5 Ways to Transition Your Kids To Standard Time

I know we're all pretending to not know it's just around the corner, the dreaded...Day Light Savings Time end, it's time to "Fall" back a hour, go back to Standard time (although we spend more "time" in DLS time than Standard time...click here for random facts about DST). We as adults love this time change, we get an extra hour of sleep and not feel guilty...but the game changer...children. Somehow they didn't get the memo that we're supposed to sleep in. Not only is the sun now rising a bit earlier...our kids are too. So this is five ways to transition you kids to regular time, coming at you the day after Halloween! Awesome, not only are we going to have sugar comatose kids, but grouchy/tired ones at that. So here we go:

| One |

Don't expect it to happen over night, on average it takes my kids 3 weeks to adjust to the time change, either the Fall Back or Spring Forward. Mentally prepare for it to take 3 weeks, as sucky as that is.

| TWO |

Usually the first night I have high hopes, I keep them up a little later, but don't do it, resist the urge, they will not sleep in later, mine always wake up earlier. So I put them to bed at their normal time for that day...but since this time it's going to be Halloween we'll probably stay up a little later than normal anyway...oh well!



Had to have the matching PJ's right?

| THREE |

Morning time is usually when we alter our schedule. Inevitably they are going to wake up early. That first day we let it slide and just get up whenever they do. But the second and third day we slowly start to move the wake up time little by little to the time that it should be. So the first day they'll wake up an hourish early, the second day they might wake up but we don't go get them until 45 minutes early, and so forth. Sometime they'll adjust quicker and we won't need to do the step up, but most times we do.

| FOUR |

I think the most important advice is not to alter their normal schedule the day after. So on Sunday don't say, well they normally take a nap at 11, so let's put them down at 10, because it really is 11. No it's not, it's 10, yesterday it might have been 11, but today it's 10, keep them awake at all costs, sing to them, do what you can, get their internal clock back on track. Yes sometimes it sucks, but just keep at it, they'll adjust, be consistent. Isn't that always the advice?

Same goes for bedtime, keep it normal, the time is the time, don't "adjust" for yesterdays time. If they aren't tired, then they can rest in their room, but put them to bed and do the normal routine.

Don't worry, I moved her after taking this picture, was too nervous that her nose was being squished.

| FIVE |

Don't get frustrated, that they're waking up extra early or that they're going to bed late. Just try to be consistent. If you need to change the bedtime in increments, start out a little later and then back it up from there, go for it. Just decide what you want to do before Nov. 1st, and go with it. Try not to change it up on them mid-way through the week, that just confuses their already confused internal clock. Good Luck with the time change, it sucks up one side and down the other. Hopefully these tips help you with your transition.

Any other tips you want to leave? Comment down below, it might help a fellow reader!


Also linking up with Amanda, for Thinking Out Loud, Vanessa and Penny for Thinking out Loud, Lulia, Stephanie and Sarah for The Ladies Collective, Annie and Natalie for Thoughts for Thursday and Joey and Kristin for Stuff and Things and  Faith, Heather and Daily Momvitity for Mommy Moments