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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to tell my children they are not allowed to get up until 7am?

32 replies

Cutiecat · 20/05/2011 07:05

my DD (4) has started to get up by 6.30 and DH is getting up with her taking her downstairs and letting her and DS (6) watch tv and eat breakfast. I have never done this before the routine has always been that you play in your room until you here that alarm clock, get dressed then we go downstairs. I am not sure why DH is changing the routine but he is not always here and we are about to have another baby.

Last friday they went down at 6.10 and DD was over tired by the end of the day. AIBU to want them to try to sleep until at least 7?

OP posts:

Original poster

Cutiecat · 20/05/2011 11:52

Thanks all. I do think that DH is trying to help but as he is away so much it is better for me that he sticks to a routine I can cope with. Otherwise the children don't really know what they are meant to be doing. I also have a sneaking suspicision that they have been getting up earlier to fit a film before school and then DH gives them breakfast on the sofa. Even if he hoovered up the mess and washed the coco pops off the sofa covers I have a bit of an issue with them watching TV before school.

Will discuss with DH tonight with the suggestion that maybe if he would ike to help he could make the packed lunches instead! :)

OP posts:

headfairy · 20/05/2011 11:57

can I ask everyone who's children stay in their rooms until 7am or whatever time you set, how do you enforce it? DS used to sleep until 7.30 but he's been getting up earlier and earlier and he always comes in to our room or goes in to dd's room and wakes her up. This morning it was 6am when he went in to dd's room. I was sleeping in there because she's not well and woke in the night, so both of us were woken up early.

He's got one of those bunny clocks which have eyes that open at a set time (I usually set it for 7.15) but he just pushes the button to open the eyes and then comes in to our room saying "bunny's eyes are open". I can't put a stair gate across his door because a) he can open most types of stair gate and b) he'll just stand there and yell. We've tried reward charts for months on end but to no avail. I've told him he can get up and play with his toys if he wants but he needs to stay in his room but to no avail.

He's 3.8 so he really should get it by now.

sleepingsowell · 20/05/2011 12:04

headfairy my ds did exactly the same thing with his bunny clock (tis in the loft gathering dust now!)

I think it really depends on the child tbh - some are more self reliant and can sustain a bit of quiet play etc but others seem to have a drive and need for parental input/company from the off.

We tried everything with ds, from the bunny clock to reward chart etc but he just couldn't sit around for an hour or more awake and without company. Even at 8, he still talks to us endlessly before we're up as I said earlier!!!

Have you tried a reward chart for staying in his room?

GooGooMuck · 20/05/2011 13:02

The groclock can be "locked" so DS can't change it.

We used to have a stair gate on the door, but he's too old for that now.

When he was smaller we used to let him get up, but nothing would happen, no telly on or breakfast or anything. when he gets up in the night or early he gets short shrift, monosyllabic responses.

He's never been one to just go downstairs. I think that luck is a massive factor. (sorry about that :))

he's always been a 'good' boy that wants to adhere to rules, and seems quite happy to stay in his room. I think that if I let him do anything that he really wanted to (like play nintendo) he'd get up earlier to do it. So he can read and has one or two small toys.

TBH I think I'm just lucky that he usually wakes at the time I want him to.

headfairy · 20/05/2011 15:54

sleepingsowell, we did try a reward chart for staying in his room. Didn't work, he just comes in to our room fake crying saying "I don't want to be on my own". I think he's just one of those kids who can't seem to be on their own. He's pretty good at night. A great sleeper and if he does wake up he either goes back to sleep or if he does come in to our room he gets in to bed and goes straight back to sleep... I've often woken up to find him in our bed and had absolutely no clue when he'd climbed in.

GooGooMuck, do you mean you can lock those bunny clocks? He doesn't change the time or the alarm time, but he does push the button thingy on top to make the eyes open so he can then proudly come in to our room at 6am saying "bunny's eyes are open". Why on earth do the manufacturers of that clock have such an easy button for a toddler to press and open the eyes?

cumbria81 · 20/05/2011 16:05

YABU.

I am an early riser. I am always up before 7 without fail as that';s my body clock. You should just teach them to be more quiet.

amidaiwish · 20/05/2011 16:13

YANBU
DD1 isn't allowed up before 7, she is an early riser and has learned to rest/doze in bed. the difference in her when she finally started doing it was remarkable. the fact your dd is tired later in the day shows she needs that extra sleep.

your dh is rewarding them with TV/his time for getting up earlier, i can understand why he's doing it if he is away a lot, but it isn't fair on you esp with a baby coming.

the gro-clock is so much better than the bunny btw.

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