Written by Isobel Benesch of Bel & Beau for Pottery Barn Kids.
Before children, the end of Daylight Saving Time was an occasion to be celebrated. “Falling back” meant an extra hour of daytime that you could spend doing whatever you pleased. But as a parent, Daylight Saving means earlier mornings, thrown-off nap times, and later bedtimes.
Last week, Chronicle Books and Pottery Barn Kids sent us the most thoughtful Daylight Saving Survival Kit for both parents and children. Some beautiful books and stuffed characters for the boys and specialty coffee and Advil for the parents.
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train are two favorite bedtime stories in our household. I don’t think my boys will ever tire of reading about construction vehicles or trains, and the gorgeous writing and illustrations make these enjoyable books to read as a parent. Holden was overjoyed to find the stuffed character from the book in the package and couldn’t wait to read the books to his new friend.
For past Daylight Saving Time changes with Holden, we just winged it. However, Gray’s internal clock seems to be more sensitive than Holden’s. By 6 p.m., Gray lets us know that he is ready for bed and proceeds to fall asleep at 6:30 p.m. every night like clockwork. Holden, on the other hand, is like the Energizer Bunny, it doesn’t matter what time it is or how much or little sleep he got the night before, Holden has never gone to sleep (for bedtimes or naps) unless he’s forcibly made to do so. I’m pretty sure he would stay awake the entire night if we let him! This time around, we think a little preparation might be necessary for Gray who is not going to be happy with us messing with his bedtime. So how are we going to survive the time change?
Plan – Instead of springing the time change on the boys all at once, we are going to start shifting their schedules at the beginning of this week, 15 minutes at a time, to help their bodies slowly adjust to the time change.
Keep the same routine – I’ll be extra diligent when the time change happens not to stray from our usual routine. Rather than looking at a clock, mealtimes, playtimes, outings, etc. are all cues to Holden and Grayson about what is happening next in their day. By sticking to our usual routine, it will help them anticipate the daily flow.
Earlier Bedtimes – Knowing that the boys are waking up earlier, I will be sure to put them down for naps and bed earlier than usual to compensate for the early wake time and (hopefully) avoid overtired kiddos.
Do you guys have any other tips or tricks for Daylight Saving Time? Do you plan ahead or just wing it?
