Upcoming Time Change: Any Recommendations?

We just went to Hawaii a few months ago with my 3 year old and five week old baby!
Sun, sun, sun. Just get them out in the sun as much as you can to adjust to the time. I don't recall really having any sleep issues when we traveled there. Bring a bunch of small news toys to introduce to him every hour on the plane. We brought about 4-5 things when I traveled with my oldest son when he was small (he has traveled extensively for a 3 year old: Japan, Russia, L.A., Ohio. Russia was when he was 2 and the plane ride was a grueling 12 hours and the time difference was 10 hours!!!). We brought new hot wheel cars (I think 5 in all) and when he got tired of the first one, we gave him a second one. It worked great. I always bring a DVD player, too. That occupies about 2 hours of the 5 hour flight.
Just go with an open mind and a good attitude and I think you will find that kids adapt easily. have a great time!

Sorry to not agree with the previous posts, but SOME children easily adapt and some don't. We went to Italy when our first was 2yo and it took her 10 days to adjust. It was a nightmare. (It was a 9 hour time change from CA.) Our daughter has continued to have trouble with time changes, even shorter ones. When we go back east for a week, she doesn't adjust until the very end of the trip. Our second child doesn't have the same problem. He adjusts in a day or two (though he's never had to adjust to more than a three hour time change.)

The absolutely most important thing to do (which I didn't start doing until after we went to Italy) is to use the sun to give feedback about the time. Open the curtains and go outside as much as possible (even if it means the baby snoozes in the stroller). That should help a lot, so hopefully everyone will adjust in a couple of days.

Good luck!
-D.

We live in Cal. and our familes are on the east coast. We travelled back and forth since the girls were born (they are 5 and 7 now). I appreciate your apprehension, but for us the time difference was not a big deal. It did seem easier heading East rather than West, but they adjusted within a few days at most. We're in England for the summer and that is an 8 hour time difference. We've only been here 3 days and the girls have already adjusted. Children are quite adaptable and resilient (thank goodness!)

Hi - The first may be rough - both my kids woke up at 4am, but after that they adjust. Your little one will be tired from all the fun in the sun.
Aloha !!!

Hi Lorie,
I'm from Hawaii & have traveled there many times with my children (I have 5 of them). You don't need to get him ready for it. You'll just need to get him on Hawaii's schedule from the 1st day there. So you'll have to keep him up & put him to bed 7:30 Hawaii time. This advice seems very simplistic but it's all you have to do but it may take a few days of waking up. I hope it works for you. Enjoy Hawaii!
D.

We did Hawaii when my son was 1 yr and the first morning he woke at 5am then adjusted. He was so active and so tired at night that we got him down easily.

I have a friend who did Hawaii last year with her little ones. The week before going she started moving their schedules closer to Hawaii time, hour by hour. So when she got to Hawaii they were mostly adjusted.

Kids do adjust, just try to be patient and relax about it.

Happy travels. We go to Hawaii in October.