It’s almost time to “fall back” an hour as Daylight Savings ends on November 3rd, 2019. As nice as that extra hour may seem, that change in time can mean big changes for our kid’s routines. So how can we make that transition easier for our kids? Here are 3 ways to ease into the end of Day Light Savings that is good for the whole family:

Move Back Ahead of Schedule

Starting around November 1st, start moving your little one’s schedule back. If they are sensitive to the change, start with just 15 minutes. If not, jump up to 30 minutes. Keep adding time until you’re moved that hour back.

Darken the Room

Until the sun is onboard with the time change, darken your child’s room to get them to sleep earlier than usual, and sleep in a little later. Black out shades are an easy solution and come in lots of forms. They can be used in conjunction with other window treatments too. If you already have curtains, pickup a thermal, blackout layer to put behind your decorative curtains.

Reinforce the Routine

The beauty of a good bedtime routine is that the routine is the same no matter what time it is! A few weeks in advance of daylight savings ending, be sure to reinforce your bedtime routine. Perform the same activities in the same order each night. Everyone’s routine varies. Some common standards are bath time, reading time, lullaby, rocking…any and all of these are great options, just be sure to be consistent.

The week DLS ends, start moving the routine up a little every night. This will make the transition to an earlier bedtime smoother as your child will be focused on the routine rather than the time on the clock.

Roll with the Change

You know that phrase “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”? If your kiddos just can’t get the falling back down fast enough, decide to embrace the time together instead. They will, eventually, fall asleep earlier and get up later. So if the fight is too hard, choose instead to enjoy a little more snuggle time, a few more books read together, or an early morning walk instead.