Happy Mother's Day - lets change the clocks!

01 Mar 2023

 

Finally Spring is on the horizon!  

 

There’s lots to look forward to; lighter evenings, warmer weather, Easter (chocolate) and Mother’s Day (more chocolate!).  Actually it just so happens that this year Mother’s day falls on the 19th - a day before the first day of spring - but who’s counting?

 

I don’t know about you but all I really want for Mother’s day is to have a lie in, let someone else take care of the kids and have a relaxing bath for an hour.  Essentially behaving as if I wasn’t a mother for a brief moment!  I expect in reality i’ll be woken at 6am, given partially licked toast by a child with sticky hands and then it will be situation normal for the rest of the day.

 

But you know what, I actually am ok with that.  I’m in a hugely privileged position to have three children and they won’t stay little forever.  I will eat that soggy toast and watch my little family with pride as they buzz around the house: Crazy, funny little whirlwinds, all of them.

 

Do you know what else happens in Spring…? Yup.  Clocks go forwards on March 26th!

 

No sooner have we basked in the glory of that mother’s day lie-in, we then have the rug pulled from under us as the clocks change!  

 

Are you the sort of person that goes with the flow and just wings it when it comes to your child’s sleep?  Or do you need a structure and plan in place to help you manage naps and bedtime?

 

Either way, I’ve got you covered.

 

So here’s the thing:  Unlike the autumn “Fall back”, the “Spring forward” clock change is a little harder on your children to adapt to.  The reason being is that undertiredness is much harder to work with than overtiredness.  If you’re simply not tired for bed, its much harder to fall asleep, right?  

 

Undertiredness in infants is particularly troublesome because typically they get frustrated, go beyond it and THEN get overtired!  So if you’re battling with your baby for an hour or more to get them to sleep, undertiredness COULD be the culprit.

 

So what are your options for the clock change?

 

First option:

Do nothing.

This suits the “Go with the flow” types.  It generally works better for older children who can cope better with a bit of flux in their bedtime.  For babies, who are more commonly impacted by only a 15 to 30 min change in timings, a whole hour’s difference can leave your little one reeling for a couple of days whilst their body adjusts.  But adjust they will.  So if you’re ok to brace yourself for a couple of stormy days and nights, this is the option for you.

 

Second option:

Gradual adjustment.

Over the course of 4 days leading up to the clock change, alter your child’s schedule by bringing it forwards 15 mins.  That’s their wake up time, nap times and bedtime.  By the 4th day you have adjusted to the new time with a gradual impact to your baby rather than a sharp shock of an hour’s difference overnight.

 

These two different approaches depend a little on your parenting style and a little on the personality of your baby.  Ideally the two of those things marry up together and are not at odds with each other!

 

Whichever option you go with, or whether you mix and match a little of each, I promise you the clock change, whilst an annoyance, is just a temporary blip. You and your baby will adapt.

 

Before then, I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day and a wonderful lie-in that you so very much deserve!