diff --git a/firebase/__init__.py b/firebase/__init__.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 81e94a6..59b65b6
--- a/firebase/__init__.py
+++ b/firebase/__init__.py
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import requests
-import urlparse #for urlparse and urljoin
-import os #for os.path.dirname
-import json #for dumps
-
+import urlparse  #for urlparse and urljoin
+import os  #for os.path.dirname
+import json  #for dumps
+from datetime import datetime
 
 
 class Firebase():
-    ROOT_URL = '' #no trailing slash
+    ROOT_URL = ''  #no trailing slash
 
     def __init__(self, root_url, auth_token=None):
         self.ROOT_URL = root_url.rstrip('/')
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def parent(self):
         #If url is the root of your Firebase, return None
         up = urlparse.urlparse(url)
         if up.path == '':
-            return None #maybe throw exception here?
+            return None  #maybe throw exception here?
         return Firebase(url)
 
     def name(self):
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def name(self):
 
     def toString(self):
         return self.__str__()
+
     def __str__(self):
         return self.ROOT_URL
 
@@ -47,14 +48,14 @@ def update(self, data):
     def remove(self):
         return self.delete()
 
-    
+
     #These mirror REST API functionality
 
     def put(self, data):
-        return self.__request('put', data = data)
+        return self.__request('put', data=data)
 
     def patch(self, data):
-        return self.__request('patch', data = data)
+        return self.__request('patch', data=data)
 
     def get(self):
         return self.__request('get')
@@ -63,19 +64,26 @@ def get(self):
     #Firebase where a new child location with unique name is generated and
     #returned
     def post(self, data):
-        return self.__request('post', data = data)
+        return self.__request('post', data=data)
 
     def delete(self):
         return self.__request('delete')
 
-
     #Private
-
     def __request(self, method, **kwargs):
         #Firebase API does not accept form-encoded PUT/POST data. It needs to
         #be JSON encoded.
+
+        # add in custom encoder for datetime objects
+        class Encoder(json.JSONEncoder):
+            def default(self, obj):
+                if isinstance(obj, datetime):
+                    return obj.isoformat()
+                else:
+                    return super(Encoder, self).default(obj)
+
         if 'data' in kwargs:
-            kwargs['data'] = json.dumps(kwargs['data'])
+            kwargs['data'] = json.dumps(kwargs['data'], cls=Encoder)
 
         params = {}
         if self.auth_token:
@@ -85,10 +93,9 @@ def __request(self, method, **kwargs):
             params.update({'auth': self.auth_token})
 
         r = requests.request(method, self.__url(), params=params, **kwargs)
-        r.raise_for_status() #throw exception if error
+        r.raise_for_status()  #throw exception if error
         return r.json()
 
-
     def __url(self):
         #We append .json to end of ROOT_URL for REST API.
         return '%s.json' % self.ROOT_URL