The beginning of summer brings lots of sunshine (normally), days at the pool, and much longer days. The sun comes up earlier, and goes down later. And with no school, parents become more lax on the bedtime schedule. This often causes meltdowns and all sorts of random whining and unnecessary crying. “It’s really hard to get the kids into bed when the sun is still out, and their rooms are light,” said resident Megan Lima. “The sundial doesn’t match the actual time, so it is a real challenge sometimes to get them inside, much less to bed.”
The Lima’s decided to take things into their own hands. “We realized we needed our kids sleeping a lot more, and more than anything, out of our hair and not whining,” said Lima. “So, we had the windows in their rooms tinted. And not tinted to keep out UV rays and whatnot, we had them tinted to completely keep out the sun. Now, unless a light is on, it is pitch black in their rooms. We have been able to get them to bed before nine, and they aren’t getting up until 7. It has been great for us, and they seem to be a lot less crabby.” The Andreasen family has done the same thing with similar success. “We feel we have some newfound freedom,” said Stacey Andreasen. “We can get the kids to bed much easier, and they are not near as restless. In fact, I’m not so sure we will take the tinting down in the fall. It’s not like my kids spend a lot of time in their rooms.”
Costs for window tinting can vary, but to most Stapletonians, it’s not the price that matters. “I don’t even remember what we paid or who we used,” said Lima. “All I know is I am getting more sleep and having more time to myself at night. I don’t know if you can put a price on that.” No you can’t Megan. No you can’t.
]]>