I love to eavesdrop on the conversations between my two children.
They have become fast friends and often times sneak away for a private chat just between the two of them. Occasionally such chatter leads to arguing, other times to covert plans to hide away the remaining pieces of Halloween candy, but most often it is just casual banter between two friends.
Yesterday I heard the two planning the afternoon's activity they hoped to partake in once nap time came to an end. Apparently Miss E. had been wanting to play baby dolls and her obliging big brother agreed (he does not so much enjoy actually playing with the dolls as much as he likes setting everything up and being the boss of what happens when). They hashed out some details and Isaac accurately listed what the baby doll's schedule would be for the "day" once they began playing (See what I mean about being a boss?).
Amazingly, the doll's schedule was exactly like our schedule here at casa de phillips.
I have discussed scheduling children in the past and it is no secret that we believe children should be on a set daily routine. A daily schedule works well for our household. No one is shocked when nap/quiet time arrives after lunch nor is anyone surprised when they are told to clean up their toys before bath. These occurrences happen Every. Single. Day. and they work for us.
You know what does not work with a child on a schedule?
Daylights savings time.
I used to eagerly look forward to "falling back" knowing that I would be granted an extra hour's sleep one night and experience sunset an hour earlier each day for a few months. The sun would shine on me as I drove to work rather than having to push myself out of the house in the dim morning light.
Such a fondness for time change is gone, dear reader. The early wakings by the children this week as they adjust to daylight's savings time has been okay. We have dealt with early risers the entire time we have been parents so that is something we can handle.
The sobbing, yelling, snot-flying meltdowns by bath time are something entirely new.
Despite the fact that our clocks in the house read one thing, the children's internal body clock is reading an entirely different time. That time just happens to be an hour later than their normal bedtime. Everyone appears perky and happy and then bath time hits and both kids are crying messes. Last night we had a sibling spat break out in the bathtub that could possibly have qualified for WWF-level fights. I still have no idea what set off that dispute. What I do know is that both kids were quickly rinsed, hauled out of the tub, shoved into some PJs and tucked safely into bed by 7:15pm. There were no books read, no nightly devotional time shared and quite honestly, no teeth brushed.
I know their little bodies will adjust in a few more days and bath and bed time will resume a semi-state of calm once again.
Most likely in time for us to spring forward...
3 comments:
Yep. That is the issue at my house too. It was even worse when they were younger. It literally took 10 days to overcome the time change. How 60 minutes can torture a mother for that long is beyond me. UGH!
It's hard for me to adjust to DST, and I am an adult. I threw a fit myself last night.
This is EXACTLY what happens here - we're on a schedule (give or take) and daylight savings just throws us for a loop. Starting the Thursday or Wednesday before the actual change we start moving the schedule accordingly 15-20 min. per day... even doing that it's still not a fun time. :)
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