What are your children's bedtimes? I have a friend that allows her children stay up till 10:30 sometimes! My son (2 years old) is in bed at 8pm and there isn't any reason I feel that he should be up any later. Children need their sleep and plenty of it to grow properly and feel happy and healthy. My son wakes up around 7am every morning (sometimes more like 6:45 and sometimes more like 7:30) which I think is really reasonable. I was always and early riser and I just don't think that this is too early for him to be up. I try to get myself into bed before 10:30 and if I allowed my son to stay up till then I wouldn't get in bed until 1am because of everything I have to wait to do until after he goes to bed. I'm asking other moms what time do you put your children to bed. Am I crazy for putting him to bed so early? I just feel that other moms do the same thing with allowing their young children to stay up so late.
I agree with you on the early bedtime. My daughter goes to bed around 8pm and sleeps until around 7 or 8am. Kids need rest and don't need to be up so late. Kids are better mentally and physically with plenty of rest. For those people who let their kids stay up later and they sleep the same amount as my child then fine...whatever. However, if they go to bed late and get up early then they are just asking for cranky kids.
My baby (19 months) is in bed by 7:30 and my 4 year old and 6 year old are in bed no later than 8. They need their sleep and we parents need alone time without babies underfoot!
G.
J.,
I know what you are going through. I was a single mom going to
college and had to have that all to precious time to study and clean the house. I put my son to bed at 8pm and then finished my studying and housework. It was rough at first, but then he
got used to a schedule. At his daddy's it was whatever time he wanted to go to bed and so I would have a fight with him when he came home every other Sunday night.
My son is now 9 and his bedtime is still 8pm. He has to get up at 6am to be ready to catch his bus at 7am. He gets home does homework and then plays for a short time before supper. After supper we might watch a bit of tv and then it is bathtime. After his bath he picks up his room and gives my a
hug before going to bed. That is most nights the routine. Weekend is an hour later to bed.
Kids need a schedule and organization sometimes to help them.
My son it is really important to keep things on schedule or as close to it asp. He is ADHD and his attention span doesn't
work like an adult's does.
So don't worry about the bedtime being to early. You need that time between his going to sleep and you going to bed to
finish things up and relax a little.
I get a lot of strange looks when I tell people my kids bed times, but my girls are in bed, and yes, asleep by 7pm. We have never had to set an alarm clock because they are awake by 7am every morning, which doesn't bother me but allows the day to begin fresh without them being being cranky from lack of sleep. It also allows my husband and I time alone at night.
My kids are ages 11, 9, 6, 3, and 1. The 11 and 9 year olds can stay up until 8-8:30. Everyone else has an 8:00 bedtime. It stays that way until they are about 9.
Keep in mind every child's sleep needs are slightly different. I would figure on a 2 year old needing around 10-11 hours of bedtime sleep with an afternoon nap ranging from 2-4 hours. If he's cranky or has difficulty getting up in the morning, then he needs more sleep. If he's getting up in a good mood, easily, and not getting overly cranky during the day, then bump the bedtime a bit (maybe in 15 minute increments) and find the right times. Hope it helps.
both my 5 and 2 year old go to bed by 7-730 and are up at 6am. On the weekends I may let them stay up until 8 but not often. I need my time alone in the evening to stay sane which I wouldn't get if they were up later since I go to bed at 9. I have a friend who's kids don't have a bedtime and will be up until 10 or 11 at night and then are very whiney the next day and drive her nuts. Makes you wonder why she doesn't think of that.
