It’s that time again — time to craft your daylight saving time fall back plan. When does the time change again, you ask? Well, most of the U.S. will “fall back” to gain one hour of time on Sunday, November 3, 2019. So, it’s coming pretty soon.
That means you’ll want to prepare for fall daylight savings. While this technically means you’ll have an extra hour to sleep or do activities around the house, for many parents fall daylight savings antics can run amok and cause problems, particularly when it comes to kids’ schedules.
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So, we wanted to put together a brief daylight savings fall back plan — some tips and tricks you can follow to survive the fall daylight savings drama that might impact your household (side note: while many refer to the November time change as “fall daylight savings,” daylight savings is technically the specific time that exists between falling forward and backward from March to November).
But before we get into our tips, let’s explore some daylight savings history and the reason why much of the U.S. still makes the decision to change times twice each year.
When it comes to daylight savings history, many people might wonder where it all originated. Some have assumed that Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was the first to suggest springing forward and falling back in an essay written in 1784, but the history is actually more complex.
In fact, History.com notes that Franklin wrote a comical essay about the subject of using more sunlight in place of candles. Somehow, people started to assume that this was where daylight savings originated — it isn’t.
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History.com explains in more detail why some mistake this article as being the root of the creation of daylight savings time. The outlet notes:
After being unpleasantly stirred from sleep at 6 a.m. by the summer sun, the founding father penned a satirical essay in which he calculated that Parisians, simply by waking up at dawn, could save the modern-day equivalent of $200 million through “the economy of using sunshine instead of candles.” As a result of this essay, Franklin is often erroneously given the honor of “inventing” daylight saving time, but he only proposed a change in sleep schedules—not the time itself.
So, what is the history, then? According to Live Science, it wasn’t until 1907 that the issue started to be looked at more seriously after Englishman William Willett wrote a document titled, “The Waste of Daylight.”
His proposal was reportedly rejected initially by the British House of Commons to move the clock forward one hour in the spring and then fall back in the fall; British Summer Time was later introduced in 1916, and other countries followed suit, the outlet noted, going on to detail more about how the U.S. proceeded to handle the time change issue:
Many other countries change their clocks when adjusting to summer time, but the United States only began doing so towards the end of World War I in an attempt to conserve energy. The House of Representatives voted 252 to 40 to pass a law "to save daylight," with the official first daylight saving time taking place on March 15, 1918.
That didn’t solve the issue, though, as daylight savings history tells us that, between the World Wars, the decision was left up to state and local governments; it wasn’t until 1966 that Congress officially embraced the time changes.
And some territories like Hawaii and Arizona still don’t participate. So, next time you ask, “When does the time change again?” perhaps this history will pop back into your mind.
But beyond the history, what are some tips to make the daylight saving time fall back plan unfold without issue? The truth is: changing schedules can be hard on kids. Still, when the fall daylight savings change emerges, there are some things you can do to properly prepare:
Before anything else, head into your daylight saving time fall back plan with the knowledge that it could get tough. Mentally prepare yourself for the fact that your kids might be up early and might struggle to adjust to the change in their schedules.
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Bring prepared for this can actually help you cope if and when fall daylight savings drama does, indeed, unfold. It’s a simple truth, but one worth considering.
Falling back and gaining an extra hour during fall daylight savings can seem like an exciting prospect, but the reality is: it might mean your kids start to wake up earlier than anticipated.
This can be problematic for any parent looking to get beauty rest. And it can also create problems with kids’ naptime and sleep schedules. So, as you’re crafting your daylight saving time fall back plan, consider slowly adjusting your kids sleep schedule.
Adjust the time depending on what your kids need. Perhaps try delaying bedtime in 15 minute increments each night before the clocks change. This might mean letting him or her gradually stay up later than normal until the time is adjusted.
Part of being prepared for fall daylight savings uncertainty is realizing that — at least for a time — you might need to adjust your morning plans. Perhaps you’re slated to lose a little sleep with kids who are up early. Or maybe you won’t be able to get your work done in the morning.
If your kids start waking up too early, you’ll surely be wondering “When does the time change again?” so that you can get yourself back on track again. Don’t worry: with consistency and time you’ll get your kids to buy into your daylight saving time fall back plan. Simply, stay the course.
Your daylight savings time fall back plan should come into play before the clocks actually change. Perhaps it’s worth pushing your kids bedtime slowly later in an effort to get them used to the new changes.
You have to create the daylight saving time fall back plan that works for you, but getting ahead is a smart move.
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Mommy Nearest offers an important tip when it comes to older kids. If these children wake up too early due to the fall back timing, encourage them to go back to sleep or, at the least, play quietly in their beds so they don’t wake up anyone else in your home. Mommy Nearest continues:
Explain that it’s not awake time yet, and encourage them to doze or play quietly in bed with a book. You could set an alarm clock to buzz when it’s time to wake up, or get the Time Timer which is great for children who can’t tell time yet—they can watch the time passing as the red area gets smaller!
These are just some of the daylight saving time fall back tips and tricks that will hopefully help you survive the coming time change.
Side note: if you’re looking for some movies and films to help you and your kids through the fall back chaos, be sure to check out PureFlix.com. We have thousands of kid-friendly titles, films for adults and fun for the whole family — all available with your free, one-month subscription.