How will your child cope when daylight savings time comes to an end?
I have to accept it. I have been in denial for the past month but this morning as my feet touched the cold tile of the bathroom floor I faced the fact that fall had finally arrived, even at my house.
Sure, fall is a beautiful time of year but it also spells impending doom on parents whose children are already early risers.
On Sunday, November 4th at 2:00 a.m. most of us need to set our clocks back one hour which signals the end of Daylight Savings Time. What used to mean a glorious extra hour in bed now means the child that woke up at 6am may now be awake at 5am!
Panic not, help is at hand.
You have a couple of options open to you. When choosing a method take into consideration your child’s temperament and how easily they adjust to change and being over tired.
For the easy going child who adjust well to change:
- When the clocks change switch immediately to the new time. If lunch is at 12.30pm and you moved the clock to 11.30pm them give them lunch at 12.30pm according to the new time. Do exactly the same for bedtime. Ensure they get a good nap to get them through happily to a later bedtime.
For the child who is more sensitive to change or is already an early riser:
- If your child gets over tired easily and will struggle to make a one hour adaption begin to make the change about four days before the clocks change. Gradually push bedtime forward by 15 minutes each day until you reach the new adjusted time. The key is not to let your child start their day until at least 6am (new time). Keep that early riser in their bed until 6am making sure their room is still dark (use black out blinds or liners if necessary) and then do a Dramatic Wake Up. Open the curtains, put on the light and let them know it is time to get up.
Even for the most sensitive child the adjustment only takes a few days as long as you stay consistent with bedtime and WAKE UP time.
Be patient it takes me a few days to adjust too!
If you have any questions or concerns send me an email, Facebook me or call on 905 599 0040.
Enjoy that extra hour!
