Toddlers, travel and timezones

Thankfully this has only happened a couple of times because travelling long distances with my toddler is a far from restful experience. But I’ve found myself in different timezones with a fractious toddler in tow. They’re not only cranky at being out of their usual bed and bathtime routine but they are on a completely different bodyclock as well.

Adjusting to daylight saving is a similar problem, but the thing is once the adjustment is made you know it will last for at least a few months. But coping in a different timezone when its only for a week at most and then having to change back once you get home is a whole different story.

I found myself with a little one in tow at a family funeral. I was exhausted from the journey, grieving for the loss of a loved one and dealing with a toddler who wanted to sleep when they needed to be awake, and to then stay up all night long.

A couple of tips I picked up immediately were to use blackout blinds in the room to try and trick them into thinking it was night-time. My toddler was pretty smart but it helped a bit.
In addition, any offers of help were gratefully received and I snatched some sleep on the occasions they were scooped up by an adoring auntie or uncle to go and have a play.

Once we made the long plane journey home ( I honestly don’t think the plane could have gone any slower on that occasion) I immediately made sure he went straight back into his usual routine. I stood firm in the face of his tantrums and crankiness and persevered. I offered lots of cuddles but made the ground rules clear. We were home and the usual rules still applied. It took about a week until order and routine was restored.

How have you coped with travel, toddlers and timezones?