Young kids out late

Same with my 3, been seeing the new year in since they were toddlers.

We had a fairly regular routine during the week when they were small, 7:30 in bed and tucked in with a story etc and they would sleep until 7 the next day but if we went out of an evening they would just stay up with us. And sleep in later. I’m a proper night owl, dh is up early but at the weekends he’s usually on his own for a few hours before anyone else surfaces!

I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old too.

During the week, they're asleep by 8:30 ish. Sometimes a bit earlier, sometimes a bit later.

They get up beteeen 6:30-7 am ( today at 6 ).

They can totally handle being up later sometimes and also being out and about.

When we go on holiday in the summer, they have a late nap and stay out until 11 pm, no problem. We tend to go to Italy, where that is completely normal in the summer. But they do have a big nap in the day to facilitate that and they get up late as well.

We recently had a big birthday where we celebrated until 11 pm and they were ok. We don't do it often, but they're totally ok if it happens.

We've done stuff like that since they were tiny babies, maybe that's why. Also in laws often used to come over at the weekend after work 8:30, so the kids would be up until 9:30-10 at weekends regularly so they could see their grandparents.

They don't come over at that time much anymore because it was annoying to be fair. But the kids never showed they were over tired or anything like that.

It depends on the child, as always. They're all different.

British people are funny and parochial about this (as with so many things). Nanny's tea at 5pm! Meanwhile kids are perfectly happy out and about at 11pm the world over. Obviously everyone has different rhythms but kids don't need to be in bed early as some universal health requirement.

But mine have also never been ones to get up early. They naturally sleep in until 7.30 on a school morning and 8 ish on a weekend / holiday.

Mine have never gone to bed that early. My four year old goes to bed at 8 - 8.30. I've got older kids, I can't expect to be back home early all the time. We regularly go out for meals in the evening, parties, walk in the beach etc and don't get home until 8ish on school night, maybe 10 on a weekend. We are going to a wedding reception in the weekend and she will no doubt be up dancing until the very end!

It's a cultural thing . Visit Spain

I'm not naturally a morning person at all, but dd is, so I have to be up, you do just learn to get on with it, because what's the alternative?

I think its just child dependant. Some wake at the same time no matter how late they go to sleep and no one wants a grumpy tired whingy child all day, which is what happens if they're going to bed late, get up at the same time as usual anyway and don't get enough sleep.

My two were always fine being out at restaurants etc.

We never did a rigid routine.

My dc are 2 and 6 now, and 2yo falls asleep around 8.30pm, 6yo falls asleep 9pm. They get up at 7am. They'd be fine being out at 6.30pm, though we're usually at home as 2yo has her bath at 6.30pm.

We were at the CBeebies hotel recently and there were plenty of under 5s enjoying the kids discos at 7.30pm and 8.30pm. We enjoy spending our time with the dc in the evenings, they get lots more play time and reading time with DH and also each other (as eldest is in school/clubs) which they would miss out on if they were in bed very early.

If I'd sent my kids to bed at 7.30, they'd be lucky to get 15 minutes with their dad, when he got home from work.

Well, I do it because mine can handle being out past 6.30. Obviously I wouldn't if they couldn't!

A mum from school said how surprised she was to see me out with my five year at 8pm because her child, in the same year as my son, had been in bed for over an hour by that point. Turns out her daughter wakes up at 5. No thanks!

It seems a lot of people on MN have their kids in bed super early, like 6pm even! And then they are awake at silly o'clock in the morning. I'm not a morning person so that was never a routine I put on my kids. Mine were more like bed for 8-8:30pm and up at 7:30pm, worked perfect for us. Each to their own though obviously.

gosh, I’m with you OP, I always think it’s crazy seeing little ones up late as mine are always in bed by 7.30pm latest (6 & 3), if not they are horrendous the next day. They both sleep in till at least 7am. I thought that was normal for their age but maybe not?! Cannot understand why you’d want to keep them up longer, I love having my evenings child-free!!

My kids were night owls when they were younger and still are as adults and teens.

When they were babies/toddlers, if we tried to get them to bed earlier, they just didn’t sleep. Neither of them ever needed much sleep either when they were young, none of this 7pm-7am for us, only ever 9 hours at most, then full of energy.

My kids (11 & 4) go to bed at 9.30, on school nights, and they aren't tired and whiney in the lead up, the youngest is usually still bouncing around the room happy as anything! They drop quickly after lights out but don't struggle to make it to that point at all

Weekends it's usually 10-10.30, could be later if there's something special going on and we're out of the house, they'll both happily stay up later than whatever time we send them up, we only put them to bed so we get some downtime 🤣

They wake at 8 for school so get plenty of sleep, if I put them to bed earlier they will get up earlier, and as I tend to be up until 12-2am I'd rather they go to bed later and get up later

Me too. We have had phases of early starts but mine tend to sleep in. Yes, they also go to bed later. But honestly, the crack of dawn starts are he'll. Even now, my youngest is 9, and I constantly hear from.friends that they're still up by 7am every day. Unbearable. I wake mine for school at 730 and weekends we all sleep in. Thank god.

Never too old for a nap!

Mine would have happily had a 4pm nap but were entertained and fed and bathed etc to avoid them falling asleep and then went to bed at 7/7.30ish. On holiday they napped at 4 and then were up late. They’re 18 and 21 now, still napping before big nights out 😂

Yes indeed. IMO some "sleep problems" is due to putting their kids to bed too early. Their kids may have needed 12 hours of sleep five years ago but they don't now. People really overestimate how much sleep their kids need.

My 9yo rarely falls asleep before 9.30 and my 6yo would stay up till 9 or later if I let him. He's small for his age so he could probably pass for a big 4 year old. They wake anytime from 6.30 onwards so it's not like I have to drag them out of bed to get ready for school. I don't want 5am wake up calls so I'll settle for not having much of an evening. Tbh it's quite handy because we can go out for dinner on holiday or I can let them stay up for special occasions and it's not an issue.

Definitely a cultural aspect - where I live in Southern Europe kids tend to keep their daytime nap much longer and stay up later than all the kids of my UK friends. My own DD4 is also a night owl who gets more and more silly and funny as she gets tireder - honestly it's a shame to put her to bed sometimes because she's hilarious (but then she'll be awful and grumpy when we have to wake her in the morning so we do have to draw the line!).

Sounds a lot like all of mine, it's not great being up at the arse crack of down every day but I'm a bit eye rolling at all the posters who go on about really not being able to cope with the early mornings. Of course you would if that's what you had to do 🙄

my older dc were still out at swimming and sports at that time if night when my youngest dc was a baby/toddler so he was rarely in bed at that time. We quite often take the dogs for a big walk after dinner in the summer too so regularly still at the beach or wood having fun at 7pm!

I agree. I don't want to ever see 4am unless I'm catching a flight!

My dd rarely sleeps, she is awake until midnight sometimes, but is up and raring to go at 5am every day. Even as a baby she didn't need much sleep (unlike younger dd who would sleep until lunchtime every day if I let her).