Can We, Like, Keep Evenings Dark Until the School Year is Done?

Ahhhh, Standard Time. Last night we sprung ahead. Before going to sleep I advanced my clock from 10:17 to 11:17. It's a symbol of a weakening winter, spring gaining torque in its coils,  and the inevitable thaw induced by the sun claiming its rightful position higher above our heads. It also results in an even more annoying bedtime as I explain to the kids it is in fact time to call it quits despite the brightness of the evening sky.
Like this wasn't tough enough already.

Photo Credit

Remember, parents, LBK (Life Before Kids)? Remember the glory washing over you as you gained an hour's sleep in the fall? Remember how you didn't care about spring's time change, since you compensated by sleeping in an extra 60 minutes? Ahhhhh....LBK.
Not benefiting from a time change, I can deal with. It's the comfort of pulling the sheets under their chins under the cover of darkness I'm going to miss.
As I've mentioned in prior posts sundowns have a transformative effect on me as well as on my kids.

Can't we just eke it out until June? Is there some way, either through science or chemistry, to keep evenings dim enough that my kids are dimmed to the beckoning of the outdoors at 7pm?
Maybe I'll start a list of items required to keep bedtimes simple for the next 100 days:

• Heavy Curtains
• Gravol (never mind toddler doses, gimme the big pills)
• Door Locks (x 2)
• White Noise Machine (x 2)
• Nature CD (x 2)
• Sleep Mask (x 2)
• Charlie Rose Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD

Note to self: remove carbon monoxide detector...really, what could it hurt?

Tonight is the first really challenge; the combination of sleep deprivation induced crankiness due to last night's time change, and the realization that daddy must have &^%$'d up bedtime since it's still bright outside.
I can always move the kids to Saskatchewan before my wife gets home; they leave their clocks alone year round. Of course, they also get more sunlight than any other jurisdiction in Canada.
It may not render bedtime any easier, but it may soothe my disposition, which is a little dark at the moment.

 

 

 

Comments

[NaturalHairLatina (@LatinaR)]

Time change + bedtime= deprivation:)

"Note to self: remove carbon monoxide detector...really, what could it hurt?" lol

Have a great day #voiceboks

[Leslie Russell]

I am right there with you when it comes to it being bright out- I can't sleep at all when the sun is still shining (or in the mornings. If it's bright out, I'm awake!) My daughter is 5 months old and woke up at 3am this morning and we are both cranky from losing that sleep! Thanks for the laugh! I needed it!

[Kristina]

It's tricky when the evenings are full of light - I was lucky enough to have quite heavy curtains in the house (back in Australia), so it didn't bother the kids too much (and we don't have daylight savings here in Hawaii, so it's not a problem:)

But before kids, I LOVED those long summer evenings - in Aust, it was often too hot to do much outside during the day, but once the evening came, we could go out for a long run or walk and not get caught in the dark:)

Hope your kids adjust to the time change soon!
Kristina

[Tracy]

I'm glad to hear there has been crankiness in your home too....:) Everyone has been cranky here, including yours truly- I felt like the crankiest Momma on the planet today.....but won't we all be thinking back to how worth this week is when we are enjoying the long lazy summer days? Agh....they are in the not so distant future! Glad to have found you through VB! Tracy

[The Organic Blonde]

I remember being a kids when DST sprung. I can't help but remembering begging my father to let me stay up until the sun went down!!! I think DST just screws with kids' minds and now that we don't contend with it, I can honestly say, except for not knowing what time it is anywhere.... I don't miss it.

[Anne @ GreenEggs&Moms]

Thank goodness we don't have DST where I'm from :)

[Leigh @oneandoneequalstwinfun.com]

Just move to South Africa - no messing with the clocks there either, they have great wines, great food, amazing scenery and BIG spiders. What's not to like?
Leigh @oneandoneequalstwinfun.com

[Sharon Moms Madhouse (@crazykids6)]

OMG! Ha ha! I have been struggling with this since 1993...and I live in Arizona where we NEVER change times, but the sun is still up at bed time.

And yes, I admit to taping towels, using tin foil and even heavy curtain use to "trick" the kiddies.

Sharon
http://sharon-moms-madhouse.com/

[Carla Karam]

I just love this!! The new added argument at bedtime is, "but mommy it's still light out!?" Yes, until June! Blessings!