“Spring forward” and “fall back.” That’s about as much as many of us know when it comes to Daylight Saving Time. We don’t have a clue why we’re doing all the jumping around; we just know it means having to pry kids out of bed when they’re not used to waking up and put little ones to bed when it’s still light outside.
If you’re wondering about the origins of Daylight Saving Time, and how to explain it to your children when you don’t even know if it’s a good idea yourself, we’ll do our part to save you a little time. Here is some information on this mysterious program’s beginnings and its several alleged benefits.
When Did the U.S. Start Implementing Daylight Saving Time?
Daylight Saving Time started during World War II, in the U.S. and in various other countries. For many years after WWII, the United States government and the governing bodies of several states thought seriously about ending the program.
Farmers in the U.S., who were part of a large group of workers, already woke up early and went to bed early, so they didn’t care much for the inconvenience of changing times.
During the mid-1970s, there was such an uproar about the program’s confusing time-switch that laws were passed to help appease citizens. Today, Hawaii, and most of Arizona and Indiana, do not practice Daylight Savings Time. Though the rest of the country have now adopted it with seemingly open arms.
Does Daylight Saving Time Really Help You Save Time?
Well, no. We can’t save time. Time goes on, no matter what the clocks say. However, by setting our clocks ahead during the spring, we get an hour more daylight in the evening. This is because the sun rises early in spring and stays that way throughout summer.
Come fall, we set our clocks back an hour to Standard Time, and then we gain an hour of sunlight, which we would have lost due to a late sunrise. Sound confusing? To put it simply: Kids and parents benefit from Daylight Savings Time by not having to drive to school and work in the dark during fall and winter, and by having more time outside for fun and play during late spring and summer.
Does Daylight Saving Time Have Other Benefits?
Yes. Daylight Savings Time helps save energy because we don’t need to use our lamps, heaters, and air conditioners as much as we would have, had we not turned our clocks forward or backward. Think about waking up during winter before school.
If we didn’t change our clocks, we’d be turning on the light first thing and flipping that heater switch. Because of Daylight Savings Time, we get out of bed on fall mornings about the time the sun is rising, so we get natural light in our homes.
The Best Way to Explain it to Kids?
Let’s make it really simple. Daylight Savings does just what it says (so-to-speak): Saves Daylight. In other words, we get more daytime, which means more natural light and warmth because of the program. So the next time the kids ask what it means, just tell them: Daylight Savings makes our lives brighter and warmer!
