help!! i’ve forgotten the clocks going back

“Yay! The clocks are going back…. that means an EXTRA HOUR in bed!

Except if you’re a parent of a small child, and you’ve completely forgotten that it’s TOMORROW night and you’ve not prepared your little one for the big change! Well for you, and don’t worry there’s loads of parents just like you out there who’ve also forgotten, the dreaded clock change will make it tricky to keep your little one’s sleep schedule consistent.

So….if your baby usually wakes at 6am don’t be surprised if he wakes at 5am on Sunday!

With my brood, I used to gradually put them to bed 10 mins or so later over the week leading up to the clock change, so that by the time the clocks went back they were already nicely into the new routine. (Note to self: remember to do that next year!)

BUT – because we’ve all been busy beavers and we’ve forgotten to do that, here’s a few last minute tips to help ease the transition:

Put your little bundles of joy up 30 minutes later tonight and then again tomorrow night – that way you’re at least half way there!

If they’re going up later, remember to give them an extra snack during the early evening to help combat hunger, nobody can get to sleep on an empty stomach.

Try to adjust your meal times tomorrow by shifting them 30 minutes or so later, as this can be a great help towards setting your little one’s body clock.

Finally, try filling tomorrow with lots of activity, go for a mega walk so your little ones get lots of fresh air, take them to an indoor play centre or to the park…you get where I’m going here…basically, go for a fun filled day with lots of fresh air, and then make sure you come home around 30 to 45 mins later than you normally would do, so that your whole routine is shifted back.

If you’re struggling to keep them occupied while you’re waiting to put them up later, try a few extra episodes of Peppa Pig or even better line up a few of your little one’s favourite bedtime stories to read.

Don’t despair….the good news is that although it’s a bit of a shock to the system (yours as well as your baby), it really shouldn’t take that long for you all to get back to your normal bedtime routine.

Good luck and sleep well!

Mamma Sheep