AIBU to not bother with bedtime tonight

[EnglishRose1320]

Both my DS's have a pretty set routine DS2 (4) goes to bed at 6 asleep by 6:30/7:00 ish, then DS1 (8) goes to bed 8:30/9:00 and takes ages to go to sleep but is quiet in his bed.

However this evening I got them both ready for bed, bath, pj's teeth, stories etc but next door are having a fairly loud bbq in their garden and from the amount of England flags I can see, I can only assume that it will go on till it is dark and they head in- I can fully understand making the most of the celebration and the sunshine so not bothered with the neighbours but DS2 would not settle and I decided that rather than fight it to just leave him be and he has been playing quietly ever since.

Should I try and get them to sleep or just wait till all is quiet, one night shouldn't affect their routine too much should it?

YANBU. We tend to be less strict about bedtime on Saturday nights, as long as the DCs behave.

Sounds like you have it sorted, one night won't make a difference. You might even get a lie in!

I think once they get to four they're old enough to have an odd late night without it spoiling their usual routine. Be prepared for them to get up at their usual time and be grumpy tomorrow though!

Let them stop up and watch the match (if you are watching it). Maybe they will drop off before then though.

YANBU

Anyway, the game doesn't kick off until 11pm so it's going to be a long night

Just leave him be. It's fine.

I'm quite tempted to use tonight as an experiment, I've always wondered when they would fall asleep if I just left them to it. DS2 did have a sleep en route to the beach today so I was expecting him to go to bed a bit later than usual.

TucsonGirl- I would but we don't have a t.v licence so I haven't actually told DS's that it is on tonight- I will let DS1 watch the earlier matches at friends/family's houses but might be a bit rude to knock on their doors at 11!

Your ds1 is 8 - is this the first time he's ever had a late night?

Dc are 6 and 4. Saturday night here is 'DVD Night'. They go up at 7 to our room and watch a DVD in our bed, then dh and I carry them into their own beds when they're asleep. Typical time they fall asleep can be anywhere from 7 - 11.

It's once a week, not the be or end all.

I would let them out of curiosity. I always relax the Saturday bedtime and he's just announced 10 minutes ago he's 'tired mammy' and went up to bed. He can never make it till ten

My 4 year old is watching a movie now. He had a nap earlier and will lie in in the morning. We really are obsessed with early bedtimes in the UK. I can't imagine how you get him in bed for 6, most kids I know are just being picked up from the childminder/after school club then.
One late night will be fine, it may do you all good to escape the routine!

WeddedBliss- no not the first late night by any means but probably the first late night which hasn't been the result of either something planned wedding/holiday etc or something unplanned within the home illness/tantrums etc. I think I just feel a bit guilty at giving up over noise from outside- silly I know

DS2 thinks it is a group of witches cackling who want to set his room on fire (vivid imagination) and has just come and climbed on my lap so is clearly getting tired

Parentingfailure- 6 seems mad to me as well DS1 has never gone to bed that early but DS2 has always wanted to sleep more- from the ages of 2-4 he use to sleep 2+ hrs in the daytime and then 12+ hrs at night, whatever time he does drop off he is likely to sleep for 12hrs still

DS2 fell asleep as I was typing the last message- entirely naked apart from fluffy slipper boots (no idea where his pj's have gone) and cuddling a lego creation (not my first choice comfort wise- but hey ho) So he should sleep till nearly 10 tomorrow :)- I was worried he would be really grumpy falling asleep- he is when tired on a school night, but maybe just maybe I can relax a bit at weekends :), although DS1 is still up so maybe I shouldn't relax quite yet!

My five year old is still up. We had an early start this morning, long walk and lots of fresh air meant she napped for a couple of hours earlier. DH is on nights tonight so we are watching dvds and will both head to bed together in another half hour or so. There is no point in forcing them into bed and if you can take it easy the next day, all the better.

DS1 fell asleep at half 11- tbh not much later than a normal night- when he would have just laid in bed quietly till then anyway