to think that 7pm is not "exceptionally early" bedtime

[fishandlilacs]

for a 5 yr old and 17m old.

A throw away remark from my friend the other day. We were chatting and I commented that my dd rarely sleeps past 6am, I hasten to add this was a comment not a complaint, as a household we have always got up around 6am asmy DH gets up for work at that time. My friend said "well they do go to bed exceptionally early" and it sounded quite judgey to me.
They go to bed at 7pm, the baby goes straight to sleep and DD sometimes reads in her bed for a bit but usually decides to turn the light out before 7.30, at weekends shes allowed up til 8. Any later and she gets tired and emotional and cant cope with school.

Who cares what she thinks, it suits your household and is the same as mine

7 is normal.

YANBU - mine have just moved to a 7.15 bedtime aged 6&7. Long may it continue.

If it works for your family I wouldn't worry, I don't think it's exceptionally early. My dd goes to bed at the same time as do some of my friends children.

I thought that was about normal for young children? DS goes to bed at 7 and he is 3, can't see it changing for a while I need my evening to relax

Yep, 7 is fairly standard. CBeebies stops at 7 so presumably this is a normal bedtime for small children.

Sounds lovely to me

Sounds like a normal bedtime to me.

Take no notice. My nearly 5 year old was a sleep just before 7 tonight. He normally wakes between 6.30 and 7 am. Even if he goes to bed after 8 he still gets up early.

Nope, not exceptionally early. Both my DDs (3 & 6) are in bed on weeknights by 7 at the latest. They don't get up til 7, so must need that sleep.

Sadly, DS (7) doesn't need as much sleep these days, and is usually up til 8.30. I miss child free evenings.

Horses for courses i suppose, her dd is 9 and stays up til 9.30. I think that's too late. I would like to think that even when mine are older they will have to go to their rooms at a reasonable time to let me and DH have some grown up time. I always had to growing up. i don't remember being alllowed up past 9pm unless it was a special occasion even when i was 17.

Not at all exceptionally early. I wonder if your friend's DC are a nightmare to get into bed and she has developed the idea that any child going earlier is some kind of oddity.

It would be exceptionally early for me But if 7pm-6am works for you then who cares?

YANBU

No mine go to bed at this time, sometimes 6.30 if they are really tired. They usually get up at 6 but then even when they go to bed a bit later, they often get up around 6 too (only they are a lot grumpier).

Occasionally they will sleep in until 7 but it's not usual.

My DH gets up early for work and we live in a small house so him moving around would probably wake them up if they were to sleep in so it suits us to get up together. It's more of a pain at weekends but I'm so used to getting up, it's become a way of life. It does make for a long old morning though.

I would much rather put in the work early on in the day and get a chance to enjoy a long evening.

Children running round my feet at 9pm when I'm shattered would be a nightmare.

Sounds normal to me. My 3 are all in bed between 655 and 715. Older two have just turned 7 and read for a bit but usually when I go up at 745 they're both asleep. Youngest is 2.5 and is always asleep within 10 minutes of going to bed.

I think they do go a bit earlier than most though

My children go to bed around that time (1 and 6), They need the sleep and I need a break.

This irritates me so much! My kids could go to bed at 10pm and still wake up at 6.30! In fact, when they went to bed at 8, they would wake up earlier! Sometimes you just want to say that you have been up from 6.00 or whatever without annoying people with kids who sleep until 7.30 saying something stupid! Children arent androids- some wake up late, some early.7pm not exceptionally early at all in my experience. It's bang on amongst my friends. (as you have probably guessed, I also have some friends whose kids go to bed much later :) )

I think 7 is perfectly normal for a 5 year old, but I also think 9ish for a 9 year old is pretty normal to, and far too early for a 17 year old!

So I think your bedtimes at the moment is perfectly average but you may have to adjust your expectations of alone time as your kids get older.

Of course it's no one's business but your own though, so you should ignore your friend and us

Well 4 y/o DS was fast asleep in bed by 5pm tonight, but thats because he's ill. He usually goes to bed between half 6 and 7.

He is always up around 5am no matter what time he goes to sleep. He is most definitely an early bird

7 is bedtime here too, DC are almost 4 and 5 1/2. They stay up until 8 at teh weekend mind.

dc1 often wakes about 6 but I find he wakes even earlier when he goes to be late. Seems to be perfect for DC2.

I wouldn't worry about it. Put your kids to bed when you want. I don't think she was judging. She was probably a bit envious, if anything.

grrrgh. Seems to be perfect for DC1, I meant.

My FIL still remembers having to be in bed before his dad got home at 6 as an older child! That's exceptionally early! Apparently children should be neither seen nor heard!

We put our 18mo to bed at 8 & I was under the impression that this was considered v late by most people. 7pm seems perfectly reasonable to me!

my DC almost 4 and almost 7 are in bed 7:30 every night with the exemption of parties.