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I used to love daylight savings time because it would give me light early in the morning so I could go for a run before work.
Now as a mom I despise it.
I know I’m not the only one.
In my Facebook news feed this morning, here’s what some of my friends said:
“Toddlers know nothing about day light savings” -Ben
“Yeah right an extra hour of sleep. Not with toddlers in the house.” -Alana
“I hate you time change!!!!!!!! 2 babies in my bed ready to start the day. Gonna be a long one” -Kristin
Our bodies have been made to respond to light. When daylight peeks in through the windows, we are more likely to wake up. Same goes with our kids.
Sun comes up then kids get up. No more sleeping in.
Then when it’s time to spring forward, your kids end up going to bed before the sun goes down. Convincing a three year old to go to sleep while it’s still light out is no easy task.
Does it have to be that way?
I’m not claiming to be an expert but I have found a couple of tricks & tips on how to help kids adjust to time change.
This is also applicable for traveling with children to different time zones.
Tips To Help Make The Time Change Go Smoother
Consider moving bedtime temporarily. When moving the clocks back one hour, think about keeping the child up a little later the night before. This will encourage them to sleep a little later the next morning. This can be done slowly over several nights in increments of 60, 30 or 15 minutes. It just so happened our kids were up late at a church event Saturday night so they were already staying up late. They slept in until 8am the next morning so it worked like a charm!
When changing the clocks one hour ahead, move bedtime up early the first couple night in increments as described above.
Install light blocking curtains. The biggest problem with daylight savings time is that the sunlight comes in waking my kids up early. You can purchase ready-made light blocking curtains or make your own. In my case, I bought some inexpensive curtain panels and sewed in some light blocking material (which you can find at Hobby Lobby or other fabric stores)
Use white noise in their room. I use an air purifier
For older kids, use a clock to help them know what time it’s okay to get out of bed. We use this bunny clock
(Click here for image source)
Expect that this will be an adjustment. Your kids will probably still get up earlier than you want when you change the clocks back. When changing the clocks forward one hour they may not want to go to sleep at night. Expect it so you won’t be super disappointed. This is a process that takes some time to get used to. Doesn’t it take time for you to get used to a time change? If it’s hard for us, it’s also hard on the kids. Give them some grace.
Keep bedtime routines consistent. Keep the bedtime routine the same every time. Consistency is key. With so much changing going on, kids comforted by a familiar routine will be more likely to deal with change better.
What helps your kids get used to a time change?
How has the time change affected you?
This post linked to Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Ladies Only Blog Share, Inspire Me Please, Serenity Now, Link Party Palooza, Skip The Housework Saturday, and Wine’d Down Wednesday.
Thanks for the tips! Our son has decided that he is not going to acknowledge the time change (he is 8-months-old so it’s understandable), but it’s been hard for me! I am definitely going to try to implement some of these tricks!
We loose so much sleep as parents in general so when the time change is thrown in there it doesn’t make life any easier! I’m glad this was helpful–I hope you are able to cope in the meantime!
This time change wasn’t toooo terrible since my 3 yr old has turned into a total night-owl/late sleeper (he woke up at 7 instead of 8, no big deal) and my baby is too young to really have a schedule yet. But I DREAD the spring time change where you’re trying to convince little ones to go to bed an hour before their normal time! (and when it’s bright outside to boot)
I know–the spring change is hard too! I’m glad this round went well for you guys! Thanks for hopping over, Sarah!
It’s definitely a rough week or so! We use a clock for the kids as well. We also just change their bedtime (and meal times!) just a little bit at a time until they are on track again. It usually takes about a week. Great tips!
I agree–it does take about a week or so for everyone to (sort of) adjust! Changing the meal times is a great idea as well! Thanks for sharing that!
Gosh I hate daylight savings time, too! We already have our son sleep in a pitch black room with a lot of white noise. I find that if I adjust gradually a couple of days leading up to the change he does better, but it still takes us about a week (especially in the mornings) to get back to “normal.” Those lucky Arizonians! 🙂 New follower! -Andrea http://www.handandtheheart.com
Yes I agree that starting to adjust them a couple days ahead of time really helps! The transition went well for us but my kids have been SO tired since the time change! Life would be easier in some ways if we lived in Arizona! Thanks for stopping by!
Yes to the clock! And the other tips too, for that matter. But as soon as my oldest learned her numbers (2), we taught her where the 7 needs to be for her to have permission to get out of her room in the morning.
I’m glad you enjoyed this! The clock has really been a good thing for us. I hope your kids are adjusting well!
This is awesome! As a first time mom, I just experienced the dread of changing times and so this will be nice to use. Thanks again!
I really hope this is helpful to other moms because these time changes can be so rough! Thanks so much for stopping by, Britney!