To let the dc read in bed until late?

[Prarieflower]

Dc 8,8 and 7.All avid readers.In bed at 7.30 but they love to read for ages after.Now back at school switching light off at 8.30,is that too late or should I let them read longer?Hate stopping them from reading but don't want tired kids at school either.

If they aren't tired the next day then whats the problem?

If they are tired then it clearly doesn't work.

My ds is awake most nights until 8 or 9 chatting and playing with teddies in bed. He is usually fine the next day so I don't worry too much.

your kids, your rules! :)

I love to read, always have. But even so I think 8.30 is plenty late enough for children those ages - sleep is MASSIVELY important for growth and development. More important than reading (and it hurts to say that lol!)

I've always found reading to be better than counting sheep... your kids will probably have no problem :)

When I was that age I would wait until my parents had gone back downstairs, turn on my lamp and carry on reading. Sometimes they would catch me, but I'd just wait 'till they had gone away again.

My DS did this and Your DC will probably do the same.

It does make you feel like a more functional parent to at least try and enforce the rules though.

I loved reading in bed too at that age (still do). I specifically remember being in a primary school assembly, and the teachers talking about how the latest any of us should be going to sleep was 9pm for the year 6s. I think I was in year 4 or 5 at the time, and remember thinking guiltily that I always stayed up until quite a bit later than 9pm reading Sweet Valley Juniors and Enid Blyton books...

My parents never imposed any bed time as far as I can remember. I don't think it did me any harm, I always did really well in school...but I am terrible at getting up in the mornings and always have been ever since I was a teenager. Not sure if that is an effect of no-bedtimes imposed as a child or not!

Some children (like adults) just need less sleep. I used to be very strict - lights out at 8, well I'd get up in the morning and find that my DS had a whole "other life" going on after bed time the things he could make out of paper was really rather remarkable

Also depends what you mean by really late?

My DS is nearly 15 now and I tell him lights out at 10.30, he's still faffing around at 11 and beyond.

The saying - you can only take a horse to water but you can't make them drink it springs to mind here

I'm also still trying to pin point what part of his body the duracel batteries are located!

I think 8.30 is late enough

I am harsh, I let him read until it's too dark. No lights on. I might introduce an 8:00 lights off rule for him though, he is six and would read until really late if I let him, but far too young in my books for a bed time much later than 8pm.

I was mad with books too, and I often stayed up reading until very late, using the light that shone in through the doorway as I'd open it a tiny bit when my parents had gone to bed.

My mother constantly ran in my room, grabbed the book off me and slammed the door. She was fed up with hearing me turn pages or cough at night. She was obviously listening out for it. This went on for years. I really don't know who got less sleep - her or me.

I believe that sleep is very important and not just to stop you being tired the next day. I believe your body NEEDS sleep to function properly and your concentration is definitely affected, so I would say it'd be best to enforce a rule you can both stick to, such as reading for 30 minutes after going to bed and then lights out.

Oh, I used to read under the bedcovers all the time as a child! Did fine at school. But then I cope quite well with less sleep.

Like Boomer I used to read by the crack of light coming through my bedroom door from the hall after my parents turned my light out. I loved reading & hope my DD will too.
I think that if it's not affecting them the next day then let them read. Better with an actual light than doing it the way I did!