4 Expert Tips to Help Your Child Adjust to Daylight Saving Time

If you’re wondering how to help children adjust to daylight saving time, you’re not alone. The end of winter’s dark days may (finally!) be in sight—but with that can come some challenging moments for families, especially when little bodies are ready to wake up long before their parents.

To help navigate this annual shift, we sat down with our Director of Curriculum, Haley DeSousa, for her best tips and tricks for daylight saving time.

Begin the shift a few days early

Who says daylight saving time has to begin over the weekend? Use the days (or even the week) beforehand to help prepare little bodies for the time change. Starting 2 to 5 days before daylight saving time begins, gradually shift wake-up time, naps, and bedtime 15 minutes earlier each day. (Don’t worry—it’s only for a few days!)

This small adjustment allows their minds and bodies to ease into the change more smoothly.

Prepare the house for sleep

Adult bodies tend to sync more easily with the sun’s rhythm, but little ones often need extra support. One helpful strategy is to prepare the house for sleep.

This means dimming the lights, drawing the curtains, turning on soft music, and turning off all screens (yes, all of them). Creating a calm, sleep-ready environment benefits everyone, big and small alike.

And in the morning, do the opposite: prepare the house for an active day of joy and play by opening the curtains and letting natural light flood in.

Keep the routine consistent

As mentioned earlier, the sun shouldn’t dictate sleep—your routine should. That’s why keeping your routine consistent is key. Keep the same order of activities each evening: mealtime, book time, bath time.

Staying focused on your nightly rhythm and rituals is especially helpful for toddlers and waddlers, as well as for little ones who already have a strong sleep pattern. Remember: we’re adjusting the clock, not the routine.

Extra tip! 💡 Keeping this mindset will come in handy this summer, too—because core memories should always win over schedules. If a family BBQ or beach day runs a little longer than usual, that’s okay. Memory-making comes first.

Give yourself grace

Giving yourself grace is a big one—and it can be tough for everyone – so look after yourself too. After all, this is why we consider familycare key to the Haven experience. The good news? The Daylight Saving Time sleep reset only lasts a few days.

If wake-up time comes a little earlier than usual, welcome the extra cuddle time. Pour an extra cup of coffee. Embrace the kind of slow Sunday morning you don’t always get to enjoy.