Daylight Savings: A Parent’s Nightmare

In Potty Training – The Poopocalypse, I discuss how the worst aspect of parenting is potty training. Let me tell you, Daylight Savings is a close second.

Why the heck do we even do Daylight Savings Time (DST)? Well I checked Wikipedia (who has time to read peer reviewed articles?), and it’s meant to conserve energy by utilizing natural daylight and to maximize time outdoors; however, there are many opponents of DST who believe the sacrifices outweigh the benefits, leaving observers at risk for a stroke and/or heart attack (No joke!). There are also social and economic drawbacks.

In addition to the negative effects on the general population, DST really takes a toll on parents. Whether your kids are little and wake up whenever they want (not when the clock says) or your kids are older staying out past curfew because it’s “technically midnight now mom,” parents suffer the brunt of DST. Not only are our bodies adjusting to the demands of a new circadian rhythm, but then we have to deal with the crying of our babies, the whining of our toddlers, and the cunning of our teenagers.

It is amazing how one teensy hour can make all the difference! I’ve felt for a long time, but especially as a parent, that we’re doing this DST wrong. The United States has been practicing DST for exactly 100 years (did you know that?), and the benefits have been disputed since it’s implementation.

Why can’t we all just be like Hawaii (for many reasons 😍) and most of Arizona (ya, not all of Arizona got rid of DST)? Hawaii knew this was a bad idea from the beginning and never opted in. Arizona did it for one year in 1967, and they were like, “Nope. That was bad decision,” and opted out the following year.

Did you know California Legislature is actually discussing the dissolution of DST right now and has been doing so since 2016. If signed into law, they would need Federal approval, but how amazing would that be??

There is hope for all Californian parents! We may get a reprieve from this twice a year hell. What would our world look like without DST? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure they don’t have DST in Heaven 😉.