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Original poster

To let my 7 year old stay up to watch the England game?

193 replies

moryn · 17/06/2026 14:49

9pm kick off tonight, the first England game of the World Cup.

I have some great memories from the World Cup when I was a child. It’s once every four years…

Should I, or is it ridiculous?

OP posts:
TunnocksOrDeath · 17/06/2026 22:44

Lou7171 · 17/06/2026 15:17

One late night is fine.

Show quote history

Fine for the parents who won’t be trying to wrangle a class full of sleep deprived fractious kids into behaving properly all day. What about the teachers?

DontBuyAnotherBook · 17/06/2026 22:36

Crunchymum · 17/06/2026 22:28

Well my plan for the 11yo to go to bed at half time didn't happen, her and DP are nattering away, TV blaring. To be fair it's been a relatively interesting game as England games go.

8yo was asleep before 8pm and 13yo is reading / lights off imminently but he has no interest in football.

My 8 year old went upstairs at half term. She had been watching the game and talking constantly lol.

Crunchymum · 17/06/2026 22:28

Well my plan for the 11yo to go to bed at half time didn't happen, her and DP are nattering away, TV blaring. To be fair it's been a relatively interesting game as England games go.

8yo was asleep before 8pm and 13yo is reading / lights off imminently but he has no interest in football.

Crumpled86 · 17/06/2026 22:25

My ds is 8 and I let him watch the first half. Dd1 is 10 and took herself off to bed at 8.30pm as she had sports day and was tired. Both kids went to bed at 8pm last Saturday so they could wake up and watch the Scotland game at 2am on the 14th July. They watched the whole game whilst I snored through it but in my defense I was knackered.

I'd have let him stay up for at least the first half, if he'd shown signs of nodding off then I'd have sent him to bed.

onmylastnerveseriously · 17/06/2026 22:09

GinaandGin · 17/06/2026 19:54

Go for it
It only comes round every 4 years.
No doubt you will get the perfect parents on her tutting and explaining that darling araminta daffodil pistachio goes to bed at 8pm whilst listening to mozart and going over Russian grammar
Have a great night

No, there’s another FIFA World Cup next year.

one we have a shot of winning too.

onmylastnerveseriously · 17/06/2026 22:07

HelenaWilson · 17/06/2026 16:05

It would be snarky to suggest that any halfway decent school would have have been all over this as a once in a 4 year chance to engage the whole school in something approaching a shared event ?

Then there would be multiple threads started by football hating Mumsnetters complaining about football dominating everything and not everyone who lives in Scotland or England supports Scotland or England and if you display an England flag you must be a racist...

It’s not once every 4 years! There’s a FIFA World Cup next year too.

DontBuyAnotherBook · 17/06/2026 21:55

Witchcraftandhokum · 17/06/2026 20:03

Teacher here. If his attendance is normally good and you're planning on staying home.witj him tomorrow, absolutely fine. If you're planning on sending him overtired and overwrought then no.

What about teachers after they have had a piss up? You are going to have to suck it up tomorrow.

BurntBroccoli · 17/06/2026 21:52

It’s been a great match so far! Kids will be super excited about it tomorrow!

superchick · 17/06/2026 21:37

No of course not. Its just a football match. If it was the final or semi final then maybe. My DS is 11 and I think they are watching it on his school residential but if he was 7 and at home he'd be in bed by 8 at the latest on a school night.

ilovesooty · 17/06/2026 20:45

didntlikeanyofthesuggestions · 17/06/2026 15:00

No chance. I'm teaching my children than 11 millionaires kicking a ball around isn't really worthy of our attention and we'll be reading National Geographic instead. If they really want they can find out the score at school.

Thank goodness I grew up in a football household 🤣

darksideofthetoon · 17/06/2026 20:42

I let my 6 & 8 year old daughters get back up for the Scotland game at 2am. Such a special moment and they were right as rain the next day.

I definitely wasn’t!

bucketfull · 17/06/2026 20:26

For those saying it’s once in four years - well, you have the euros and the olympics, in between.
For a seven year old 9pm would be ok, midnight sounds too late. As a poster said above, I imagine schools will struggle dealing with the consequences of so many children who didn't get proper sleep. They don’t just fall asleep on their desks. They are over emotional and more accident prone.
Does anyone remember the research where every year the change of clocks is actually causing so many accidents, and that’s just one hour sleep loss, and for grown-ups…

I think it can be as exciting, bonding and special if it’s being talked about, sticker books filled in, highlights watched in the morning, without disrupting sleep.

ClaudiaWankleman · 17/06/2026 20:14

Crunchymum · 17/06/2026 19:54

Why oh why did you even click on this thread, let alone bother to post?

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The answer is because they are narcissistic enough to believe we care about their opinions, even when anonymous.

Middlemarch123 · 17/06/2026 20:11

GinaandGin · 17/06/2026 19:54

Go for it
It only comes round every 4 years.
No doubt you will get the perfect parents on her tutting and explaining that darling araminta daffodil pistachio goes to bed at 8pm whilst listening to mozart and going over Russian grammar
Have a great night

Love this 😂

Witchcraftandhokum · 17/06/2026 20:03

Teacher here. If his attendance is normally good and you're planning on staying home.witj him tomorrow, absolutely fine. If you're planning on sending him overtired and overwrought then no.

SerendipityJane · 17/06/2026 20:00

Karmacamelia · 17/06/2026 19:47

It's a one off. Yes he'll be tired tomorrow but when he's older, he'll remember being able to stay up and watch England in the World Cup 😊

A really good chance to expose kids early to the concept of taking part ....

EvieBB · 17/06/2026 19:58

Crunchymum · 17/06/2026 19:54

Why oh why did you even click on this thread, let alone bother to post?

Show quote history

Not sure. Rebelliousness lol
?

tripleginandtonic · 17/06/2026 19:57

Of course you're not, schools are buzzing with world cup fever.

Floppyearedlab · 17/06/2026 19:56

Of course
just make it clear that school is still happening tomorrow regardless of the late finish and the results

Crunchymum · 17/06/2026 19:54

EvieBB · 17/06/2026 18:40

I can't stand football and won't be watching any of it....lol

Why oh why did you even click on this thread, let alone bother to post?

GinaandGin · 17/06/2026 19:54

Go for it
It only comes round every 4 years.
No doubt you will get the perfect parents on her tutting and explaining that darling araminta daffodil pistachio goes to bed at 8pm whilst listening to mozart and going over Russian grammar
Have a great night

onmylastnerveseriously · 17/06/2026 19:49

Nah wait for the actual World Cup next year!

Karmacamelia · 17/06/2026 19:49

Rizzz · 17/06/2026 19:47

Again, another 3 posters assuming the OP is talking about a boy! 😁

Guilty! Soz

Rizzz · 17/06/2026 19:47

Again, another 3 posters assuming the OP is talking about a boy! 😁

Karmacamelia · 17/06/2026 19:47

It's a one off. Yes he'll be tired tomorrow but when he's older, he'll remember being able to stay up and watch England in the World Cup 😊