An Approach to Daylight Savings Time

Whoever dreamed up Daylight Savings Time apparently didn't have young children!

A fellow blogger (Responsbile Father) posted a tip to start Daylight Savings Time a day earlier, to make Sunday mornings a bunch easier, so you don't feel so stressed on a morning when you are going to worship God. I have a similar approach designed to help spread out the transition to the new time a little bit, but don't know how effective it is. An hour's change to a young child's schedule is just a hard thing to do, period. (not to mention the rest of us!)

Here's our approach, but we aren't super-strict on it:

• Saturday afternoon: wake them up from nap 15 minutes early, give them some exercise, and feed them supper 15 minutes early (25%)


• Saturday evening: put them to be 30 minutes early, and pray that they actually go to sleep before too long! (50%)


• Saturday night: turn the clocks ahead an hour, like everybody else. No effect on the children, because they don't tell time!


• Sunday morning: get them up 15 minutes late, which is 45 minutes earlier by the sun's schedule (75%)


• Sunday: take them to Sunday School and Church (on time!?!) to immerse them in reality and get them good and tired (100%)


• Sunday afternoon: put them down to nap 15 minutes late to make sure they take a good nap (back to 75%)


• Sunday evening: 100% on new time, for better or for worse. Relax and thank God for getting us through it, but get to bed early because Monday morning will be here way to early for everybody! :-)

There you have it. Hope it helps somebody!