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Have you got any tips for getting older children into bed for The Daily Telegraph?

52 replies

CatherineMumsnet · 05/09/2008 10:38

We need your advice on how to retain that 'grown-up' time in the evenings once your kids are that bit older....

OP posts:

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Buda · 05/09/2008 10:40

No advice but will be watching with interest!

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AMumInScotland · 05/09/2008 10:41

I don't think he'd get into bed for the Daily Telegraph

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littlelapin · 05/09/2008 10:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AMumInScotland · 05/09/2008 10:43

DS atarts heading for bed at 9:30 and is allowed to read till 10:00. If he was to mess about getting to bed, that would eat into his reading time, so he doesn't complain. It'll get more complex when he needs less sleep than us though.

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AMumInScotland · 05/09/2008 10:44

Great minds think alike LOL!

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Anna8888 · 05/09/2008 10:49

LOL at retaining "grown-up time".

It disappeared the day she was born - she just doesn't need more sleep than us.

The boys (11, 13) do go to bed a bit ahead of us - they are quite obedient still and just do as their father tells them (French upbringing ). Maybe the Telegraph should ask French parents about this.

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Cappuccino · 05/09/2008 10:51

how old?

Enid got my 7 year old to bed v well with her approach

but 7 still young I guess

(grown-up time? Does the Telegraph mean packing-lunches-and-putting-stuff-away time? or do they have Help for that, being Telegraph readers?)

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Uriel · 05/09/2008 10:53

Mine go to bed when I tell them to. Isn't that what normally happens?

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Carmenere · 05/09/2008 10:55

Beat them with a rolled up copy of the Telegraph?

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SlartyBartFast · 05/09/2008 10:57

no ideas.

apart from parents staying up later. i might just have to read the daily telegraph or at least watch this thread to find out.

a bigger house sounds like a good option.

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Marina · 05/09/2008 10:58

It's easy for us in that ds is an avid reader and willingly turns in at around 8pm (he is nine). He does fanny about a bit - I will check up on him around 9pm (lights out/wind-down time) and often find him reading standing up with one sock on and nothing else ).
He is surprisingly accepting of our rule about no TV after 7pm on weekdays. We also enforce the no computer/DS rule after 7.30pm.
My top tip - tell your child that if they wish to stay downstairs and help with decontaminating the compost bin/unloading and reloading the dishwasher/ironing/cleaning, they can. Works a treat.
LOL at having "help" .

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Marina · 05/09/2008 11:00

Carm, how about following them about reading some of the Telegraph's most dismal columnists (Janet Daley or Simon Heffer spring to mind) at the top of your voice...or would Childline be concerned about this?

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seeker · 05/09/2008 11:01

Not sure what you mean by grown up time. As the children get older, surely they increasingly join in with grown up time?

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seeker · 05/09/2008 11:02

I wouldn't get OUT of bed for the Daily Telegraph!

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Tortington · 05/09/2008 11:03

we have strict bedtimes.

our time is important - and kids are horrible without enough sleep - and we are a family who loves to sleep.

bedtime for 6-10 was always around 7 or 8pm

i really am like a scrawny tree bending to the wind on most things - i talk a good talk on mumsnet but a good argument from my kids as to why they shouldnt do something i have asked is always considered. DS1 just has to give me a gorg smile - and i break - i can't even shout at him ( he is 18)

anyway...on this we never caved. bedtime is bedtime

sine being teenagers bedtime is 10pm.

i know that they mess around for a while but at aged 15 (twins) they are always asleep for 10.30 on a school night.

now ds1 is home again ( 18yr old) and he shares a room with ds2 - i tell them lights out - and he goes to sleep too PMSL

he could come downstairs - but more often than not he is knackered from working

is there a tip in there
?

i thinkits has been said - do as i say and i MEAN IT

when kids school age to teenagers go to bed at 7 or 8 you have the whole evening to mumsnet i mean scrabble i mean tidy up.

friday night we always let them stay up later. - it was a treat.

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Marina · 05/09/2008 11:03

Well, I quite agree there seeker. Did you see the episode of Outnumbered where they let their eldest attend what turned out to be a rather eventful supper party?
We quite like having ds downstairs with us after dd has hit the sack, and have some very enjoyable chats and film-sharing (such as James Bond etc which we really don't want dd to see yet).

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Cappuccino · 05/09/2008 11:04

my top tip would be to have an open-plan house

that way we can yell back up the stairs to our moaning children as we sit in front of the TV

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castille · 05/09/2008 11:05

Usually mine (nearly 11 & 9) go upstairs after dinner for their showers, at 8/8.30pm when my 2yo goes to bed. After that they read or make things or make a mess or tidy up in their rooms until lights out. Whatever they like as long as it's calming and doesn't involve staring at a screen

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Tortington · 05/09/2008 11:05

my kids as theyhave gotten older have become invisible - usually in their rooms

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SlartyBartFast · 05/09/2008 11:06

tv's in their rooms, lap tops in their rooms.... is that the answer?

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Tortington · 05/09/2008 11:07

my tip would be check on them. and dont give false warnings "i'll be up in a minute so better get to sleep" doesn't work. go up.

also kids still like stories until the age of ten i think. they like that time with you.

i used to sing to mine as the 'wind down' for sleep

3 songs and the "just one more" was it

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Marina · 05/09/2008 11:08

No IMO slarty. Not in our house.
As ds and dd gets older we expect them to be able to stay up later and join in (if they want) with whatever we are doing, not be separated out on the assumption that all they want to do is MSN and watch Hollyoaks

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Tortington · 05/09/2008 11:09

i would avoid tv's in room until they are teenagers personally.

and then they only get to keep it if they don't abuse your trust.

I have cut plugs off games systems and tv's before now.

lois stylee from malcome in middle

bit extreme but he was warned

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AMumInScotland · 05/09/2008 11:10

Yes, even before bedtime, DS is often not in the same room as me, or DH. Sometimes we're watching a film together, but often on PCs or TVs or reading in completely different rooms. Trickier if they have small bedrooms and you've just one place to all be in the evenings.

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Clary · 05/09/2008 11:11

Marina literally LOL (I am alone here so it's OK) at yr DS reading upright with one sock on

(BTW I need yr help with a yahtzee related query as you are clearly the expert)

As to how to do this - how old is older? DS1 is 9 and usually the tiredest.

One way is to let him stay up later than the others to eg watch the football match till 8.30 - then he is usually so exhausted he willingly goes. But it's the secret sneaky treat when the littlies are in bed that's good.

Custy's got it tho - they need to be worn out. Make sure they get plenty of exercise after school (like dogs) - football in the garden, go for swim, Cubs etc.