Pros and Cons of a Light Alarm Clock

When I heard about the alarm light that would signal kids to wake up and come out of their room, I thought it was terrible! When I was younger, I could come out of my room whenever I wanted. Which usually meant between 6:30 and 7.

After five years of very little sleep with kids constantly up, I finally caved and decided to try the alarm light. Here are a few pros and cons that I've learned over the past six months.

Pros of a Light Alarm Clock

1. There are no more 5:30 mornings if you don't want them. I was first convinced to try this alarm out when my kids slowly got up earlier and earlier. It started with them getting up around seven. I thought, sure, that's not too bad. Then 6:45 am. Not long after 6:30 am, then 6 am, and then 5:30 am. I was like, wait, that is not okay; I am not doing this. Now the light will tell them if it is morning and time to come out of their room.
2. You can use the light for other things if your child has time out, or I set it when the kids have quiet time. They know when quiet time is over without me having to watch the clock and ensure I have not gotten busy doing something else.
3. Their schedule for the morning is the same. The purple light comes on, which means it is time to make their bed and say their prayers; the red light will then come on, saying they can play quietly for 30 minutes. The green light says it is time to get up and get breakfast. It is nice to start the day off the same every morning. They know what to expect. This makes the day go more smoothly.
4. It is always nice to have a bit of extra uninterrupted sleep with a baby that gets up throughout the night. Our kids are not getting up a million times in the morning to ask when they can get up. I am grateful for all of the extra rest I can get.
5. I feel like the light is a calmer way to wake up. The way to wake up when I was growing up was to an alarm and its loud beeping sounds. It always made my day start badly. You can turn on quiet music with a light alarm clock or just come on with a soft light. I am surprised by how well my kids wake up to it. They usually only sleep up to three or four minutes past. It doesn't even make a noise.
6. I would recommend one that connects to your phone any day! There are no crazy buttons or running into your kid's room to set alarms. Within a few clicks on your phone, you are good to go.
7. There are tons of colors that you can choose from. With the light clock I got, the kids could select the colors they wanted to wake up to. It was so much fun to go through the colors with them. It has been an amazing investment!

Cons of a Light Alarm Clock

1. Other parents and people may think you are a drill sergeant. When I brought up the conversation of the light alarm clock with others, they looked at me weirdly because they felt like kids should be able to get up when they want. This was definitely how I felt before getting it. Now it has turned into a perfect thing for your family because there are boundaries that have helped us grow closer together. More sleep for my husband and me makes us better people and parents.
2. If the alarm code becomes unplugged, it doesn't work. Mind-blowing right? Our kids have plugged in a fan or something else and forgotten to re-plug it back in. This sets our morning backs a little when they realize their schedule was messed up.
3. If you don't turn off the numbers on the alarm clock, it can be a little bright when the kids are sleeping. For the first few months, I was surprised to find out we could turn off the digital numbers to tell the time. It drove my daughter crazy! I always had to stick a piece of tape over the numbers to drown out the light.
4. Sometimes the alarm needs to be set again. I have had it a few times, not save the time I set and suddenly having the kids come out at the wrong time for quiet time. That doesn't make them very happy when I tell them they've only been in quiet time for 10 minutes and have an hour to go.
5. Sometimes it takes effort to remember to make sure the alarm is set. Unless you are super good at schedules and have quiet time at the exact time every day, you have to remember to fix it.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey."

- Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Sarah