Jet Lag with Kids: A Love Story (Just Kidding, It’s a Cautionary Tale)

Jet lag with kids is not a puzzle you solve. It’s a slow-motion endurance test with moments of comedy, collapse, and occasionally, croissants at 4 a.m. I’ve tried every method — shifting bedtimes, no screens, magical thinking — and the only thing predictable is that it will break you a little and make you stronger, like childbirth or assembling IKEA furniture with your spouse. From Benadryl test runs at 35,000 feet to early bedtimes in Hawaii, here’s what I’ve learned about surviving the time zones with a child (and your sanity) intact.