We have had some changes to get used to over the last few days with the start of daylight savings here in NSW. At 2am Sunday morning the clocks went forward 1 hour.
This of course can mean chaos in the lives of many parents as well tuned routines go out the window and children adjust to the new times.
For us though, we were looking forward to the change.
I have always loved daylight savings, especially when I was a kid. It meant more hours of daylight and a bit more time playing outside before the dark set in and we had to be home.
This year for us, we were hoping it will mean later waking in the morning. For the last few months B1 and B2 have been waking as early as 5:30am. A sleep in for them being 6:15. This obviously meant an early rise for mommy and daddy.
Because of the early waking and them also being on one day sleep, this has meant for a while now their lunch time has been 10:45am before a sleep at 11:30am. Then dinner at 4:45, before the bedtime routine of baths at 5:30, milk at 6pm and bed at 6:30-6:45pm.
This also meant that they would eat meals before hubby and I.
I have been thinking about the need for us to start eating as a family at the dining table for a while now but with their meal times it just wasn’t feasible.
Now, in rolls daylight savings and viola, sleep and mealtimes are now an hour later on the new clock!
Now we are waking between 6:30-7am. Meaning nap time is 12:30pm and bedtime is 7:30 (depending on how well we sleep during our day nap of course). This brings lunch to 11:45 and dinner to 5:45-6pm! A much more acceptable time for a family meal!
So last night we sat down at the dining table. All four of us had our first proper meal together!
B1 and B2 weren’t quite sure what was happening at first. You could see their minds ticking over, ‘Whats going on? They don’t normally sit there. Our highchairs are normally over there not here! What that they’re doing?’
It was the cutest thing ever as the twins watched us and asked for bits of what we had (well pointed and grunted).
B1 watched inquisitively as I stabbed something with my fork and bought it up to my mouth. Then she copied me with her plastic fork. She mimicked a lot of the actions I was doing.
I have offered them lettuce a few times before but it only ever got chewed and spat out. But as B1 watched me chewing and swallowing my lettuce, she pointed asking for some and proceeded to chew and chew and chew (it took her a while, watching me the whole time) and swallowed before moving on to something else she had.
Not only was this so great to eat as a family, it also meant hubby and I got to eat our meals without them jumping all over us. Previously we would quickly shove down our dinner sitting on the lounge while the twins lay on their little lounges having their bottles. But they are so quick to drink their milk now days that before long they were climbing up on the lounge next to us and jumping all over us.
I am so excited that we can now eat together as a family at the table. I think this may help a lot too with some fussy eating behavior that has started to creep back in.
Has the start of daylight savings helped or hindered your days?
