Trip with a 3 hour time change and a 3 yr old?

[jenn1975]

We are planning a summer trip to Florida from Arizona. The time difference there is 3 hours later. Any experiences with this? Is it a big deal?

We will be there for a week. Should we try to keep him on Arizona time? That would mean late late bedtime and late late morning wakeups if we just pretended we were still in Arizona.

How is it once you return home and try to get them back on their usual schedule?

[zeri]

IME, it really depends on the child. We do it every so often (Montreal QC to BC and back,  so three hours again) and we just switch them to the local time. When we arrive, they are up late in real time so we try to make sure they nap in transit, and really well the next day. Same for the way back. It takes a few days to adjust and DD does fine. It is our first trip since DS was a baby this summer, and I am curious how he will handle it. i think he might be more tired that she ever was. I have friends as well who move BT incrementally in the weeks before but that has never worked for us, since we aren't able to move waking back or no-one would get to work on time. Also, they both resist a BT change and just stay awake until the 'right' BT.

[HenaV]

We've done it twice. The first time R was 13m old and whatever we tried didn't work. The second time she was just over 2 and we stuck to uk time. We went to Turkey and they are 2h ahead. So effectively we ended up with later BT Turkish time which was helpful re: eating out etc and later morning which at least felt nice. IMO is was easier to stick with as R knew than upset the apple cart for 10days yk?
Hth x

[jenn1975]

Hena, did you find it difficult to stay on UK time?  Our time difference will be 3 hours, I guess I could pretend it was just two, it would be better maybe. 

[Emami]

We've traveled fairly frequently from MD to AZ (3hrs difference) and to England (5hrs difference), and we always shift to the local time.  Partly it's because DD literally never sleeps on flights (even overnight ones even when we try medicinal sleep aids , so by the time we get wherever we're going she's messed up and way off her routine anyway and we just roll with it.  She handles OT pretty well and is quick to adjust though.  I usually expect a couple of rough nights and then she's fine

[HenaV]

Unlike Emma's LO, R doesn't handle OT at all well so sticking with uk time was easier for us. I'm not saying it's for everyone but it did mean that we could slot into local time fairly well. So, usually dinner at home is at 5pm which became 7pm on hols(perfect for the Resturant at the hotel). BT 7pm, 9pm on hols - a chance for us to eat and have a drink. We did push the boat out a couple of times to 7.30/8pm (9.30/10pm) which made BT a bit teary and fraught but manageable because it was just a couple if nights.

For the sake of a week, I really couldn't be bothered to stress myself with trying to push her, for her to get used to it to come home!

Hth x

[Emami]

Yes, a lot depends on your LO.  What Hena says makes total sense and obviously worked for them.  I do think 3hrs is enough of a difference to make the change whereas 2hrs is more doable - so maybe as you said pretend it's just 2hrs!  When DD naps her BT is 8:30, and if you stick to AZ times that would make it 11:30, and that's assuming BT goes smoothly and not even allowing for any messing around!  Am I remembering right that your guy also goes to bed around 8-8:30? So for me it just gets too late to not adjust. 

[jenn1975]

Thank you both. Yes, he does already have a late BT if he naps. Which he still does everyday ATM. So there's no way I could do 11:30pm BT. We will prob have to switch to local time. He wont sleep on planes either I don't think do who knows how it will go.

How about once you're home? Any issues getting back on track?

[HenaV]

Sorry hon, can't help there. We've never had to do it. I guess you just have to see where you are when you get back and take it from there x

[Emami]

Sorry for late reply, haven't been able to get on much the last couple of weeks.  I have always found flying east to west easier with DD, so hopefully you will find the same going home.  It's just an extra long day, so there will probably be some crabbiness, but I find we can make it to about 5:30/6pm home time and just put her straight to bed and she's pretty much back in track from there.  West to east is harder IME because you lose hours and I find I have to wake DD and give her a short night until she adjusts otherwise night runs in to day.  When you gain hours everyone can get some extra sleep and catch up!

[jenn1975]

Thank you ladies! We will go with the flow and see how it goes!

[HenaV]

Good luck