Daylight Savings Time: A Mother's View

I would like to thank the mastermind behind Daylight Savings Time. I don't know your identity (probably a good thing for your own safety). Are you even still alive? Or is Daylight Savings Time one of those archaic ideas we continue to practice whether or not it is still practical? Either way, I do know you must not have young children. Surely, no one with children would concoct such an idea. One that would entirely throw off the schedule mothers work diligently to create. You see, mothers build their lives around nap time and bed time.

Long ago and far away, in a time before my own leap into motherhood, I coveted this time change. An extra hour? I'll take it. No complaints from Ms. Carefree with only herself to manage. Unfortunately, when children enter the equation, all hell breaks loose.

You see, oh wise creator of Daylight Savings Time, children don't understand the concept. They just don't get it. They don't relish an extra hour of sleep like adults. Clocks are meaningless when you're 3. A clock is just another toy to destroy while Mom has her back turned.

In my attempt to prepare my children for the time change, I kept them awake until the clock, with it's newly assigned time, dictated by your genius plan, reached their usual bed time. Now keep in mind, that was actually an hour later than they've grown accustomed to falling asleep. Have you ever kept a young child awake for an extra hour? It's not pretty for anyone involved. In fact, it can get downright ugly. Flailing on the floor screaming ugly. Clawing at their eyes ugly. Pulling out my hair ugly (which is turning gray by the way. And you're not helping). But I did it just to play along with your little scheme. Who am I to rebel?

Would you like to know what happened this morning, Mr. Daylight Savings Time Creator? (You must be male. You must. No woman would inflict this upon another woman.) My children, particularly Little One, woke up at their usual time. Their old usual time. Which was 7:30. Last week, anyway. But now, my clock reads 6:30 since you wanted to mix things up. The same clock that tricked me into staying up an extra hour last night, what with the time change and everything, is now telling me it is 6:30. And my children are awake. Children won't sleep until the new 7:30 because to them that's actually 8:30 which is way longer than they would like to sleep. You following me here?

Now I must slowly retrain these two young children to go to bed and wake up at the new times that we've set. I must also train myself to go to bed a little earlier just in case they still aren't getting with the program. The program of getting all crazy with the clocks. You're watching all of us, mocking us, aren't you? Reveling in your creation of chaos. Watching us drink our fourth cup of coffee. Counting down the hours until bed time. The new bed time. Not to be confused with the old bed time.

Is it nap time yet? New or old? I'll take either at this point.