Early Risers - Lookout Mountain,GA

Great question:) I put my kids back to their rooms. My 5 year old can either play or watch tv in his room. Yes, keeping a tv in his room may not be the best solution, but it's one that works for me especially in the mornings. I'm with you, I need my time to wake up, drink my coffee, shower, and get ready for the day. I remember when I was a kid, my parents would not have allowed me to rise before or with them, so I don't allow my kids either.

My oldest slept from 9pm until 5-5:30am until he was about 3 1/2. I was exhausted. I let him watch kid's show's and dvd's while I did the things I needed to do. If I was paying bills, he could sit in my lap. It's not quite alone time, but he was entertained.

You kids might sleep later as they get older.

If you woke up 15 minutes earlier it would give you about 20 minutes of "quiet time" before your children started to get up. 15 minutes isn't too much of a difference and if you went to bed 15 minutes earlier then you wouldn't be missing anything...just a suggestion.

Oh- and don't feel guilty or listen to anyone that makes it sound as if you have to give up "me time" or "quiet time" when you become a parent. That's crazy. Everyone deserves a break and some "me time". It's healthier to admit that and to take it. I thought I didn't deserve a break because I was a mother until my mother and husband had to tell me it was okay to ask for one and to take one! No "me time" leads to stress and that's not good for anyone.

Do not lock your kids in their rooms - that is a safety hazard! I'm sorry to say this, but this is part of the sacrifice we make as a parent. The option of 'not allowing' your child to get up before you is absurd. What a way to let your child know they are a burden to you. It is their home too, they aren't guests.

Watch what you wish for - you want her to get up later now, get her in the that habit then she we will get used to getting up late and it will be hard to wake her when school starts.

I get up and hour earlier than my kids to get that needed morning time. I'm not a fan of doing that but that is what I have to do to get 'my time'.

My daughter has always been an early riser, 5:30 - 6:00 am. We also use the lighted clock (changes green when she can get up), but she's older (6) so we can reason with her. When she was that age we used baby gates. If she woke up she could play quietly in her room till we came to get her, but it was hard because she couldn't tell time & would get frustrated. Put a baby gate across her door so she can't get to her brother. If you really need quiet time to yourself you might need to just bite the bullet and get up earlier. I got up between 4:45 & 5:15 for my 'me' time when she was that age, it was important enough to me and easier than having the daily fight with her.

unfortunately every kid has an internal clock and most of them are set to wake up at 6-7am. anything before 6am is a problem but anything after 6 is a good time and you can't train them to wake up later. as a parent, you definitely need me time but unfortunately, that me time doesnt happen when you want it to. you might just have to have some me time later in the day instead of 1st thing in the morning (unless you have a husband or someone else who can watch them for that first 20 min while you get ur me time).

A girlfriend of mine used room darking shades or curtains. She said it works, but her kids can be up from a nap at 3 pm and still go to bed at 8/8:30 pm
That don't work for my monkey. I have got in the habit of closing my daughter's blinds before bed, it works for an extra half hour after the sun is up. I have tried the stay up a little later. I am exhusted and I have had to face the fact my daughter is an early riser now matter what. My husband is up at 4:30/5 am for work so, it usually stirs my daughter (who is daddy's girl) even if he is as quiet as can be.
So, we usually have a little girl climbing into bed with us about 6/6:30 and I can usually get another 30 mins to an hour, sometime even a shower before she stirs again. I would rather have her up now at 6/6:30 am because once school rolls around do I want to be fighting even morning to get to the bus!

well, I implimented a sticker program. Every night that she stays in her room until I come get her, she gets a sticker. She picked out the stickers so I know they're ones she likes. She's only come out 1 time in the 2 weeks since I started it. I also got a blackout curtain from Sears (although I saw the same ones at Walmart later) and I think it helps that it's darker in there.

Another thing to try might be to put a doorknob cover over her side of the doorknob. I'm not above locking my kid in her room for extra sleep.

I don't mean to come across critically (in case it does). My personal feeling is that as a mom with young kids, my alone time is limited, and it's a personal sacrifice I accept for now. I have to leave my house by 7:30am to get to work on time. So, I enjoy the mornings that they're up before I leave so I can say hi to them and wish them well for the day.

I've also noticed with my kids (ages 2 and 4) that they have completely different circadian rhythms (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm) which are completely related to our biologies individually and are very difficult to change. They're simply part of our body chemistry.

I am a night owl. I can not to go bed before 11pm, but getting up in the morning is really challenging for me. My son, no matter what time he goes to bed, is an early riser and ready for breakfast first thing. Our daughter (2) consistently goes to bed after 10:30 and would sleep until 9:30 if we let her.

So, I wish I had advice, but my personal feeling is that you may just have to accommodate it until their growth changes......and, see if your husband can help give you the time you need in the day for yourself.

I also agree with you, I need my "me" time in the morning as well. I have to be up before my kids or my day is a mess. Maybe try dark out shades/blinds. I bought room darkening drapes from Overstock.com and they work great. Target also sells them now. It's 6:30am right now and it is bright out, so maybe their rooms need to get a little darker. :) Not sure what time they go to bed, but maybe an adjustment for bedtime might help. Good luck.

Have you tried letting them stay up later the night before?

Our daughter was never a early riser, but we allowed her to stay awake till 8:30 or 9:00 in the summer.. It helped a bit.. We would go for evening swims with my husband, maybe see a movie later in the day, again with my husband.. Go out to eat. Play outside with the neighbors while the adults had some beverages..

The kids still talk about how fun it was to play till, THEY were begging to have baths and go to bed..We would playfully tell them, no play some more.. it is not dark enough yet! Hee, hee..

Keep in mind this is a phase of the "age" and it too will pass. Many, many kids wake this early at a young age. Does it make it any easier? NO...So, you either have to wake up and have your time or when they nap or have quiet time in the afternoon, that is your time.

I'm with you sister. For years and years I got up at 3-4 am just to enjoy a couple hours of being alone, taking my shower, reading, playing online etc. But more and more I NEED sleep. I still WANT alone time. My kids are laying back down period. I used to let them watch tv. But not anymore. Now I don't turn Sesame Street on, which I tape for them, until 7am. Before that they are not allowed to talk or play. Mine are daycare children that are dropped off and they have been falling back to sleep. Even the bigger ones are starting to fall back to sleep.

We are people too and we simply HAVE to have some peace and quiet sometime.

I wish i knew how to get my duaghter to sleep later. She used to get up at 8 and then all of a sudden in may she started getting up around 6.30. i thought becasue of the sun, so i bought thick black curtains put in her room, and even at nap time, it's just as dark as night time, but she still doesn't sleep in. she is still up at 6.30. no matter what I try, she is ready to be up. I would love to have time to myself, but i don't get that. i take my alone time when she is napping in the afternoon, since she sleeps about 3 hours.

For your alone time, you will need to adjust when you get up, or make them take nap or quiet time in the afternoon when you can have your time.

You can try a noise machine that has a white noise sound and black out curtains, just a white panel on the inside to keep it darker. Most kids have an internal clock that wakes them at the same time every morning. The only think you can do is maybe put some books or toys in their crib and tell them that when they wake up, they have to play until mommy comes to get them. You can tell them that they have to stay in one room, your daughter can go into her brother's room but they have to stay in there and play until you come get them. Lastly, you can set your alarm for 6a and at least get a cup of coffee in before they wake up! I know that much be hard, I taught our son early on how to work the remote and had a cup of milk ready for our daughter so they can go-it-alone for at least an hour before they wake us! It gives us time to rest and it gives them time together in the am. We set the channel the night before, our son just hits "Power" on remote and we fill the milk cups the night before and put them on the lowest fridge shelf, put two mini muffins in a baggie on the counter, they get up, turn on the tv and sit together until we get up. I love to sleep, good luck!
ps/ one mom says you 'locked' your kids in their rooms??? I did not see that in your post! Just ignore negativity.

It's amazing to me how people can turn an innocent question into a horrible question! I believe it is truly important to have some alone time so that you aren't stressed and can be at the top of your game for your kids. These parents who don't believe you should get alone time deserve medals because they devote all of their "me" time to their children. Congrats to them!! Just because you are a parent does not mean that you cannot enjoy "me" time. I don't have any suggestions for you to make it better but just know that as they get older, you do start to get more "me" time back.