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Original poster

Support thread for those dreading the clocks changing in the UK. Sign in here!

129 replies

smackapacca · 23/10/2011 20:35

Just realising that we're in for a few dreadful days/nights.... Clocks changing, fireworks and stinking trick or treaters.

Fireworks upset the dog, but we can keep the TV on. I take the batteries out of the doorbell on Halloween (again - can't be doing with the dog barking) but then there is THE CLOCK CHANGE.

My DC are just under 2 & 4. The 4yo has a sleep clock which works OK but not perfect. This week they have started the day at 6.30am but not come into us until 7 which isn't too bad. They can entertain themselves noisily for 30 minutes.

But next week I can't hope for anywhere near this kind of pattern.

Anyone got good ideas/plans? What does everyone else do??

OP posts:
blackoutthesun · 25/10/2011 22:12

clocks changing is banned in my house, just got my (pfb) 8 month old dd into a routine

not sure how its going to work outside the house tho :-)

JoInScotland · 25/10/2011 22:55

I can't help you with the dog, and we seem to have fireworks at the most random of times - anything to do with golf, and there's a fireworks party in St Andrews.

On the clock front, we are putting the clocks forward 10 minutes each day, and then on Saturday night, we'll put them at the regular time, if you know what I mean. We only have one child, 21 months old, and he already wakes up at 5 bloody 30 every morning, and we have to take measures so we are not waking up at 4:30 !!!

We have one clock in the house which is not on our new time zone, so we know what time it really is. But if you can do it gradually, why not?

GalloweesG · 25/10/2011 22:57

It's great we get an extra hour and everyone goes to bed early. I've never had a problem with autumn!

Fixture · 25/10/2011 23:25

I much prefer GMT, it feels like the "right" time on the clock to me. The sun is overhead at mid-day, how it should be!

EmmaCate · 26/10/2011 04:41

I can't think what happened in 2010 now but it can't have been bad. I was naively thinking this was some kind of SAD post but it's a good point - DS now 20 months.

I like AbsoluteA's suggestion of changing Sat and working to the new time early. I feel if mealtimes could shimmy about a bit by half an hour here or there and naps were curtailed if going on too long in the 'new time' then a new routine for the long sleep would be quickly established.

If we have a horrid time this year I will take heart the way I always do; knowing it means Christmas is nearly here!

TheHumancatapult · 26/10/2011 09:21

Top tip

Make sure you have something planned for Sunday being out will stop it feeling such a long day

Ilovetoread · 26/10/2011 10:03

Ugh... It's the weeks of not knowing where I am time-wise Confused.

Ilovetoread · 26/10/2011 10:19

The pushing the bedtime back by quarter of an hour every couple of days has worked for us. On a couple of occasions we have gone cold turkey and kept them up so that they slept later on the Sunday and then winged it from there. Black out curtains are a god-send (sorry if stating the bleeding obvious) for the light mornings.
Trick or treaters - BIG sign...NO TRICK OR TREATERS & some sweets as incentives not to knock outside the door? [hsmile]
Think I have the biggest problem now with the clock change... Need to hibernate from the October clock change to the March one (maybe with a quick wake up on Xmas Day and on DD2 and DD3 birthdays) :o

sillyoldfatcatpuss · 26/10/2011 11:23

Really looking forward to it here, am dropping my kids at school at 830 in the semi darkness at the moment! (NW Highlands)

AngelDog · 26/10/2011 12:58

smackapacca, yes, my DS has always been a tricky sleeper, but now at nearly 22 months he's waaaaay better than he used to be. Doesn't sleep through atm, but isn't bad either - and isn't a particularly early riser, for which I am profoundly grateful.

I think he'll cope fine with the clocks changing - it's me who won't.

I must be odd in thinking it's good having an extra hour in the day - in our house, life with a toddler means too much to do and too little time to do it in, so any extra is a bonus. :)

Hullygully · 26/10/2011 13:52

yes

deaconblue · 26/10/2011 14:44

dreading it - ds wakes at 5.30am currently. Can't believe the clock will say 4.30 when he wakes on Sunday morning and am nervous about how he will cope with a full school day after a 4.30 start.

nametapes · 26/10/2011 16:15

nice not to have to get up in the dark, but then the early dark nights are not so great when its dark by 5pm

Lavendergrey · 26/10/2011 17:15

love it :)

Pidgin · 26/10/2011 17:16

also dreading it - DS awake at 5.08 this morning, I cannot get up at 4 in the morning and function at work - am taking hope from those who said their DCs adjusted quickly! Used to love the extra hour in bed, ah how life changes.... I was smugly thinking he would be waking up at 6 instead of 5 until DH pointed out I had it wrong way round...

AngelDog · 26/10/2011 18:04

Hully :)

Original poster
smackapacca · 26/10/2011 19:14

Well putting my DCs to bed a bit later last night did feck all. They still woke at 6.30am.

I think I like the idea of not changing the clocks, except we have a party to go to at 2.30pm on Sunday, and I'd still 'know' what time we were on.

OP posts:
vez123 · 26/10/2011 22:08

DS has given us the pleasure of sleeping 7-7 or 7-6:30 for the past two weeks but has now regressed to 6 am. Which is bearable.. being 6 am and I have to get up for work at 6:20. But why or why are the bloody clocks changing right now when he sleeps so well!! I cannot face the 5 am starts all over again!

lovechoc · 27/10/2011 10:57

feel the same as you, vez123!!

Peetle · 27/10/2011 15:59

One of our twins wakes at 6am on a good day, any time after 4 otherwise. I wouldn't mind if she didn't lie there singing to herself, or saying "Daadaa, daadaa" until someone goes and gets her. It doesn't matter when we put her to bed so she'll be in a right state back at school next week (they've just started reception).

The good part is that my brother-in-law and his girlfriend (soon to provide us with a cousin) occasionally take the girls overnight and have actually asked to take them this weekend. We'd completely forgotten about the clocks changing and will quietly avoid mentioning it when we drop them off on Saturday. I only feel a teensy bit guilty about this.

Original poster
smackapacca · 27/10/2011 16:00

Ha Ha - that's great.

Do your twins share a room? My DCs don't but they still call out to each other.

OP posts:
Peetle · 27/10/2011 16:26

They have their own rooms but one frequently wakes the other.

We keep telling her to play with her teddies or her books if she's awake but silence appears not to be an option...

Original poster
smackapacca · 27/10/2011 20:46

No, mine don't understand 'shush', or 'be quiet' either [hhmm]

How are we all as the weekend approaches?

Mine woke up at 7.15am today. Yay! God Bless the sleep clock.

OP posts:
Sowlers · 28/10/2011 06:47

Morning. My DS's have both been up around 7am the last three days, it was 5.30 this morning Sad seems I have no control at all and whatever I do they will get up when they feel like it! Why do they just not get it that they have a much nicer Mammy if they let me get a tad more sleep??? Oh yeah, because they are 3yrs and 6 months...! My new plan for the weekend and following days it to wing it! And tape my mouth shut to stop me being nagging whining short tempered and possibly swearing a lot.... Oh yeah and to just twine on here instead!!

vez123 · 28/10/2011 09:49

Sowlers I know exactly what you mean! We had another 5:45 start here. The only way I can cope is by going to bed early. 10 is bedtime for DH and me..