Fall Time Change and Keeping Kids On Schedule

It sounds lovely when you’re solo – have the clocks ‘fall back’ and enjoy an extra hour of sleep. But parents of little ones know it is not that simple. The fall time change can cause havoc with your household routine. Here are a few tips for helping adjust to the time change.

Gradual Change

Three days before the change, move your little one’s schedule ahead by 15 minutes. Start nap times 15 minutes later, stretch bedtime by 15 minutes, and sleep in 15 minutes later, if you can.

The next day, add another 15 minutes, and do the same on the third day, so that your usual 7pm bedtime has suddenly become 7:45pm.

No need to tell the little ones you’re adjusting the time, because when you turn the clocks back an hour on Saturday night/Sunday morning, you can send them to bed at 7pm and it should feel like normal.

Split the Difference

If you’re not able to start the 15-minute trick three days before, start on the day of the time change by moving nap and bedtime ahead 30 minutes. Stick with this for three days, then move back to the correct time on the clock.

Stay the Course

You might just want to change with the clocks and hope for the best. My kids have already been switching their internal clocks, staying up later and (some of them) sleeping in. We’ll just go with the flow and hope for the best!