Spring Forward! Two words everyone dreads, but even more so when you are a parent of young kids. Daylight Savings begins on March 8, 2020. Get prepared ahead of time with these tips to help your little ones adjust to daylight savings time!
*If you can, start a couple of days before, and adjust bedtimes by 15min earlier than normal each day. For example, bedtime is usually 8:30pm, so adjust the first day at 8:15, next day 8pm, and so on until you get them down to 7:30pm the night that the clock moves forward an hour.
*As you do this, make sure you control the lighting in the room. As we approach Daylight savings in the Spring, it tends to get darker later. This can be very confusing to our little ones, but also for their bodies. Our bodies naturally make melatonin as darkness falls, and then melatonin production halts as light breaks. You can help this process by dimming the lights in the room close to bedtime. Also, make sure to shut down electronics at least 30 min before bedtime. This means cell phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs. You can also get some room darkening shades or curtains to help cut out the light from outside. In the morning, open the curtains and let the sunlight in. Get as much sunlight throughout the day as possible. If it is warm enough, eat meals outside together.
*Routine, routine, routine. Daylight savings time has the tendency to throw all of us off our normal routines, but it is important to stay on them or get back on them as quickly as possible. Our routine is medications, brush teeth, bath time, essential oils, storytime, kisses, hugs, I love you’s, sound machine, and then lights out. Anytime we stray from the bedtime routine, it makes falling asleep harder for our kids.
Sleep is important for all of us. When we sleep, our body rejuvenates and fights off any bugs and germs trying to attack us. Sleep is where healing can happen the most. Making sure we have prepared ourselves and our littles for daylight savings time will help us all adjust to the effects of the time change.
~ Trish
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