To hope my children won’t be toooo tired after a midnight flight?

[Carla6]

Hi, we’re flying back from Greece right at the end of the summer holidays and I hoped my children would sleep on the plane back so booked it for the night before they start back at school as that was much cheaper. Now I’m wondering if I’ve messed up as it’s a midnight flight landing at 2am! Then a 2 drive home once we get luggage…I didn’t think this through properly when booking. Has anyone had a journey back like this and how were their children the next day and following day, tiredness wise?! I mean I can’t actually move the flights now but I’m just wondering how much of a mistake I’ve made! Any tips for comfy sleeping on the plane?! Thanks!

It's completely different. The first day of school is children running around greeting all their buddies, getting their new groups allocation and meeting the teachers. I might feel differently if it was first day of a new school. But it's not exactly the time they'll be introduced to quadratic equations and the excitement of a new day, new teacher, new friends will probably keep them going.

Never mind the kids, I would be too tired to get up and get them there. They might sleep in the flight/in the car but I wouldn't. Nah I would change it.

It’s ok for kids to be a bit tired for one day, just like it’s ok for kids to be peckish without a snack every 20 minutes. God you lot are mollycoddlers you really are!

If they're teenagers they'll be grumpy but cope. They'll see it's worth it.

If they're primary I'd change the flight.

It was a very silly thing to do before the start of a new school year. Any other time wouldn’t have been so bad. They will be exhausted.
However, they won’t want to miss the first day of a new year back as a lot happens - meet teachers, new seating, new books etc so they will have to manage. It won’t hurt them but be prepared for them to go to bed very early!
Get absolutely everything ready for school - including school bags packed - before you go on holiday. If you do packed lunches consider buying a sandwich meal deal on arrival at airport so can just throw in lunchbox. Take them to and from school on that day, no buses etc
Take travel pillows on flight and get them a hot milk/chocolate from departures before you leave if that helps them sleep. Consider eye masks too
hopefully they will be able to get a few hours sleep at least

🙄

Mine would have fallen asleep at school if we tried that. We did 5hr flights regularly and they were rarely awak before 11am if we landed at midnight by the time we did security and the drive to where we were going.

its fairly obvious that I was saying the point was stupid without saying the point was stupid.

It's kids on the first day at school for the year, not the very first day in a new school, not an adutls first day at work, not a first day of exams or anything important. It's seeing their friends and doing fuck all.

If your kids are particulaly sensitive in such things, don't do it. But that doesn't mean no-one else should. Mine would be fine.

I'm really surprised by the level of frothing on this thread. It's maybe down to individual kids though?
They'd sleep on the plane, in the car and in bed, they'd be tired but they'd survive with an early night after the first day back. It's a one off and the excitement of first day back will see them through. I think most kids would cope fine unless they're particularly sensitive to any changes in routine/bedtime.

I have a 5yr old and a 2yr old, I struggle to remember a day where I don't go to work tired lol.

Have a great holiday OP.

Depends on their ages but honestly you have booked it now. One day of tiredness wont kill them.

They land at 2 am and have a 2 hour drive, add an hour to navigate plane to car. Then get in and sorted and it's almost 6am.

There is no way I could do it.

Mine would manage to fall asleep on a washing line so I'd send him to school next day without a second glance. Early night the following day and life goes on.

If they get in at 6am there’s probably no point putting them to bed as it would be harder waking them up after a couple of hours sleep (well it would be for my kids who, when I wake them up to go to school, moan ‘but I’ve only just gone to sleep’ even though they’ve been asleep for 10.5 solid hours!).

There's absolutely no way your dc will manage school the morning after travelling home that night. They will be wrecked!

My DD's flight was delayed and she ended up home on a similar timeframe. They went in late the next day. Just plan on them going in after lunch. You'll want to get up at a time that will fit going to bed anyway. So don't stress, just go in after lunch.

We did a late(ish) flight home once. I think we flew at 8pm from Lanzarote, got back into UK at midnight, then a wait for baggage and a 2 hour drive home. I vowed I would never do it again because it was awful. But the next time I went away was during all the tui chaos and our afternoon flight was very very delayed and we arrived home at 3am and I started a new job the next day (same day) early morning flights are the way to go 😂😂

What about you though? Would you manage with staying awake all night and not getting to bed until the children were in school?

As much as I wouldn't want to miss the thrill of getting a new seat, a new book, and meeting a teacher I've seen roaming the halls a few hundred times but never been in their class, I'm sure I'd cope.

Much like returning to work from holiday, the novelty wears off after half an hour and it's business as usual.

We've just done this flight from Athens. Landed at 2am at Bristol. No bags. Still took us until 3 to get into car and then home by just before 4. Absolutely shattered. Would never dream of sending kids to school that day

We did this when the kids were 3 and 6, eldest went to school no problem! Early night that day and all was fine, youngest returned to nursery the following day.

Haven't you ever pulled an all-nighter for school/uni?! Of course I'd be fine as a one-off. One day of tired is not a big deal for most people.

We recently did a truly awful overnight flight, followed by a transfer. DS slept quite well on the flight, but DD barely slept at all - she dozed from about 3:30am-730am. we landed, had a 3 hour stop over with all the palaver of new boarding gates and additional security, then another short flight followed by a long delay for luggage and a taxi home. We were all absolutely shattered by the time we got home but... the kids coped just fine the entire day, including while schlepping around a strange airport, carrying bags etc etc. The novelty kept them awake and alert and they just collapsed into bed early not as early as I'd have liked and slept well that night. As did I.

they'll be fine. It would be totally different if they had to be on top form the next day eg before an exam or something. But first day of new term seems pretty light to me usually.

Totally, utterly and completely dependant on the child.
DS1 would sleep for an hour -90 mins before starting a similar journey at midnight. We would get to my parents at 10am without any further sleep from him. He would be fine until about 7pm that night.
Me, on the other hand, needed a nap when I reached my parents.

DS2 usually fell asleep on the second plane about 5am. He wasn't very pleasant to be around for much of that day.

@HamSandwichKiller

Haven't you ever pulled an all-nighter for school/uni?! Of course I'd be fine as a one-off. One day of tired is not a big deal for most people.

Many times. There is a big difference between doing in your your teens/early 20s and doing it as a parent at the end of a holiday though.

Fair play to those who wouldn't be bothered by it!!

😂.

It's clearly not ideal. But they'll survive.

I'd give them dinner as soon as they get in from school and then send them up to bed 5.30/6pm.