AIBU to refuse a Year 9 staying up for the 1am match?

I had a similar dilemma for our 11yo, but for a different country's match. We let him stay up for matches starting at 11pm (school night - still went to school the next day) and 2am (weekend) just because it was such a rare event! Nothing awful happened. He was tired at school but then slept normal hours the following night. Unless there's something very important on at school the next day, what's the real, long-lasting harm of staying up?

I’m the mother of an older autistic DS who is quite obsessive about his sleep and going to bed at a fixed time.

I’d let him watch it if he was 14 but, he has to not moan about the consequences, or wake me up!

I hate football but the World Cup is only once every 4 years and hopefully it’ll be England’s last match.

This!

I am making myself tidy up the living room between games tonight. Next door is always putting their spin dryer on at about midnight, so I am vacuuming at midnight this time.

C'mon Norway, C'mon England.

I have just bet.

Erling Haaland & Harry Kane, anytime goals corer including extra time at 9 - 2. Surely, that's a dead cert.

I’d record it and let him wake up earlier like 5am to watch it. Phones off etc so no seeing the result beforehand!

The staying up isn't the issue. It's the parents then allowing their kids to miss school the next day that is. They need to learn that you miss sleep you still have responsibilities and still need to crack on and do it.

Let him stay up and watch it fgs. It’s a one-off, or maybe once every 4 years if you want to look at it that way. How would you have felt if everyone saw something and you didn’t and as a result you felt left out at school? It’s really not a big ask, poor kid!

Luckily mum e have no i terest. If they did I would say go to bed early, we will wake you at 1, watch the match then back to bed with you and you power through the next day. No missing school or after school clubs etc

This wouldn’t be an issue for me but then I’m also watching the match although it begins before what I would call my bedtime anyway . The only thing that would make me say no is if he hasn’t shown any interest in watching the other games as if he hasn’t then I’d say no to this one .

10 hours of sleep for a teenager is within the standard range.

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/teens-and-sleep/how-much-sleep-does-a-teenager-need

Teenagers need sleep! It is good for them.

I’ve taken my boys to anfield night fixtures when it’s been a nightmare getting out of Liverpool, home about 2 am

they were primary age, they went to school the next day

it teaches resilience, that actions have consequences, and to prioritise things that are worth it

Just let him go to bed at 5pm, then he can get his 8 hours in and wake up early at 1am to watch it. It's likely to be delayed due to the weather.

Letting your kids be early birds for the match feels far more responsible. Plus they will be all refreshed to remember every aspect of the defeat.

If you don’t let him watch it, it’s got nothing to do with how much sleep you need but you know he that don’t you?

I've taken my kids to the cinema at midnight a few times (Avengers and Star Wars films mostly) and from a younger age. Now older teens they remember and love the experience of being up to do that more than they remember the films.

For Endgame they were 8 and 10 years old, and as it was a weekday I took them to school the following day, saying to the teachers 'I made an unwise parenting decision last night, well to be fair the decision was a few weeks ago, but it happened last night.'

One teacher thought it was an amazing thing for them to have done, as an occasional mad thing. The teachers at school tomorrow will be expecting some of the children to have been up tonight - and it's a one-off mad thing.

Let him do it. He will hate you tomorrow when all his mates are talking about staying up and the match. He can get a few hours sleep beforehand. It’s one night. He will remember if you don’t let him.

Let him its a one off .
Unlikely to win so quite possibly their last game of this tournament
Hes got to understand that he will have to go to school and most probably be tired

There will be so many tired pupils (and teachers tomorrow) that one more won't make much difference. It's not like hes got to sit an exam. I would let him stay up if he really wants to. I wish I had the energy to do so. Get him a few snacks and make the most of the occasion. He will always remember it.

My Y9 is staying up to watch it.

Mistype: I meant 7-8 hours.

Your DS sounds like a dream child who causes you no problems, why would you want to punish him by not allowing him to do something that he really wants to?
His ask is not a big one, it will not impact you if you are sleeping anyway, even if he needs an early night to catch up on his sleep, again this will not cause you any issues, but you seem to want to assert your authority over him.
You don’t seem to realise how lucky you are with your DS op

All the more reason to let him watch it. You’ve got the perfect golden child always full of the joys of spring, does everything perfectly without complaint and asks for this one night of slightly less sleep and you’re denying it? He’ll still get 9-10 hours if he goes to bed, gets up for the match and then goes back to bed after it. After all, he’ll fall back asleep as soon as his head touches the pillow. Maybe his singing will be a little more muted tomorrow morning and his smile slightly less sunshiney bright if they lose but he’ll have a core memory.

I’d let him stay up or go to sleep and get up, but either way he would go to school at the normal time. I think it’s good to experience events like this but also the consequences of doing so.

If he was mine, I’d let him stay up, but not call in sick.

This doesn't sound like the SEN child you described in an earlier post?
Anyway, hope you've come to a decision that is right for your son. He sounds like an angel so I think deserves to watch it like all his mates are.

My mum used to get us all up, as a single parent, to watch the big boxing fights at 2/30am back in the day. Some things are experiences that can't be replicated, and worth it. Are you sure this isn't your bias deciding you don't care so it shouldn't be worth it, rather than objectively assessing what would be good for him overall in spite of the fact you don't care?

And seperate to this, if he can't function at all after a single night of less sleep, there is something wrong.