Daylight Savings

Has the time change sucked for you as much as it has for me? I don't get it. I simply don't get it. I was perfectly content when daylight savings came well into spring...April or May, wasn't it? Now I'm just irritated and I'll tell you why.

"Springing" the clocks forward the 2nd week of March is NOT good for the average structured family. And here is why. BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE STILL IN SCHOOL! They can't stay out past dinner even though the sun is still up because they have to do homework still and get in bed in order to get up for the school day. Now that DST is in effect, it is difficult for children to fall asleep because it's either still light out OR it has only been dark a short while and their bodies havn't adapted. Here's an example. My 4 year old goes to bed at 6:30 (he's an early bird and doesn't nap). When we put him in bed he's confused because it is still light out. And he doesn't fall asleep easily like he normally would...it now takes a good 30-40 minutes until he is out, yet he gets up at the same time everyday, thus shortchanging him on sleep which we all know brings on a world of hurt for everyone. Same story for my 7 year old twins...can't seem to fall asleep yet that alarm still goes off at 6:45am. They have been in tears each morning because they are so tired. And not tired because they were able to stay outside playing...for one thing, they have school so must be in bed, but also it's too darn cold! It's 32 degrees today. So it won't get dark until 7:00 tonight. Whoopee. We can't enjoy it anyway.

Also, I like to run in the mornings. And I'm not one of those die-hard runners that can run when it's pitch black and sleeting. Here's the deal. I can run in the cold. I can run when it's dark. But I can't run when it is cold AND dark. The morning temps this time of year are typically in the 20's but it has gotten to the point where it's light by 6:15 so I can get out the door and not feel like it's 2am. But all that changed with DLS. So now my kids are crabby and I'm not getting in a workout. This is not the way to start a today.

I realize that lots of energy is being saved now that DST is so early. I just wish they had consulted me first!