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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Daylight Savings tips for toddlers

Before I had one of these running around:

I never thought that Daylight Savings time was a big deal. Spring forward? Cool, one extra hour to sleep in. Fall back? Well, I'd just have to drag my sorry booty to class 'early' for a few days until I got used to it or, more likely, oversleep. Hmmm. Why didn't I finish that Anthropology degree again?

But now that the wee one is here I see just how the panic rises as the date moves closer and threatens the holiest of holies: the sleep schedule.

Daylight Savings is one hour to be fretted over, dreaded, and dare I say it - feared?

Fear no longer, mothers of the world (for I know it is by and large YOU that handle the havoc that is wrecked upon our (non) sleeping babes), I have found the answer.


GO TO HAWAII!!! 

What's one measly hour to a toddler? pffft. Nothing. Let's talk about six. Six hour difference...and then oh! let's toss in a spring forward just for fun, k?

Perhaps you think I jest, but I do not!
Day one: fly to Los Angeles from Washington, D.C., giving baby a smack of 3 hours difference. Whoohooo!!! We landed at 10 p.m.- 1 a.m. for the kiddo. Kid will be so jacked up and wiggly from being contained in a flying tube of steel that he will race around the apartment until midnight LA time...THREE A.M. D.C. time. *sigh*

Day two: Toddler will sleep until around 10 a.m. LA time, suhweet! Naptime...if he will do it, at 2 p.m., then bed at 10...progress y'all!
Day three: Toddler up at 8 a.m. LA time~ no nap, as we are off to Hawaii!!! Kid up till midnight again...which is now 3 a.m. LA time, and 6 a.m. DC time. (*note, mothers are allowed a small sob fest due to extreme exhaustion)
Day four: HAWAII! Kid sleeps til 9 a.m. Hawaii time...thank.God. Refuses nap, preferring to hold concert in lobby:

Then passes out in the lobby mid guitar strum.

Bedtime @ 10:30 p.m. not perfect, but we'll take it!

Day 5 officially on Hawaii time! Although refuses to sleep in hotel provided crib, insisting on sharing bed with Daddy. (Mommy thanks heaven for two separate beds in the room! whoohoo!)

Day 6...Daylight Savings time. I loathe you.

Then before you know it, it's back to Los Angeles; and we start all over again!
Day one, bedtime 12:30 a.m. *yawn*
Day two: sleeps til 10:30 a.m. and refuses nap, fights bedtime, finally collapsing in the cutest little heap ever at 10:30 p.m.

Day three....I'll let you know. But one little hour doesn't seem so bad now does it.

So, I say if you must battle the time change, you should all do it in:
HAWAII!
Go for it, for while the time change may be a struggle, you will be struggling in paradise. And the pina coladas don't hurt either!

** Thank you all for your sweet tweets/comments/emails about the little ones face. A few days of hydrocortizone and it is on the ment. Still there, but barely noticible.I appreciate your concern.

5 comments:

KLZ said...

Oh, man. I thought I had it bad with a 6 month old who refuses to sleep through the night. He's officially not going to Hawaii until his honeymoon.

Your little guy does look adorable in that big bed though.

Paula Schuck said...

I like that solution and may have to try it next year. This is the second time in my life that I have totally forgotten the time change and gone wow today seems really odd and then all of a sudden turn tv on and wow we are actually due to go to swimming lessons in 10 mins not 1 hour and 10 mins. Crazy! Better than the time I messed up on a work weekend and showed up an hour late. Me and time change just aren't compatible. And you know as for kids, I find it will catch up with them eventually. Either they are waking way too early or up way too late - even if you go to Hawaii on DST weekend.

Paula http://www.thriftymommastips.blogspot.com/

Evolving Mommy Catherine said...

I think this solution could be perfect for just about any uncomfortable, disliked or less than desirable situation. Having your wisdom teeth pulled...go to Hawaii and enjoy the view with your swollen cheeks. Potty training? Head to Hawaii, you'll forget the unpleasant pee mess while on the beach with a frozen cocktail in hand.

Mom2Miles said...

Those pics are so darn CUTE!! Yep, time changes of any sort wreak havoc on little ones' schedules. Before a trip to CA when M was 2, I dreaded & feared & researched how to deal w/ the 3-hr time change... to no avail. He slept when he slept. Lucky for us, the worst of it was him getting up at 5 or 6 a.m. Thank GOD for cartoons on the hotel TV!

Salt said...

This is excellent. I now have a very valid reason to convince my husband that we need to go to Hawaii! Max's reaction to time changes sound very similar to my own.