Long plane ride to europe with toddler...

[Can't_Wait]

Is it going to be awful? We are traveling to Germany this summer (may) to visit my sister & see europe. I am super worried about how my daughter (will be 21 months when we go) will do on the long plan ride. It will be a night flight, but I'm worried she won't sleep due to not being in her crib (which is the only place she sleeps really good).

I am also worried about the 7 hr time difference & how to get her adjusted to that.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[ysolde]

Talk to her pediatrician to see what advice she has for your daughter.

You may be able to get he accustomed to the time difference slowly, a few days ahead of time, by putting her to bed an hour later each day for three or four days. That may help. Make sure to bring a favorite blanket and a familiar (but not favorite) plush toy. In the alternative, you may want to buy her a special stuffed toy just for the trip. This is your travel stuffie! See, he's going to Germany with you! Explain as much as you can to her about the plane -- you and Mommy have to sit very still so that the other passengers can board, we have to wear seatbelts, just like in a car, there are noises, and your ears may pop and even hurt -- let Mommy know if this happens. The plane is going very high and very fast, over the ocean, across a whole different continent, and to Germany, where Mommy's sister lives. When we get off the plane, we will be in Germany! Yayyy!!!

[Mrs U]

Easiest way to help her with the time difference is to keep her on her normal schedule with eating and naps once in Germany. Also lots of time outdoors with the sun helps.

I wouldnt worry too much about the night flight. The humming engine sound will hopefully put her to sleep once they turn the cabin lights off.

HTH!

[BridalLace]

i made it into an adventure for our daughter when we went to Romania last summer. we bought her her own small set of luggage ($20), and she really latched on to her backpack (and even now she uses it to stuff with her favorite small toys before we leave for places.) anyway, i bought a lot of small toys to fit in the backpack that i didn't show her til we got on the plane: a book of stickers; one of those glow-in-the-dark rings that they sell at 4th of July celebrations (we took it out when they turned off the lights on the plane; i bought it at a party/costume store), several small gumball machines (they were tiny - smaller than the size of your palm, sold as favors at the same party store, and they worked like real gumball machines, although the candy wasn't gum, it was small balls of sugar). we had a small notebook she could put the stickers in or draw in w/crayons, and oh, we put in a ViewMaster as well, which she'd never seen before. anyway, whenever she got bored we'd take out something else and she was pretty occupied for most of the flight. she also had fun learning how to buckle her seatbelt and spent an hour just buckling it and unbuckling it over and over (drove us crazy, especially when they asked the passengers to buckle up for turbulence, but at least she was willing to wear her belt.)

you may not like all those suggestions, especially the one about the gumballs, but hope that gave you some ideas. we didn't have much problem with the time change - she just took naps til she adjusted, like most other people do.

[Can't_Wait]

Easiest way to help her with the time difference is to keep her on her normal schedule with eating and naps once in Germany. Also lots of time outdoors with the sun helps.

I wouldnt worry too much about the night flight. The humming engine sound will hopefully put her to sleep once they turn the cabin lights off.

HTH!


Do you mean to keep her on a normal schedule as far as the time? Like she would be napping at 9pm there b/c she naps at 2p here? Or do you just mean to keep her on a normal schedule as far as taking a regular nap & such?

[Can't_Wait]

ysolde Thanks for those tips... I think that is helpful. We'll def be sure to bring a blanket & a stuffed toy for her for comfort.

BridalLace Those are great ideas for little toys. I'm on the hunt for some now!

[Mrs U]

Do you mean to keep her on a normal schedule as far as the time? Like she would be napping at 9pm there b/c she naps at 2p here? Or do you just mean to keep her on a normal schedule as far as taking a regular nap & such?


If she naps at 2pm in the states, then keep her on a +/- 2pm nap schedule once in Germany. I did this when I came back from the states with DS (he was 10.5 months at the time) and it worked. Only had slight problems the first few days stateside with 6am wake ups, but I was wide awake as well (noon time CET for us) Everything else was kept up to normal schedule like at home, but on US time.

[Katie1]

We did it last year when DD was 23 months. Check with your airline- we flew on Aer Lingus and they do their best to accomodate parents with lap children in the bulkhead row. The bulkhead row on our plane was equipped with fold-down cots, although DD was a bit long for it. The baby sitting next to us slept pretty well in it though.

We also bought a portable DVD player for the trip and it was a lifesaver. I was worried about her using the headphones but actually with the noise of the engine and everything, I was able to just keep the volume on low and let her watch it with no headphones without disturbing the other passengers.

We also took a night flight and she did not sleep on the plane at all, but it turned out to be for the best b/c when we arrived it was morning with the time difference, and she then napped for four-five hours, skipped her regular nap that day, and went to bed at her regular bedtime. From then on she was back on her schedule.