Going to England and Need Advice on Dealing with the Time Change!

Hi Molly-
We took our daughter to Australia when she was 15 months- so I hear your worry!!
But to be honest, it worked out just fine!!!
The time zone (they're 17 hours ahead!) was difficult and she went back to taking 2 naps (she was down to 1 afternoon nap a day) while there.
I'd just 'wing it' and deal with the issues as they arise.
Try to keep him up and get him on to UK time, but don't force it too much... Chances are you will be up in the middle of the night! Our experience- our daughter was up around 4 am most mornings!!! In some ways- it make the trip seem EXTRA long that way!
As for the flight- We did use some benadryl for the plane rides- and spoke to our ped. about it in advance! It just helped her fall asleep easier on the plane.
Other advice- pack extra outfit for everyone- my daughter's diaper leaked while i was holding her and I had a huge mess on my shirt!
And be smart about what you dress him in- we choose an outfit with a ton of snaps up the legs- not a good idea for when needing to change while in your seat (which we had to do during take off- bc of course she had a BM but we couldn't leave the seats!)
Pack lots of snacks- and something for their ears (pressure) during take off and landings... (We used a paci)
Although he is a little young, we went to a $1 store and bought new toys- that we then left with our cousins in Oz! This kept her interested...
Otherwise, on the trip home I do remember just walking the aisles with her. Luckily the passangers were friendly and understanding.... In all, the plane rides themselves were the easiest part of the whole trip! As we learned, a vacation with kids isn't a vacation- just a relocation! :)
(but it does make for fond memories!!)
Good Luck!
(ps- we also found some good blogs people had written about advice for traveling with kids.... don't recall any specific ones, but it was good to hear about peoples successes and learn from mistakes!)

I've traveled to Sweden with my older son twice, when he was 4.5 months and 1 year. It is 7 hours ahead. I think "winging it" with the time change (just like you normally do yourself) is the best, and my son has been mostly adjusted to the new time after only one night. You don't get that much sleep on the plane, and with all the excitement of the trip and the new surroundings my son has always been awake a lot more than usual and then been REALLY tired the first night there. When he was one, he woke up once during the night and was up for a while, and then I woke him up around 10am. The next night he was fine, just a couple of hours off his usual times, etc.

I second the bringing an extra outfit for everyone - I managed to get poop on my shirt and of course only had extra clothes for my son :-)

I think the plane trip is so exciting for the kids that it's easy to keep them entertained (but hard to get them to nap...) on the way back. You can of course bring some new toys (I did), but there are the headphones and other things around to play with, and lots of people to look at, and you can take a stroll down the aisle - most people are really nice and friendly.

I've never traveled that far with children that young so I don't have any new advice, except to beware with the Benadryl if that idea intrigues you. I would talk to your pediatrician first, and if he/she approves it do a trial run first. In young children (I think the label says under age 3) Benadryl can have the opposite effect and make them excitable. It happened to my youngest son the first time I gave him Benadryl and he was up off and on all night. Have a good trip.

We're just back from Scotland. I'd say be prepared for your son to NOT sleep much on the way there. Ours hasn't for either of his two overseas trips - makes for tired parents :) Other than being tired that first day, he's usually over jet lag the next day. That said, we do our best to set him to the new time starting once we're on the plane and on arrival.

Coming back has been easier in my opinion. We saved out some new toys and books for the return trip which really helped. My son adjusts better than his dad to the new time - don't sweat it. It will be what it is and you just can't predict it. Have FUN!!

I echo everyone else on "just wing it." Every child reacts differently. We flew to London last summer with our daughter who was just under 2 yrs old at the time. We had a night flight on the way there and she slept 90% of the flight. Once in London, we just tried to adapt to the local schedule immediately. The first night was awful and then after that everything was fine. On the way home, we traveled during the day and she didn't sleep a wink. She did great, though. We let her have all the things she doesn't normally get -- cookies, juice, etc. We brought new GIFT WRAPPED toys and the wrapping kept her more busy than the toys. We also bought a portable DVD player just for the trip and it was a life saver. We didn't know if she'd like it because she had never really watched TV before, but she loved it. (She loved it so much it was scary!) I don't know if the DVD player would work with a 1 year old, but it's probably worth a try. They are pretty cheap now and we continue to use it on every flight we take. We got a Sony with a long battery life (very important) and have been pleased with it. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

Hi Molly,
We went to London to visit family when our son was 18 months. We had a great time and we're so glad that we went, even though it is scary to travel that far away with a toddler.

I agree with just winging it on the time difference. We had a night flight, but our son didn't sleep very much. (I was convinced he would, even though everyone told me that he wouldn't!) And, he just wanted to be on my lap -- which wasn't great considering I was in the middle seat. My son had a window seat for the flight back and he did much better.

Take lots of new snacks and new toys. Have your bag very organized so you can grab things quickly. Our plane had the tv screens in the seat backs, so our son watched the Disney Channel some of the time, although he wouldn't wear the headphones, so he couldn't hear anything. You may want to take a DVD player too -- we used ours a lot on the return flight.

Hopefully once you are there, you will be able to get your son on a schedule. Our son's schedule was just off by a few hours -- so he slept in a little and stayed up a little late, which was fine with us. Does your son take naps in his stroller? Our son was easily lulled to sleep by the Tube or bus rides, so he just took naps in the stroller while we were sightseeing.

If you will be in London and taking the Tube, make sure you take a lightweight stroller. My husband and brother-in-law just carried it up and down the stairs or escalators while my son was strapped in -- much easier than taking him out and folding it up every time, especially if he was sleeping.

Have a great time and just send me a message if you have any questions! P.S. My son went right back to his normal routine when he got back -- that was the best part!