Daylight Savings Time Is Here! Get Some Quick Tips for Springing Forward like a Pro

Daylight Savings Time Is Here! Get Some Quick Tips for Springing Forward like a Pro

Early morning light and blooming flowers mean that spring has sprung and it’s time to put away the snow shoes and winter coats until next year. We also “spring forward” and move our clocks ahead an hour when this beautifully bountiful season rolls around again. But why do we observe Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the first place? Moving the clocks ahead was originally the brainchild of none other than Benjamin Franklin, not American farmers, as many people believe. Franklin suggested that the practice was adopted to gain an hour of daylight and save on the cost of candles. Fun founding father fact, right? And while we don’t have to worry about saving money on seeing by candlelight anymore, we still owe good ol’ Ben a thank you for giving us some extra sunshine after a long, cold winter. Daylight Savings Time was enacted as a federal law in 1918, and even though it went through a brief repeal after WWI, over 100 million Americans were practicing some type of DST through local law by the late 1960s. DST begins this Sunday, March 12th at 2:00 a.m. for those of us in the United States, but not everywhere in the world observes the practice. Wherever you might be, you can check the details about your country’s Daylight Saving Time schedule (or lack thereof) to see if you should be expecting mornings to be coming a bit earlier for you at the end of the weekend. Getting into the swing of Daylight Saving Time can be disorienting for some folks – especially those of us that are required to stick to a strict work or school schedule. We’ve gathered some of the most helpful hints for getting prepped to spring forward this year, so you can make the most out of your leap.

Springing Forward Tips for Adults

• Turn in at least 30 minutes earlier than usual on the day before DST begins • Just say no to caffeine of all kinds after 1:30 p.m. during the week of DST • Make every attempt to avoid alcohol completely this weekend, if possible

Springing Forward Tips for Kids

• Make sure your child gets at least 10 minutes of each morning during the first week of DST • Consider adding heavy window coverings to block out light during naps and bedtime • Take part in calm evenings leading up to and just after DST begins (think reading and board games) • Have your children turn off all electronic devices and avoid TV after dinner to avoid stimulation • Naptime should become a priority for younger kids, as it will help get them to sleep easier at night Taking the time to implement these simple tips will help ensure that you and your little ones gain all the benefits of having an extra hour of daylight in the spring, instead of cursing the loss of an hour each night. Here’s hoping for a smooth leap forward for you and yours!
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