Bedtime goes out the window on weekends

[Digestivescusturds]

By weekends I mean Friday and Saturday night. It’s been a long week, seems to be get up, drop the kids off, work, pick the kids up, tea and bed. I’m tired of the endless bedtime battles, hearing “I’m not tired mummy” every night, then it’s Friday, we don’t usually do much until the afternoon on Saturday. So I let them stay up as late as they want. I feel a bit like this is giving up

I think that’s quite normal; DD10 goes to bed on weekends at the point she gets over tired/hyper. If she sits up watching a film with us she can stay up but if she’s running round etc then we start to make noises about her going to bed and this has been the case since she was younger.
Unless it’s then making life difficult or effecting them the next day I wouldn’t worry too much

My DS is only 15 months so I don't have experience of this from a parents point of view but growing up we always went to bed late at the weekends. Is it causing issues?

This is actually our "routine" Friday and Saturday are stay up nights. She goes to bed when she's had enough. It works because 1. she will sleep longer the next day so gets about the same amount of sleep and 2. even when she doesn't,she isn't a terror due to lack of sleep.

I think it’s just that they used to, it was a bit more relaxed though. However my youngest is only 2 but never seems to want to sleep, my other two are 7 and 11 and are the same really.

We have laid back weekends. Kids can watch a DVD or play till about 930/10 then it's bedtime. They bizarly get up really early, compared to the week, when they follow a sensible bedtime routine. Then its usually me having to drag them kicking and screaming out of bed for School!!! I've got it all the wrong way round.

Firstly, don't beat yourself up!

Secondly, I think it's FINE if weekends are different to weekdays. I think weekends are a bit special and different things happen, and part of that might be staying up late and sleeping later.

BUT.... I can tell that you don't have kids who are early risers. I had one (not so much now she's a strapping 16 yr old, but certainly until she was around 8). It didn't matter HOW late she went to bed, if she slept until 6 it was a miracle. And if she went to bed late, she'd just be shitty and tired and crying. With the palest face and the darkest of dark circles under her eyes. I felt like a child abuser!

So, no. My one DIDN'T stay up late, because she couldn't cope with it. By 7 pm she'd be ready for bed. And she would literally be asleep before we'd shut the bedroom door.

So, I assume from your post your kids aren't like that, and have the ability to sleep in, so go for it.