Use Light to Your Advantage
Once you have arrived, the sun is your most useful tool. It sounds a bit scientific, but our body clocks are ruled by light. If you need the kids to stay awake a bit longer, get them out in the fresh air and sunshine. A run around a local playground or a walk to the shops can work wonders for shaking off the grogginess.
On the flip side, if you need them to sleep when their bodies think it’s playtime, you have to create a cave. Blackout blinds are a lifesaver, but if your accommodation doesn't have them, even taping a towel over a window helps. Lowering the lights and putting phones away an hour before the new bedtime helps the brain switch gears.
Once you have arrived, the sun is your most useful tool. It sounds a bit scientific, but our body clocks are ruled by light. If you need the kids to stay awake a bit longer, get them out in the fresh air and sunshine. A run around a local playground or a walk to the shops can work wonders for shaking off the grogginess.
On the flip side, if you need them to sleep when their bodies think it’s playtime, you have to create a cave. Blackout blinds are a lifesaver, but if your accommodation doesn't have them, even taping a towel over a window helps. Lowering the lights and putting phones away an hour before the new bedtime helps the brain switch gears.
Nudging the Clock Forward (or Back)
You don’t always have to wait until you land to start the work. If you can manage it, try shifting the daily routine a few days before you fly. It’s not about completely flipping their schedule, but moving bedtime by 15 or 20 minutes each night can take the sting out of the eventual change.
This is especially helpful if you are travelling as a foster carer family unit, with an agency like Fostering People. Children in foster care often rely heavily on rigid structures to feel safe esepically when somewhere new. A sudden jolt to their routine can be unsettling. By making tiny, almost unnoticeable tweaks to their evening wind-down before the trip, you help a foster child maintain that vital sense of security, even as the environment around them is about to change.
You don’t always have to wait until you land to start the work. If you can manage it, try shifting the daily routine a few days before you fly. It’s not about completely flipping their schedule, but moving bedtime by 15 or 20 minutes each night can take the sting out of the eventual change.
This is especially helpful if you are travelling as a foster carer family unit, with an agency like Fostering People. Children in foster care often rely heavily on rigid structures to feel safe esepically when somewhere new. A sudden jolt to their routine can be unsettling. By making tiny, almost unnoticeable tweaks to their evening wind-down before the trip, you help a foster child maintain that vital sense of security, even as the environment around them is about to change.
The Power of the Familiar
New smells, new noises, and a strange bed can make settling down difficult for anyone, let alone a toddler or a child with a trauma background. The trick is to bring a slice of home with you. Don’t worry about packing light, if a specific battered teddy bear or a particular blanket makes them happy, it goes in the suitcase.
Stick to the script at bedtime. If you usually do bath, teeth, and two stories, do exactly that. For foster children, these predictable rhythms act as an anchor. It tells them that no matter where they are in the world, the people caring for them are consistent and safe.
Go Easy on Yourself
Even with the best plans, you might end up wide awake at 4 am with a child who wants breakfast. Don’t panic. It happens. Keep the lights low, keep your voice whispered, and try to keep things boring. If they really can’t sleep, a quiet cuddle is better than fighting a losing battle.
Children are Tough
Travel throws curveballs, but you will get through the tired moments. Children are surprisingly tough and they usually bounce back faster than adults do. Stick to your guns with the routine, use the daylight, and don't forget to be kind to yourself if it goes a bit pear-shaped. You’ve got this.
