Search Results for: blog parents against daylight savings

Parents Busy Getting Busy During the Holidays

We’re all busy during the holiday season. There are parties to host and attend, presents to wrap and unwrap, shopping, cooking, cleaning and procreating. Yes, you read correctly. According to a new study, a large number of parents are busy getting busy between the sheets during the height of the holiday season. Researchers at the University of Texas found that most babies born in the United States are conceived between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Do the math and you’ll discover what the study’s authors did: The most popular birthday in America is September 16th. September 16th! That’s my brother’s … Continue reading →

Parents and Falling Back

Despite the collective groans from millions of parents across the nation, who detest the end of daylight savings, I for one will be embracing the extra hour of time we are gifted with tonight. Still, as a mother of an early rising 6-year-old I am not guaranteed an extra hour of sleep, but I’m grateful for the bonus hour nonetheless. I realize that I am in the minority on this one, especially as a parent. Many moms and dads with young children complain that their youngest kiddos don’t grasp the concept of an extra hour of sleep time, and end … Continue reading →

Parents Against Daylight Savings

I highly doubt that I am the founding member of the PADS club. However, I am one of the most outspoken. Parents Against Daylight Savings (PADS) doesn’t discriminate when it comes to membership. If you have a child, who refuses to go to sleep because “it’s STILL light out, Mommy!!!!,” then you have a friend in us. “Us” being myself and my core group of playgroup moms, all who have children ranging in age from 6 months to 6 years old… and all who are forced to deal with the barrage of bedtime complaints, moans and groans that are triggered … Continue reading →

Can’t Win for Losing

Summertime and the living is easy… No pencils, no books, no teacher’s dirty looks… and no set bedtime. What time do your children hit the hay during the summer months? In many families, summer sleepy time is dictated by Mother Nature.  Sunset bedtimes are the norm for many clans, much to the delight of young children, who gain at least a couple hours of extra playtime during the months of June, July and August. My 8-year-old is one of millions who has enjoyed bonus awake time this summer.  She’s spent it capturing fireflies, biking, making s’mores and attending all-night un-slumber … Continue reading →

Summer Bedtime Battle

If you have young children, getting them to cooperate at bedtime can be a challenge during the school year; however, during the summer months, the conflict typically intensifies. In my home, bedtime battles are as heated as the Sahara sun. If even a sliver of daylight can be seen on the horizon, my 8-year-old thinks she should be wide awake and as far away from a bed as possible. So, you can imagine how brutal bedtime is when the sun rises just after 5 a.m. and doesn’t set until nearly 9 p.m. Summer’s extended daylight is great for farmers, but for … Continue reading →

Seasonal Sleep Solutions

While I love the warmer temperatures spring brings, I am no fan of what the added daylight does to my child’s sleep habits. As an active member of PADS, I cringe when bedtime rolls around.  There’s nothing I dread more than having to fight with a third grader about how “unfair” it is that she is forced to hit the hay before it is pitch-black outside.  Then there’s the drama surrounding my rule that she remain asleep until at least an hour after the sun rises. She can’t stand me for that one. But, when you are dealing with a … Continue reading →

Simple Spring Fun Projects for the Kids

Now that we have sprung ahead an hour, I’m hoping Mother Nature will get the hint and adjust the weather accordingly.  We’re still buried under several feet of snow and the high temperatures are frozen in the 20s. If the weather outside is frightening in your neck of the woods too, then make the most of your indoor time by springing into spring with these simple, affordable and kid-friendly seasonal projects: Candy Lei:  You don’t have to travel to Hawaii to enjoy the beauty and fun of wearing colorful lei.  The eye-popping garland, traditionally worn around the neck, can be … Continue reading →

Preserving the Peace

Much like with marriage, to keep the peace between you and your children, it’s important to learn the fine art of picking battles.  The phrase may seem trite, but knowing how to correctly apply it to your family dynamic can make a huge difference in your quality of life. For example, my daughter struggled with sleep issues for a long time.  And by long time, I mean years… and years and years.  The kid would fight me at bedtime like a combat ninja.  The nightly battles were frustrating, exhausting and downright ugly.  It got so bad that I ended up … Continue reading →

Analyze This

You know that dream where everyone in the world hates you, but somehow you gain an invitation to compete on Iron Chef America where the secret ingredient is barley and one of the guest judges is Anderson “I love me some Crack Pie” Cooper, and you burn fish so badly that it looks like chicken until you pull back the skin and a sea of pin bones are revealed, and suddenly the entire kitchen goes up in flames… What do you mean you don’t remember that one? I get that one all the time, which probably explains why my 8-year-old … Continue reading →

Avoid the Bedtime Battle

Daylight saving time ends in the wee hours of Sunday morning. For many parents, the occasion can be bittersweet. While “falling back” yields an extra hour to spend however you desire, it can also mean extra-tired kids whose bodies don’t acclimate well to time changes. My daughter is a warrior when it comes to bedtime. The kid fights off sleep like a Roman gladiator. She’s Spartacus, sleep is the enemy, and I have to suffer through the nightly battle. Add in the whole turn-your-clocks-back-an-hour business and things can get rough. Fortunately, there are ways you can avoid going to war … Continue reading →