) even if it means early wake-up and early bed. It is easier on the girls and I- it is hard enough being away.

A 6 PM bedtime will also give you some adult time, though be warned they will get up EARLY!

Have fun!

KC

 

We travel quite a bit, but mostly an hour change. We did 2 hrs. earlier this year and I adjusted them over the time we were there. They got to go to bed late since it was still early here. It helped since we were running around. Also, you have to make sure you can have darkness for them if you are putting them to bed early.

Expect a day or two of chaos and get their naps in as much as possible! :hug99:

 

agreed! i just traveled with our girls to arizona from florida - also a 3 hour difference (3 hours earlier than at home). it was pretty weird though. i would put them down at 8 pm our time and it was super light outside there. we had to make the room really dark, by shoving blankets on the window sills, etc. of course, there were a few nights, i'd let them stay up an hour or two, if they just weren't ready.

i would try to keep a goal of staying on "home time" too, but be prepared to be flexible too.

is this your first time flying with them? or are you driving? this past trip was the girls 3rd time flying...if you need any tips, let me know.

rebecca

 

QUOTE(twinboys07 @ Jun 16 2008, 11:29 AM) [snapback]829207[/snapback]
should I expect everything to be totally haywire? We do not travel much, but we had a terrible experience last month traveling just 2 hours away and trying to maintain their schedule at a bed & breakfast. I am rather nervous about this whole ordeal.

We have a pretty good little schedule going on (finally!) and I'd love to preserve as much of it as we can while traveling.

Any suggestions or experiences?

We've travelled bunches (15 trips thus far, all by air), by necessity, and I can tell you that my two keep their own schedule. So that meant when we were out in LA that at 3A or 330A, they were up and ready for the day to start. Didn't cheer the cockles of our hearts, but that was how it was. My two are 2 nap-a-dayers, and when travelling out to the west coast, we ended up having more like 3 naps because our day wasn't ready to end at 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon.

I try to reproduce as much of their schedule and routine as possible. We always read before each nap and before bedtime and I did that while traveling. I pack our FP booster seats and use those for meals, usually on the floor as I hate to potentially ruin anyone else's chairs. I take a couple of jars of their favorite foods. They are eating table foods now but jarred rice and lentil's seems to be a comfort food for them so I always have that with me in case they balk at all their other options. We always take our white noise (surf sounds) with us as well. I always try to get as much "floor time" -- i.e., walking, playing, crawling -- between naps, even if that means walking in the dirty airport -- so that they are tired yet not overstimulated -- a sometimes difficult balance when there are a lot of "baby holders" (friends and family that want to hold the babies -- my two don't like much just now).

Try not to stress out too much, I know that is impossible, but I think they pick up on it. I've had the best trips when I've been pretty serene (read that as resigned too) about it all. My last trip to LA I was drinking Maalox on the way out the door -- just not in the mood for a 5.5 hour plane ride with 13 month olds. It was not our easiest flight but we survived.

I'm headed for a one week trip to Virginia on Saturday, so I get to try my advice out again!

Wishing you a wonderful trip.

Sotto

 

I just try to gradually shift their schedule to the new time a couple days before we leave. Usually travel day wrecks havoc on our schedule, so I try to go by local time once we get there (easier to visit with people, etc). It takes a couple of days but then they are fine (and a couple of days when we get home). I think if you are relaxing and go with the flow once you get there, the boys will pick up on that vibe from you. You may have more crying about naps and bedtime, but things should be ok. GL and have fun!!!

 

This type of travelling definitely throws a wrench into our internal clocks, doesn't it? Staying hydrated and trying to adapt to the new schedule before you even land can help a bit. I came across some travelreimagine reviews where people shared their own tips and tricks for managing jet lag, which might be worth a look. Seems like everyone has their own strategy, from melatonin to light exposure. Hope your next trip goes smoothly with minimal jet lag!