DD has put forth the opinion that her bedtime is too early.

[MonkeyToesOfDoom]

She's 7 years old and has just gone up to year 3.
She said to me
"I really do think my bed time is altogether too early"
She said it in an old fashioned voice like one of the Railway Children...
She insists that 9pm would be a better bed time.
I ask MN, should anyone reply, what is her bed time?

She gets up at 8am and is no trouble in a morning at all. Her current bedtime is 8ish usually after teeth cleaning, changing PJ's, story and such it's around 8.30pm. Should i put it back to 9pm.

8:30 lights out sounds about right. The only way I would let her go later would be if she was waking early herself.

My 8 year old going into year 5 has just had her bedtime increased to 8pm. I think 9 is too late on a school night. But it is dependant on the child.

DS (not long turned 8) gets ready for bed at 7.30 and can then read in bed till 8.30pm then lights out. He usually wakes up around 7am.

Do none of these early to bed teens not have hobbies? 10 year old Dd only got home from swimming at 8pm, a couple of weetabix and 15 mins reading to settle her and she's asleep at 9 and gets up at 10.

OP have you asked your Dd what she thinks is reasonable, you can then haggle and compromise perhaps she could read in bed for an extra 10 mins. You also have the option of putting a clock in her room and putting it forward a bit so it's earlier than she thinks.

D'oh, gets up at 7am

@MonkeyToesOfDoom

I think it is interesting that you have to wake her in the morning as it is.

Really? Don't most people need an alarm or waking in some other manner?

Can someone tell my toddler this! OP please can you come and work your parental magic on him and his 6 year old sister. His 5am screeching is a really awful way for me to wake up and she just mopes around like a teenager while declaring everything I ask of her is so unfair!

I think a lot will depend on your bedtime too op. I’d hate to be putting my little one down just an hour before my bedtime, I’d feel I wasn’t getting any ‘adult’ time in the evening.
A 9pm bedtime is ok for your DD if you got to bed near midnight, not so good if you go to bed at 10pm

@Arborea

How on earth do you all manage to get your kids reading at night? My 7 year old has never read for pleasure - gutting for someone who was a born bookworm!

Bedtime here is nominally 7.30pm following bath and story time (we have a bolshy 4 year old who will not be treated any different from the elder one) but they're not usually asleep much before 9, and they're typically up at 6.30 (sometimes a little later for the younger one) - we let them just bimble around, play with quiet toys, have a chat etc but we can't get them interested in reading (audio books are a different story!)

@Arborea don’t worry yet there is still time to fall in love with reading. My twins are 9 and for the first time over lockdown they have really got the reading bug. Before that we would read to them, then when the books got really long they listened to audio books. They both found a series of books that started them off, one was the wimpy kid, one was the diary of a pig. Then they started to read loads, they practised, they got better, so they read more. I think their reading ability has to catch up to where is is easy to read books that are complex enough to be fun, if it’s a struggle they won’t enjoy it, if it’s too simple they won’t enjoy it so much. I reckon keep encouraging audio books until they can read those same books. Harry Potter illustrated edition was a breakthrough book for us too.

@LipstickTaserrr

His 5am screeching is a really awful way for me to wake up and she just mopes around like a teenager while declaring everything I ask of her is so unfair!

That sounds really rough. I'm so glad I've never had to experience it first hand. But as I haven't I can't give any pointers... Maybe a shed at the bottom of the garden for you to sleep in?

I’d hate to be putting my little one down just an hour before my bedtime, I’d feel I wasn’t getting any ‘adult’ time in the evening.

'Adult time' disappears as children get older. My two are at secondary and are up later than me.

A 9pm bedtime is ok for your DD if you got to bed near midnight, not so good if you go to bed at 10pm

I go up about 12 but I suffer with insomnia so it's not unusual for me to be up and about till 2, 3, 4am.

I remember telling ds’s teacher in year 3 that he might be tired on Wednesdays as he had Cubs until 8pm on tuesdays so he would be later to bed than usual! He was still going to bed between 7 and 7.30 most nights and I would wake him at 7.30 the next morning! She was flabbergasted that he still went to bed so early!
If she’s no problem getting up in the morning I’d push it back by 15 minutes every couple of weeks and see how she goes. She might be much more tired than usual going back to school after so long off.

Oh god my 11 and 13 year old still go to bed at 8.30!! My 13 year old is often asleep before that lol.

My 6 year old goes to bed at 7 and is nearly always asleep by 7.30 I can't imagine her going at 9 once she is 7!

I think I must have all the incredible sleeping children!!

@MonkeyToesOfDoom

I think it is interesting that you have to wake her in the morning as it is.

Really? Don't most people need an alarm or waking in some other manner?

No, if you're well slept you should wake naturally.

She sounds adorable & like a great kid (that self organised/motivated in the morning is very impressive!)

But I think 8pm is plenty late enough for a 7yo. Especially one that isn't waking naturally - she needs the sleep.

Plus, if you let her stay up until 9 now, you don't have much space to move it as she gets older do you?

I would say that she can stay up until 9 on Friday OR Saturday night.

Wow- I used to get my dd up at 7am to be ready for 8.40 at that age! She was slow and faffed around so much!

No, if you're well slept you should wake naturally.

I wouldn't know anything about that. I can't remember the last time I had a good night's sleep, Insomnia.

My nearly 8 year old goes to bed 7-7.30. Lights out at 7.45-8. I wake her at 7 for school.

In view of the fact that she asked in such a matter of fact way and with hysterics I would deffinately give it. I would also tell her why - major admiration! In the bed for 8.30pm and lights out by 9pm.
Today it is a later bedtime - soon it will be a pay rise. Encouragement all the way!

I could sleep for 12hrs and not wake naturally

They do pay for it the next day in school where you don't see it.

Er, haven't most children been at home all day for the last 6 months?!

Teenagers going to bed at 8.30pm is mind boggling. My 6 and 9 year olds go up at about 8.30pm. 6 year old asleep by 9 and wakes usually around 7am. 9 year old could be awake until 9.30 or even later as she likes to read and sometimes finds it hard to fall asleep, but still usually wakes by 7.30am.

My 13 and 8 year olds both go at 8pm. They read for a bit, but are rarely conscious by 9pm.

It really does depend on what your child physically needs, so it makes sense to test and adapt.

My 8 year old is in bed for 7.30. We don't have 'lights out' as such but she generally reads until about 8.30. I wouldn't be happy with her going to bed much later because that would mean she'd be reading until all hours (plus we wouldn't get an evening).

I think 9 p/m is too late for a 7 year old.

I would say an hour jump is too much in one go.
But I'd also think 9pm is too late for a 7yo.
Mine were 8:30 at that age and needed it, even dd2 who is a night owl.
I'd go for 8:15 and see how it goes.

I have a stubborn 13 year old who can't accept if he's tired, he should go to bed earlier, even though I've told him there's nothing wrong with going to bed early if you need to. Not 'cool' though is it? It's a battle to get him.in bed at 10 and off his phone by 10.30 and it's a bit late for my liking but he sets an alarm at 6.30, gets up, has a shower then an hour to eat breakfast and watch YouTube before we catch the bus. I think 8 is perfectly fine for a week.night regardless of what time she has to get up and I'd be wary of negotiating with her at this age as she's only going to keep negotiating upwards and you might end up with arguments when she's 9 or 10 as she'll be wanting to go to bed at 10.30! There'll be enough of that when she's in her teens! But you know her best and how sleep or lack of affects her. She's shown maturity asking in the right way but I wouldn't focus on that too much