Spring Forward, Fall Back
I have a long-standing love/hate relationship with Daylight Savings Time. Don't get me wrong--I love having more daytime hours when the weather is on its best behavior, and I love that extra hour of sleep when it's time to Fall Back (if only my children understood that concept). I am not, however, a fan of spending almost all my winter free time in the dark, nor am I a fan of the 2-week grogginess that seems to follow Springing Forward. And as the parent of a child with ADHD and bipolar disorder, I am certainly no fan of how the time change seems to affect his mood.
Historically, Bob has had problems in the fall, coinciding with the arrival of shorter days and seemingly endless nights. He's also had issues in the spring (as I mentioned in my "spring fever" post). As we've already experienced some "Boblems" since January, I've been half-dreading the return of DST more than usual. It seems the time change has always brought out the worst in Bob--both his inpatient hospitalizations took place in the spring--with mania that spirals out of our control.
Spring break was last week, and Bob spent the majority of that time with his father. His spring break began, however, with his being grounded from just about every privilege he has. With DST right around the corner, I wasn't sure what to expect when Bob returned home.
Surprisingly, he was very normal. (I've learned the Many Faces of Bob--"normal" is what I call it when he's...well, normal. Himself. The real Bob.) He slept well his first night back, and rather than rising at 4 a.m. (as he had been the past month or so), he slept until at least 7:30. He's only been back at school two days, but they've been two very good days.
As I write this, he's about to find himself grounded again--this time for going outside after being told to come in for the evening and do his homework. I didn't say it was perfect. I don't imagine it ever will be.
And that's okay.
APA Reference
McClanahan, A.
(2011, March 22). Spring Forward, Fall Back, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 21 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/parentingchildwithmentalillness/2011/03/spring-forward-fall-back
Author: Angela McClanahan
My son too has problems in the spring. He's 12 and sounds a lot like your son. For the longest time, I hated spring because of what it seemed to do to my son. I have had to learn to find something good about it even though I dread it. You get to the point that you realize that, to some extent, you 'll have to go through it try as you might to modify it some and wish as you might to end the suffering.
We're going through a tough time right now. I am upset, worried, tired as usually I am in sprng and yet I still have resolve. I hope Matthew can see that. I hope it brings you a good thought too. Keep a diary of good times that you can peruse on the roughest days to remind you that better days lie ahead. Live it up whenever you can. Keep a baby picture of your son on your nightstand to look at every morning and whenever you begin to loose it! Take a walk very early in the morning before everyone else is awake - it's truly the best time of day for me. Look for an example of good parenting in yourself everyday and acknowledge it. These are just a few things in my toolkit of survival. Maybe in a week or two, you'll remind me of them or share yours when I need it!