What are we saving?

Haley does not do well with the time change, called Daylight Saving Time.  She is maturing though, she wasn't quite as bad this year as she has been in the past. 

When she was little it meant weeks of screaming and crying at bedtime.  It meant she wouldn't sleep through the night.  It meant I didn't get enough sleep and therefore was not equipped to deal properly with my unhappy child.

Routine is very important for Haley.  I always put her to bed at 9:00 pm - always - not only for her sake, but for my own as well.  Several times this spring when we were walking up the stairs to her bedroom she would point out the window.  Sometimes she does this and says "Dark. Night."  I always assumes that means that she is agreeing with me.  Yes, I am going to bed now because it is dark. 

She didn't say "Dark. Night."  She just pointed out the window.  I said something benign like "It was a nice day today wasn't it?", or "Do you see the pretty trees?" 

After about the third day I realized she was pointing out the window because she was probably thinking to herself, Why am I going to bed it is not even dark yet?

Morning is worse though. 

Haley is up at the crack of dawn.  Literally.  When the light comes in her window she is up.  For a while there that meant 4:30 am.  It was driving me crazy.  I remembered a curtain panel that I had bought, but never used one night and hooked it to her curtains with clothes pins. 

We magically got two extra hours of sleep that night. 

The curtain also helps her to go to bed at night.  When I close her bedroom door it is actually very dark in her room.  She is no longer getting up and coming back downstairs. Now I just need to bite the bullet and buy some actual room darkening shades.

I now know that they will be worth it.