I don’t know about you, but the one tradition that I cannot stand is…
The Dreaded Time Change!
Not the one where we “spring forward” every spring.
But the one where we “fall back” every fall and lose an hour.
I had read an article about the health risks that the time change can bring.
I finally decided that we were no longer going to do it!
That’s right, my friends!
I actually stopped doing the Time Change!
And my family’s life has been better ever since!
If you wish that you could stop having to do it, too, then keep on reading!
It may be easier than you think!
1. Simply Don’t Change the Clock!
Darn tootin’!
I said it!
Simply don’t do it!
When it is time to move the clocks, simply don’t move yours!
Sound too rebellious?
Well, maybe it is!
But you may find that you will benefit more from just leaving your clocks alone!
Last fall, while everyone else set their clocks back an hour, I left mine alone!
And do you know what I realized?
I actually felt more in sync with the universe!
When it started to get dark, it felt like it was time to get dark!
When it started to get light out in the morning, it felt like it should be light out!
For us, “fall back” time usually meant disturbances in my kids nap schedules.
Since I chose not to move my clocks, I didn’t have to mess with their nap schedules.
Which meant, happier kids!
Being rebellious?
So, what?!
You may find that it is well worth it!
2. Think an Hour Differently!
The one downfall with leaving your clock alone while everyone else moves theirs means having to think ahead!
You may have to plan just a tad more, but you may find that this is worth it, as well.
For example.
Let’s say that you have a doctor appointment at 2pm.
And because you didn’t set your clock back when everyone else did, it means that you are an hour ahead of everyone else.
That means that you have to remember the appointment is really at 3pm “your time.”
If you start to think in terms of “their time” and “your time” then this will help.
A band concert that starts at 7pm “their time” is really at 8pm “your time.”
Got a lunch date with the girls at 1pm?
You have until 2pm “your time” to get there!
It really isn’t too bad once you get the hang of it!
Extra Time on Your Hands!
The plus side is that you actually have an extra hour to get ready for the appointment!
You see, if the appointment is at 2pm and you don’t have to be there until 3pm “your time”…
Voila!
You magically get an extra hour to get ready for it!
Hooray!
What else would you like an extra hour before?
A business meeting?
A school event?
Preparing dinner?
When you function on the notion of “their time” versus “your time” then the perks can be great!
3. Talk as a Family
This is especially important if you have older kids in the home.
Before you do the above two steps, you need to talk as a family, first.
Talk about the pros and cons of not changing the clocks while everyone else around you change theirs.
Can your children and partner think an hour ahead/behind like you?
If your son has 2nd period at 10am, will he be able to remember that 11am on his phone is really 10am in everyone else’s time?
If your husband has a meeting at 8am, but his watch says 9am, will he remember that it is his meeting time?
The more persons in your household, the more challenging it may become to some of the family members.
Or maybe it won’t be much of a challenge at all, and everyone will be grateful for not adjusting their phones and watches!
Be sure to talk it out as a family before the time change rolls around.
Everyone should be comfortable with this change (which really isn’t a change!)
3. Stick with Your Routine
You didn’t move your clocks.
So there is no reason to move your routine!
Stick with what you and your family regularly do.
Don’t think that just because you went against the grain with this one notion that you have to become a rebel with the rest of your life, too!
Sure, it may have been fun to do something that no one does (such as not change their clocks when the world says to!)
But let’s not get too excited!
Don’t start cleaning the house at 1am when you typically clean the house at 7am!
And don’t change homework time to 7pm when it is typically done right after school!
You may suddenly find that you feel so liberated by not following the rest of the herd that you decide to repaint the whole house!
Or maybe you have the urge to switch shopping days from Tuesdays to Thursdays!
Let’s not go crazy here!
After all, all you did was just simply not change your clocks!
Ha! Ha!
Anyways, routine is important, whether or not you made a time change.
So go with the flow.
Just enjoy being on your own ice pond and skating to your own music!
4. Get Outside!
If you are someone who becomes depressed as the days get shorter, then this is for you!
When you go outside, even as the weather changes, you get the most out of skipping the time change.
Why?
Because when you go outside, you get to experience nature in its most natural sense.
Which means that your internal clock will be more in tune with that.
The days may be getting shorter by the minute, but if you go outside, it may feel okay.
I like to take the kids out around evening before the sun goes down.
That way it is almost like a signal to our bodies.
It says, “See? The world is getting dark! Time to wind down!”
We actually go outside more in the fall and winter months rather than in the summer months!
Simply because it is cooler, and I feel as though it helps us get through the shorter days better.
Give venturing outdoors a try!
I bet you will see a great benefit to doing this!
5. Rethink Spring!
Hooray!
You made it through the “fall back” season!
Now it is spring!
Everyone is getting ready to spring their clocks forward!
While everyone gets used to another new time change, you are already there!
You never moved your clocks in the first place!
Or if you move your clocks back and prefer the “fall” time, then in the fall, you never have to move your clocks when everyone else does!
See?
Hee! Hee!
But now you have to remember that it is no longer “their time” and “your time.”
You are back on everyone’s time!
So, remember how you pretty much had an extra hour before that appointment?
Well, you lose that.
Sucks.
But it’s okay!
Set a timer on your phone as a reminder or use a mental crutch to help you remember.
It is a small price to pay compared to the dread that you would be enduring had you moved your clocks in the first place!
6. Evaluate
Once you have made that decision not to move your clocks, and you have actually tried it…
Take some time to reflect.
Did that work out better for you and your family?
Was life easier that way?
Did you feel more in sync with nature?
Was it liberating?
Or maybe it did not work out so well for you and your family.
Maybe it was harder to keep track of appointments and meetings and such.
Perhaps you felt left out, for some reason, because everyone was in a different “time zone” than you.
Regardless, what works for me and my family may not work for you and yours.
What is important is that, if you dread the time change, you give rebellion a try!
If it works out, then fantastic!
You just saved yourself a huge headache ever year!
And if not, then no problem!
Just move those clocks and you are good to go!
Hey, just because the rest of the world says that the clocks must be changed…
It doesn’t mean that you have to do it, too!
Always do what is best for you and your family.
Period.
Want to read more about how to stand up to the rest of the world?
Click here for more ways to take hold of life!
Mama Morgan is a single parent by day and a writer by night! She is raising two, young children with special needs during a global pandemic. She aims to give other parents confidence, hope, and a practical, down-to-earth reading adventure through her own experiences. While Morgan is heavily focused on caring for her little ones, she is also dedicated to helping others and making the world a better place. Mama’s Grilled Cheese is just her delicacy!