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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have a bedtime for my children?

108 replies

hellobello · 27/08/2007 13:53

I like to be able to put the children to bed, so that me and dh can have a bit of grown-up time in the evening.

OP posts:

Dropdeadfred · 27/08/2007 13:56

No..is this a trick question...I thought everyone had a bedtime for their children?

unicorn · 27/08/2007 13:58

ooh be careful... you are not allowed to admit this ..
I got flamed when I said I wanted to get my kids in bed so I could relax/have dinner and watch a soap!
apparently that was very selfish.

Idreamofdaleks · 27/08/2007 14:01

?
are your children quite old?
My 7 year old goes to bed at 7.30pm as otherwise she is tired and grumpy the next day.

Fireflyfairy2 · 27/08/2007 14:01

My children go to bed at 7pm or shortly after it. They need their sleep & I need some time out!

Anyone who thinks I am selfish can come & live with my children for a week & see how they feel!

lucykate · 27/08/2007 14:02

our kids go to bed early so dh & i can work all evening to earn money to buy food and keep a roof over their heads.

i do know quite a few people who don't put their kids to bed until really late, even on a school night, i'm talking 8 and younger, up until 10-11pm.

cornsilk · 27/08/2007 14:04

Who doesn't have a bedtime for their chn? Sounds a bit wierd to me!

Anna8888 · 27/08/2007 14:13

I don't have a bedtime for my daughter yet, but will do pretty soon (like next week) as she is starting school in a fortnight.

It depends entirely on you and your family's circumstances and personal needs whether or not you have a set bedtime for your children. It's nothing to do with anyone else.

MyTwopenceworth · 27/08/2007 14:17

I do it. Bedtime is very fixed!! I need that wind down time.

And they need enough sleep! Can't have kids up all night, they'll be ill.

And I need my wind down time........

Original poster

hellobello · 27/08/2007 14:31

My 2 are very little and go to bed by 7pm, unless we have been out or something. I don't think it's fair to let a young child decide whether or not it is tired.

OP posts:

juuule · 27/08/2007 14:32

We have a sort of bedtime.
Having 9 children, ages 4,7,9,10,12,14,16,17,20 (can't really count the 20yo as he's at uni most of the time)
means that bedtime is somewhat flexible.
We tend to use our own judgement as to how tired the younger ones are.

MyTwopenceworth · 27/08/2007 14:33

NINE CHILDREN!!

Bloody hell fire.

When do you collect your Victoria Cross??!!!!

juuule · 27/08/2007 14:55

Nymphadora · 27/08/2007 14:56

both mine go up at 7pm , dd1 is 7 and dd2 is 5

ShakeysGirl · 27/08/2007 14:59

Mine usually go up to bed between 7 - 7.30pm depending on how tired they are or how fed up I am, early sometimes.

Tired and grumpy children make it very difficult to watch Eastenders, and we cant have that!

grouchyoscar · 27/08/2007 15:08

DS is 4 and I try to get him down by 7:30 on a school night. We have a bath/wash/book,story CD routine.

However we live on a shared enclosed yard and next door who have 4 kids aged 6 to 3 have no qualms about them running about til they drop. As DS's room backs onto the yard we have started settling him in our bed with Nick Jr Classics on the TV and move him to his room when we go to bed.

YANBU I think kids need a bed time and parents need some time for themselves.

WaynettaSlob · 27/08/2007 15:30

Juule
Their ages look like lottery numbers!!!
And in response to the OP - have always had bedtime for my DCs; they need sleep, DH and I need sanity.

Beelliesebub · 27/08/2007 15:41

All my ds's had/have a bedtime..... (the 19 and 20 year old don't appreciate it much lol... just joking! They're a bit too old now, specially getting them home from the pub... )
I think all parents need that alone time otherwise you end up being just parents and your own identity disappears.
Our 14 & 15 year old still have bedtimes, 10pm on a school night and 10.30 at weekends! Mind you we will extend at weekends as a bargaining tool. Having said that, the fact that they have a bedtime doesn't mean that they go to sleep as their bedrooms are like mini bedsits.

tori32 · 27/08/2007 15:46

I think bedtimes are sensible. As was pointed out it depends on circumstances as to how early/late. So long as they can get the right amount of sleep for their needs. Mine usually goes down between 7-7.30pm. I nedd some me time after that!

seeker · 27/08/2007 15:48

I don't think it was the bed time that bothered people, unicorn - if I remember correctly it was expecting a child to play quietly in her room on her own while you had dinner and a soap.

unicorn · 27/08/2007 15:50

I don't think its a lot to expect an 8 year old to do!

Beelliesebub · 27/08/2007 15:55

Neither do I, all children need to have boundaries.

unicorn · 27/08/2007 15:57

and parents (some more than others- me!) need some respite - especially during summer holidays.

littlelapin · 27/08/2007 16:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blandmum · 27/08/2007 16:18

My kids used to call it 'Mummy's Archers' for years LL, for the same reason!

unknownrebelbang · 27/08/2007 16:21

I take it you're not referring to the alcoholic beverage?

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