To think that you shouldn't keep your 8 year old up all evening just because it's Friday?

[BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts]

Or am I seriously off the mark? (Have been before on here!)

A "friend" on facebook (I know I know) has just posted that she and her DD are just about to watch another film and eat more choc.

Is that odd?

Or am I reaaally old fashioned?

My DD is also 8 and if I had her up at this time she'd be a nightmare!

[Pandemoniaa]

You know your own children though. I knew that ds2 needed far less sleep than ds1 so could stay up later and still be absolutely fine in the morning. So on occasions, he did stay up later at the weekend. I'm so old I must be Old School but I still never saw any harm in being relaxed about bedtimes occasionally.

I still don't understand how anyone could keep a tired child awake anyway so can't really see the point in judging someone else on something as trivial as this.

[WandaDoff]

I had a shellsuit of the market & I was made up with it as it was the same everyone elses.

[WandaDoff]

*off

[AgentZigzag]

Why would anyone comment on anything though mum11970? Because they were up for the chat?

[AgentZigzag]

wandadoff, I'm sure you were pure class

I bet originals are worth a fortune on ebay.

[musicalendorphins]

My ds and I used to watch old black and white films and eat toasted bagels in in my room right up until he was about 11 years old, on the week-end. He always fell asleep and dh would carry him to bed when he got home. (works a late shift).

[BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts]

I am back. I was BU. Thank you and good day.

I was rather silly to post an AIBU at midnight when I was tired an emotional!

[Soditall]

Our oldest child is now 16 so doesn't go to bed before 11 at the weekends usually after midnight.But we love it because for those 2 days a week we have time with just him and he's so much more mature now we can watch something a bit older with him and have a laugh with him and a bit of adult conversation.

Our younger children have stayed up that late if we've been to family party's,weddings,new years eve,or we've been traveling back late from a holiday.

Op there will be a stage where you can't send them to bed at 7.30.

[crosscupcake]

I do Bigfats!!!

By 8.30 at weekends...well i allow him to watch a dvd in his room as a special treat on a friday and sat night....mwwaahhhh.

Im a horrid mum.

This is ONLY becuase we made a HUGE thing about how very very very very VERY special it is for a boy of 8 to have a tv in his room....the threat of the loss of his beloved sat night dvd has provided me with much bargaining power!

He is out for the count by 9ish though! light weight!

[MummyPig24]

If I let dc stay up they go mental. They don't sit nicely and watch tv, they tear about and get over excited. Therefore they are in bed by 8 at weekends, 7 on school nights. Unless its fireworks night/xmas etc but ds still wakes up at 6.30, wakes dd up and are both miserable. Plus I have had enough and want time for me and Dp in the evenings. I am a sahm. But if someone else wants to do it and it works then thats up to them.

[BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts]

That's the same here MummyPig...they play...they don't sit all cute and quiet under a duvet.

AND I like watching scary shit at night! I don't want to watch fecking High School Musical!

[jamdonut]

Under 12's should still have a "bed time", in my opinion. Even at Weekends. Obviously there are times when that rule can be broken, but on the whole, there should be some sort of routine. If only because everyone needs some adult time.
You should see what the vast majority of children are like at school on a Monday morning ,because all the rules went out of the window at the weekend or because they were at "Dad's House" or "Mum's House" or whoever they don't live with during a normal week. Imagine how you are on a Monday morning after a weekend living it up. This is how children get too.

[GoldShip]

My mum used to let me stay up as a treat at that age. No harm

[BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts]

I think under 15's need a bedtime to be honest! I did....I was allowed to read or watch telly...but adult time is so important and so is sleep for growing kids!

[GoldShip]

And I must have been a mature 8 year old coz I didn't cause any bother, just sat reading a book or writing alternate endings to films I'd just watched with mum! (Yes I was a bright and geeky child) :o

[jamdonut]

I agree. I said under 12's because it gets so much harder to "make" them go after that age. I "suggest" that my 12 year old DS2 is in bed by 9.00, but he usually sits reading till gone 10pm! My 15 year old DD self regulates, but is usually asleep by 1030. My 20 year old...well...let's just sayI couldn't fuction on the hours he keeps

[devilinside]

hmmm, I allowed 7 year old DD to stay up until 11pm last night. Her ASD brother was asleep. All the time he's awake, she behaves in exactly the same way he does - running around, jumping, screaming, play-fighting, wrestling...you get the picture.

Last night she sat nicely with me on the sofa, I was stroking her hair, we were chatting. That never ever happens when her brother's awake. It was bliss.

[2blessed2bstressed]

Mine were up later than me last night....however they are nearly 12 and 15, so it's not quite the same!
We used to do the Friday night thing too though when they were younger - I have a couple of good friends who lived very close by and we used to take it in turns to go to each others houses. Mums would have Chinese takeaway and wine in the kitchen, and kids would hang out, play, or watch DVDs in living room.
I look back now and think what a great time we always used to have.

[differentnameforthis]

Up to the parents. My eldest stays up a little later on Fridays. She gets plenty of sleep other wise, so I don't see the harm.

I used to love staying up late with my own mum watching the late night horrors. It was our special time & meant so much to me.

[BoffinMum]

I think it depends on the child, but it sounds a bit bonkers to keep them up unless it's a special party or wedding or something.

[jamdonut]

I think there's a lot of difference between sitting cuddled up,relaxing,than there is with being over stimulated i.e.playing computer games, or being out at a pub/restaurant/social club/family gathering, where there is likely noise,music and other general raucousness going on. The former is less likely to have a negative impact on general behaviour on Monday morning at school.

[BigFatLegsInWoolyTIghts]

*2blessed that does sound fun. I might chill and suggest to my friend that we do it once or twice.

[Proudnscary]

I'm Victorian about bedtimes - mine are 10 and 8 and go to bed 8.30/9pm on weekends unless we have people over or it's a special occasion.

Obvs it's up to individual parents - and my dc can't hack late nights at all as they never sleep in later - but it does annoy me when we have friends with kids over and they assume they can stay til 11pm+.

I don't say nuffink though, I just roll my eyes at my dh and pour another glass of vino collapso.

[Chandon]

OP, for what it's worth, I think letting a young child stay up that late is a bit slack parenting.

Kids need their sleep. Why not watch that film the next day?

If it's a one-off, fine I guess.

Don't know why everyone came piling in here, bit of a bullying attitude imo

[charlottehere]

My 8 and 11 year old stay up pretty much every non school night. Its fun for them