• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Shop
  • Blog Coaching
  • Disclosures
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Amazon
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
It’s officially Fall! It definitely doesn’t fe It’s officially Fall! It definitely doesn’t feel like it in Miami, it really never does but that just gives us a reason to explore other states. West Virginia is one of them, fun fact I actually lived here between undergrad and grad school! Here are Things to do in West Virginia (SAVE + SHARE): 

1. Enjoy New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, or visit any of the states 35 state parks as West Virginia has 1.5 million acres of parks and public land. We personally walked the Shavers Lake Trail and canoed on the lake. 

2. Enjoy some serious adventures! We’re always trying something new and West Virginia offers a lot of options from whitewater rafting, to 1,000+ miles of off-road ATV trails, to rock climbing, caving and mountain biking . 

3. Take a train ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad which stops at the Whittaker Camp where those who worked in the lumber and coal industry lived during the work season. 

4. Explore Cranberry Glades Botanical Area where you might just get to see some black bears! 

5. Walk the Falls of Hills Creak trail to get up close to some gorgeous waterfalls! 

This week I’ll be sharing various cities and states you can experience a beautiful Fall getaway. What are some of your favorite places to enjoy autumn?

Tap the link in my bio for my West Virginia blog post and a blog post of the best places to experience Fall in the US!
Still not over our day exploring the waters of For Still not over our day exploring the waters of Fort Pierce. We danced, snorkeled, fished and went tubing. Definitely want more days like this and still pinch myself that this is what a day of work looks like for me sometimes. Thank you @seadoo for the opportunity.
If you know my husband you know water activities a If you know my husband you know water activities are his favorite! Fishing, jet skiing, just being on a boat on the ocean relaxing, name it, he’s there. So we couldn’t be more excited than to not only get the chance to test out the new @seadoo Switch but be the stars of a whole commercial for it. We had entirely too much fun filming this. Of course now he wants to buy one!

Do you like getting out on the water? Favorite activity?
Our 3 Day London Itinerary (SAVE + SHARE): 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Day 1: Walked across the Tower Bridge (you can take a tour of London of Tower as well), walked along the River Thames and took a make a fascination hat class with @create_your_own_hat! 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Day 2: Harry Potter walking tour, checked out Borough Market and went on a night ghost bus tour. 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Day 3: Morning Tea at Peggy Porschen, Buckingham Palace for Changing of the Guards, and explore Westminster for the infamous red telephone booths, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

If you have more time on previous visits to London we have taken a day trip to check out Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle, rode the London Eye, took a ferry ride down the Thames River, checked out Warner Brother Studios, and did a graffiti/street art tour.

Is London on your list? If you’ve been what did you do that you think is a must for visitors?

Things to do in London, London with kids, family travel
Then vs Now (swipe left)!🥹🥰 My babies are no Then vs Now (swipe left)!🥹🥰 My babies are not babies anymore. Where has the time gone? Excuse me while I go cry in the corner 😭😭😭😭. 

Too in my feelings to provide an informational post, I’ll be back tomorrow.
Why is this man always trying to stop my fun? List Why is this man always trying to stop my fun? Listen replace husband with whoever you need to but why these ppl keep acting like we can take our money when we’re gone?!? Y’all feel me or nah? 😅😬😩
Morning Tea in London! Afternoon or High Tea is us Morning Tea in London! Afternoon or High Tea is usually on everyone’s things to do in London list but since the girls and I don’t eat beef or pork the menus for most places didn’t make sense for us as they are filled with ham sandwiches and other things we don’t eat. I ended up finding Morning Tea at Peggy Porschen instead which offers a tea menu with breakfast items, while not traditional it worked best for us! It cost £35 pp.

For a traditional Afternoon or High Tea Try:

🫖Palm Court at The Ritz
🫖The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason
🫖Theatre Royal Drury Lane
🫖The Grill Room Hotel Cafe Royal (has vegetarian an vegan options)
🫖Coronation Afternoon Tea at Cellarium, Westminster Abbey
🫖The Rosebery Coronation Afternoon Tea at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
🫖The Goring Hotel

Afternoon Teas Geared Towards Families:

☕️Peter Pan Afternoon Tea at Aqua at The Shard
☕️Jurassic Afternoon Tea at the Ampersand Hotel
☕️Jungle Book Afternoon Tea at Brown’s Hotel
☕️Secret Garden Afternoon Tea at Taj 51
☕️The Buzzy Bees Afternoon Tea at St. Ermin’s Hotel
☕️Grover’s Children’s Tea at Grosvenor House Hotel
☕️The Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
☕️Sherlock Holmes Inspired Afternoon Tea at the Mind Palace
☕️Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tea at One Aldwych
☕️Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea at The Sanderson
☕️Wizard of Oz Afternoon Tea at The Soho Hotel

Have you done a proper Afternoon or High Tea in London before? Was the one you did on this list, if so what did you think of it? If you have additional recommendations please do leave a comment!

The Traveling Child

If kids live there, kids can visit!

  • Affording Travel
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Kenya
      • Morocco
    • Asia
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
    • Australia
    • Caribbean
      • Aruba
      • The Bahamas
      • Barbados
      • Cuba
      • Grand Cayman
      • Jamaica
      • Puerto Rico
      • Trinidad
    • Central America
      • Costa Rica
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • The Netherlands
    • North America
      • Alaska
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Illinois
      • Kansas
      • Louisiana
      • Mexico
      • Nevada
      • New York
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
    • South America
      • Brazil
      • Colombia
  • Travel Tips
    • Tips on Traveling with Kids
    • Trip Planning Tips
  • Reviews
    • Airline Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Product Reviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Buy Our Book
  • Blog Coaching

Tips for Preventing and Handling Jet-lag With Kids

December 20, 2016      Tips on Traveling with Kids, Trip Planning Tips

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

girl sitting on the plane with headphones on

As if the thought of flying across the country or world with your child isn’t scary enough, your destination could leave you with worries about how your little one will adjust to the time difference once you arrive. We have made several long haul flights with kids such as Kenya and Thailand and here are my tips on ways to prevent jet-lag or handle it, if preventing it is impossible. If your baby is under 3 months their sleep schedule is likely still all over the place and the time change won’t make a big difference for them.

How to Prevent Jet Lag When Booking Your Flight

If your flight length is between 7-10 hrs and you’re heading east book an overnight flight if possible. This is because the flight length coupled with the time difference has you arriving at your destination in the morning or early afternoon. When we traveled to Italy when Jordyn was 15 months our flight departed JFK at 8:45PM and we arrived in Venice at 11:13AM. This allowed Jordyn to go to sleep around the same time she normally would and then wake up with a full day ahead of her. She adjusted really well on this trip and only woke up during the night on the 1st day. Even if you can’t book an overnight flight try to book a flight that lands during the day, it is easier to force your child to stay up than it is to force them to sleep when they aren’t tired.

Related: Tips on Flying with Babies and Tips on Flying with Toddlers

Adjust Your Watch To Your Destinations Time As Soon As You Get on The Plane

When we traveled to Phuket as soon as we got on the plane I pretended as if we were already there. Our flight was at 7:40PM which meant it was 7:40AM in Thailand. Jordyn takes her nap during the day at 1:00PM so even though it meant her staying up past her normal bed time I kept her occupied on the plane for the first 5hrs. Then I let her sleep as it was now the time in Thailand that she normally naps. Usually she naps for 3hrs but since I knew she would be tired from being up so long I let her nap for 5hrs. I was prepared for her to be cranky so I had a lollipop ready for her when I woke her up, worked like a charm.

We had now killed 9 of the 13 hour flight and she watched movies until we landed. When we landed in Doha for our layover it was 4:30PM local time but 8:30PM in Thailand and we had 4hrs until our next flight. We ate and she played at the playground by our gate for a while and then she knocked out about 2hrs before our flight was set to depart. This leg was 7hrs and she slept the entire flight. When we landed it was morning and we went about our day.

It may not be the easiest to commit to this schedule but I promise you it will get them on your destinations time as quickly as possible which will only make your trip better. This schedule also works great for adults!

Keep Your Child on The Same Schedule

If getting on your destinations time from the flight doesn’t work for you once you arrive at your destination immediately put your child on the same schedule you would at home according to your new time zone. If you arrive at night but your home town is currently in day time it will probably be difficult to get them to sleep right away so let them stay up a little while to burn off some energy but not too late. It may take them a little longer to fall asleep but follow whatever bedtime routine you have at home so your child knows what to expect. Turn off the lights and electronics. Lay with them if you need to. Eventually they will fall asleep. If they wake up in the middle of the night remind them it’s still night time and they need to go back to sleep. If they are hungry give them a light healthy snack and get them back to bed as quick as possible. You may even need to take a walk with them but whatever you do try to have them up for no more than an hour before going back to bed. If they are still sound asleep past the time they normally get up wake them up so they get back on their home schedule.

Prevent Jet Lag by Avoiding Long Naps

If you arrive during the day try skipping your child’s nap this 1st day to ensure they sleep through the night. However, depending on your child’s age, skipping a nap could be unbearable for both child and parent. If it’s impossible for your child to skip their nap don’t let them nap for more than 1.5-2hrs as this will make it harder for them to sleep through the night.

Have A Plan to Keep Your Child Awake

If you are arriving during the day but it would usually be the time your child is sleeping at home be prepared to keep them up. Sitting in a hotel room or watching T.V. will not be a viable option. Head to the park where your child will want to play and be outdoors in the sunlight.

Sleep When Your Child Goes to Sleep

You probably got the advice of napping when your newborn naps to help sleep deprivation. You should do the same when adjusting to a new time zone. This way if your child wakes up super early you will be as rested as possible to tend to their needs.

Plan A Light First Day to Prevent Jet Lag with Kids

As it may take a few days for your child to adjust, the 1st day will potentially be the hardest. I suggest planning for a relaxed day one. This is probably not the day to do a tour of the Colosseum, Christ the Redeemer, or another once in a lifetime destination in case of a toddler meltdown.

Push Back Their Bedtime

If your child normally goes to bed at 8PM, try to get them to stay up until 10PM or so. This should make it easier for them to sleep through this first night and allow them to get back to their normal schedule or as close to it on day 2.

Adjusting to The Time Change Is Usually Harder on the Return

The excitement of being in a new place can help your child to stay up during the day even if they are tired. However when you get back home and are trying to settle back into your regular routine this is when it might take longer for your child to get back to their normal schedule.

What tips do you have on dealing with jetlag? Leave them in the comments below!

The Traveling Child is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Share
Tweet
Pin9
Email
Share
9 Shares

Newsletter Subscribtion

 
Join Our Mailing List
You'll get tips on affordable travel, flight deals and detailed itineraries for every trip we've been on (family, girlfriends getaway, baecations and solo) to make your planning process easier.
Thank you for subscribing!

Primary Sidebar

  • Amazon
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

Newsletter

Subscribe to Our Newsletter
You'll get tips on affordable travel, flight deals and detailed itineraries for every trip we've been on (family, girlfriends getaway, baecations and solo) to make your planning process easier.
Thank you for subscribing!

Recent Posts

  • Warm Places to Visit in December (January and February)
  • How to Travel Hack Long Layover Flights
  • Best Snowy Places to Visit for Winter Vacation
  • Best Tips for Planning a Group Trip
  • Things to do in Long Beach with Kids

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Facebook

FOLLOW US ON PINTEREST

Copyright © 2023 The Traveling Child, LLC.