We're in France in a gite - about 20 other families here either in gites or camping. Most with young children.
Our children are a baby and 5 year old.
In our normal life they're both in bed asleep by 7pm. On holiday they're both in bed asleep by 7pm! If they stay up later they still wake by 6.30am and are then cranky all day...
All the other small children are up till at least 9pm here. As I said, there aren't that many families so we've got to know the other children. Must point out that my 5 yr old like going to bed and hasn't asked to stay up later - it's just I've had a few comments about being a big mean because "she's on holiday too."
What do other parents do? Aibu not letting them stay up later (the 5 year old really, not the baby)?
Have to say, when we're sitting outside with out books and cold drinks at 7pm with both children soundly asleep it is bliss!
AIBU?
Holiday bed times
TooManyDaisies · 26/07/2012 03:51
YANBU if your children are happy to stick to normal times fir bed then go with it just don't do what DH and I did last year in france when our two DCs had gone to sleep and we were bored 
and ended up coming back with a rather lasting souvenir of our holiday 
ds1 is 12 weeks old 
tomorrow
Stick to what works for your family, ours have always gone to bed normal time on holiday, we do everything to suit them in day & give them lovely time, I dont think anything wrong or "mean" with a bit of you time it gives everyone nice holiday 
Do whatever works for you
We are lucky as if ours stay up then they tend to sleep in by the coresponding amount of time the next day, so when we are away and especially when we camp we just let them go on until they drop
One thing that does get my goat, again mainly while camping, is parents who spend from 7 until 9-9.30 trying to get a crying, pissed off child to sleep to keep with a routine. If you can get them to sleep all well and good, but if not why waste two hours of your evening getting frustrated with them?
If your DD wants to go to bed fine, but if as gobblers says they are whining then you are being mean.
Personally I can't conceive of anything more tying and dreary than being tied to my tent or hotel room at 7pm.
DD1 would never sleep before 8 and has always happily done odd very late nights.
After 9 in the summer holidays just happens at our house because we are all out in the garden. So it happens on holiday too.
I've not the foggiest idea when DD2 would naturally go to bed. She's always refused to go any earlier than her sister.
DD2 in general refused to accept in anyway that she was 3 years younger
This is annoying, sometimes, but incredibly useful for holidays, having DDs who will do midnight return flights means you get an extra day on the beach
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