Flying tips for babies and children

As we enter the rainy season in the UK, many of you may have already booked a holiday abroad to warmer destinations. While looking forward to the sun, beaches, and delicious food, travelling with your children and coping with jet lag can be a challenge. Fear not, as Nurturing Nannies have put together some tips to make your flight and holiday as enjoyable as the weather!

How to deal with jet lag for babies and children

Travelling to a different time zone can disrupt your baby's sleep routine, but not in the long-term if your baby is already in a good routine at home and can put themselves to sleep. During the first few days, be lenient and let your baby wake up at their normal UK feed time. Feed and play with them in a quiet room if they're no longer sleepy. After the first few days, start transitioning by following the suggestions below.

Should you keep on UK time or change to the new destination time?

If you're travelling to a destination that's less than three hours ahead, we suggest keeping your baby's meal and sleep times on their UK routine. A great tip is for the mother to have a watch set to UK time, while the father sets their watch to the local time. This way, your children can eat and sleep when the locals do. After about a week, you'll find that they naturally fall into the new time zone.

How can you encourage naps and sleep at the correct times?

Bring some blackout material with you, so you can darken the room if necessary. This works great for the early days when they need longer daytime naps to catch up. Keep your children busy throughout the day with lots of activities, especially outside in the sunshine, which is a great pick-me-up. Avoid watching TV or staying in the hotel if you or your children feel fatigued. Keep moving whenever possible to adjust to the new routine.

What about long-haul flights?

It doesn't matter what time you fly because it usually takes 2-3 days for you and your children to adjust to the new time zone. If you're travelling to a destination with a time difference of more than four hours, set your watch for the destination time as soon as you get on the plane. Try to push your routine as far as you can before adjusting to the new time zone. It's important for parents to be well-rested, so try to sleep when your children sleep and stock up on early nights before the trip.

What happens if your baby is breastfed only?

If your body is producing milk according to your UK schedule, the first few days may be challenging. Feed your baby when they wake up throughout the night as they will be hungry according to their UK body clock. Gently transition to a new schedule by phasing out night feeds by day three or as you would back home if your baby is still on night feeds.

Before the plane journey

If your flight is in the afternoon, get your children outside for some physical exercise, such as a run around the park or a swim if the weather isn't good. This will wear them out and make them more relaxed travel companions.

On the plane

For children over three, avoid using electronic gadgets, such as iPads or nintendos, for about a week before the trip. When you get them out on the plane, they will be delighted and entertained for a while, especially if you load them with new games as a special treat. New sticker books and the latest films are also excellent entertainment options. Make sure you have water in a bottle for babies during take-off and landing. For children over five, chewing gum as a special treat works wonders, but be ready with tissues to dispose of it!

Will your hard work be undone when you return home?

No, soon as you get home try and slip straight into your old routine , yes there will be a few days for you all to adjust again but you will.

Happy Holidays from Nurturing Nannies