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Time Change and Toddlers

southern california
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73 posts
Time Change and Toddlers
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Hi, I am hoping some travel-wise parents can share advise with me. This is going to be my first international trip with my 2.5yr old. She is very much a schedule oriented child. I am wondering what some of you parents to young children have done. Given that the time difference between California and Sydney is so large, in the end it works out to Sydney only being 5hrs behind us in relation to our daily schedule (sorry, I hope I am not being confusing with that explanation!).

Anyway, I am not sure if I should start adjusting her schedule slowly now, putting her to bed later, for example. Or if there is a better way to go about it.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

South Pole
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1. Re: Time Change and Toddlers
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nope, do nothing. let her go thru her normal schedule on the plane and then adjust when she gets here. any pre flight manipulation can cause havoc which is distresssing for you, not to mention your fellow passengers. kids seem to adjust to jetlag a lot better than adults.

that's my experience travelling long haul world wide for a few years with kids from the ages of 3 and 7.

Sydney, Australia
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for Sydney, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Airlie Beach, Whitsunday Islands
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2. Re: Time Change and Toddlers
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Really depends on what works for her normally, eg how well does she adjust t daylight savings??

I always moved mine an hour or so but only by a few minutes a day and found this pretty effective. If possible I also booked a flight that would arrive close to a sleep time. No way can you get a 5 hr adjustment to be effective.

I have to admit to being lucky in that they were both easily entertained on lng flights even from a young age. I'm sure someone has already told yu t pack a few little surprises, maybe even wrapped in paper she can draw on later, reusable sticker or magnetic travel boards work well (the magnets can also be used as templates for tracing around). If a night flight pack the pyjamas and go thru a "normal"bedtime routine,

Mine were also used to sleeping on two chairs pushed together in a restaurant (if you haven't already tried this it might be worth a go next time you are out rather than putting her to sleep in a pram/pusher

Austin
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3. Re: Time Change and Toddlers
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Are you taking the nighttime flight from LAX to Australia? If so, do nothing. When we did that two years ago, our daughter fell asleep the moment we boarded the 10:30ish flight and slept most of the way to Sydney. Thankfully we already had her in her jammies. The flight is dark most of the time. The excitement of the impending trip and transferring at LAX kept her awake from Austin, well past her bedtime. Also, kids sleep easier on planes since they are smaller and can use mommy for a pillow and daddy for a leg rest.

You will probably find that kids are completely travel-hardy. Our six year-old daughter always handles the time change better than her parents. At two, after a grueling trip to the Scottish Highlands from Austin (via Cincinnati and Gatwick), she was go go go.

southern california
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phew, these replies make me feel even better! I really appreciate it!

5. Re: Time Change and Toddlers

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