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!

This. Or just fess up to school.

Even the next day my kids would still be recovering.

You need to take into account possible delays as well. Kids won’t be able to sleep at the airport prior to the flight and realistically won’t get more than a few hours on the flight. You’re probably going to have to accept they will miss their first day.
Get home, let them sleep for a few hours, get them up after lunch and get them to bed early so they are adjusted sleep wise for the next day.

Yet by the end of the year, it will be a distant memory.

There’s a reason the flight was cheap. I suggest you email the school saying you have made an error and flights get in at 02.00hrs on the day school begins, you thought it was the day before. Apologies, explain and hope for the best with regards to a fine.

If you're not sending them in you just lie and say they've got the shits. Absolutely no benefit to you in telling the truth. The only issues are whether you're changing the flights and, if you aren't, whether to keep them off or not.

"If you're not sending them in you just lie and say they've got the shits. Absolutely no benefit to you in telling the truth"

Yeah, make the kids miss the first 3 days of school. Fucking wonderful idea

Start the school year off on a lie! 😂

This.

Absolutely this

I would change the flight and suck up the cost but as you’re not prepared to do that - this.

A lie that means they've to be "shits" free for 48 hours before they're allowed to go back. Fuck me 🤣

@BashirWithTheGoodBeard

Absolutely no benefit to you in telling the truth.

is that what you tell your children?

I'd try to change the flight if possible. You'll all be shattered next day
Alternative is for them to miss the first day back. I think my children wouldn't be happy with this as the first day is huge but they'd be too tired to go in

And means the children can’t talk about their holiday and have to also lie to say “yes feeling better now”

plus new teacher will know “oh, that kind of a parent”

As I remember the first day is very important socially if not educationally. Seats are chosen, you choose who you will sit next to, bonds are created. I think it's the worst day to miss.

Only if you're shit for brains enough to say it's just started. I thought people reading would've had sufficient common sense not to do that, but I should've remembered that's never a given on here.

They’ll be tired but for a one off after a nice holiday will be worth it. How old are they? I’d do pyjamas & teeth before the flight, Greece is 2 hours ahead so will only be 10pm UK time- they should sleep for it and will likely fall asleep in the car on the way home and can then be moved straight from the car to bed. You’ll be more tired than them! The excitement of seeing their friends the next day will pull them through!

I think it’s really shitty parenting to make your kids lie to their teachers.

"As I remember the first day is very important socially if not educationally. Seats are chosen, you choose who you will sit next to, bonds are created. I think it's the worst day to miss."

Yup, that's how I remember it too. My kids would hate to miss it and I'd do anything I could to make sure they didn't. But no, apparently that's "hyperbole" and therefore the thread police may order you to "simmer down"

“Sufficient common sense”

Says the poster who says “absolutely no benefit” to telling the truth in this scenario and to lie to the new teachers and then make her children keep up the lie the next day.

Christ what overreactions here!

They may sleep all the way (my 5 year old did) they may not. See how it goes

You can
Keep them off if they're too tired
Send them in

It's fine, just play it by ear. Either way isn't a massive deal

I'll certainly be teaching them to treat the sort of daft histronics you've displayed in your most recent posts with the derision it deserves once they're old enough, yep.

Can't talk about the holidays? Laughable. As if anyone's going to be taking enough notice to identify the exact dates in the previous six weeks that a primary aged child was on holiday.

Same here.

first day of school year is a big deal for most

just like first day of a new job, but even more socially important

It's only school, I assume they're not operating heavy machinery 🤣
What do you think farming families do in harvest time?

Teacher: “Oh I hear you were poorly yesterday, feeling better today”

friends: “why were you off yesterday??”

Your recent contributions have made clear that you wouldn't understand common sense if it sat on your face and wiggled though, so this isn't the mic drop you clearly intend it to be. It's interesting to note that you've yet to identify any actual benefit to truth telling here either. All we've had is won't someone think of the children.

And prey tell, what awful thing will happen then?