To have a bedtime for my children?

[hellobello]

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.

[meandmy]

I try get my 15mo ready and in bed 7ish but very often she still running round at 9-10

[inamuckingfuddle]

my DTs beg to go to bed at their usual time (by 7pm) if we try and keep them up a bit later when we have visitors/on hol etc they are 3.9 and definitely need their 12 hours.

[Lazycow]

I think as a culture we place very little alue on sleep. The less we can get away with the better is genrally the prevailing view. Many teachers would agree with Martianbishop that a lot of children nowadays don't actually get enough sleep to see them through a busy day at school and as result their schoolwork suffers.

There has been some research done recently I believe that shows that the brain functioning of teenagers goes through similar changes to that in toddlers and this results in a lot of similar characteristics (lack of empathy, tantrums and an increased need for sleep). Thus teenagers are in fact even more likely than toddlers to be sleep deprived as they probably need as much sleep on average as an average toddler needs but that in our society there is almost no way of ensuring this need is met.

I think that if you are not doing your best to ensure your child is getting enough sleep (whatever that may be for the indivisual chld) then you are being remiss as a parent.

[editor100]

Abolutely. My toddler is always in bed by 7. Except most nights when she refuses to be in bed by 7

[paddlinglikemad]

Oh yes Bedtimes rule in our house DS1 5yrs in Bedroom (after bath etc) by 7pm lights out by 7.30pm (allowed to read or draw on school nights with a DVD on Saturday nights (when it isn't Dr Who season but thats another story!) DD1 2yrs in bed, story and asleep at 6.45pm and DS2 8mths last feed and bed at 7.30pm ( have tried to get it all tied into 7pm but haven't managed yet )by 7.30pm I am ready for a kid free zone !!!
However having said all that when I worked full time DD1 was up until he dropped then transported to bed, as it was only time I got to see him!

[Squiffy]

Never mind wind-down time.... my kids are in bed before 7; that gives me plenty of time for wine down time

[rock]

Bedtime is between 7:30 and 8:00 in our house. This goes for both DSs.
DS1 is 9 and DS2 is almost 7.
DS2 falls asleep pretty quick.
DS1 will sometimes ask to read a little longer.
In the holidays the bedtimes are a bit more flexible, depending on what we do in the day.
When Harry Potter came out , DS1 did ask to read till he would fall asleep and we hod a grumpy day to follow. Both are in general tired at the end of a day.
Recently, MIL told me (!) that I was doing this all wrong. I should follow the example of SIL, Who has an hour between her similar aged children. When I tried to reason that all children are different and mine were fine with going to bed at the same time and both needed their sleep, she said she could see big problems ahead as the DS1 would resent not having privileges over DS2. These were his right for being older!!
Will never live up to SIL!

[andyrobo237]

DD who is 5 is in bed by 7.30pm - very soon!

DS who is 6 months is in bed between 6.45 and 7.30pm

Both go down no trouble

Unlike nephew (3) who stayed here on Sat - PITA - normally falls asleep on couch at home with bottle of milk (yes and with a teat FGS) and is then carried to bed, repeated if he wakes in this process. He then gets into their bed around midnight where he stays until morning - they are embarrassed that is what he does, but too idle to change it! Unlike Aunty here who put him in bed and made him stay there!!!!!!

[Mamamoor]

DD1 is 5.5 yrs and dd2 is 1.5 yrs. We Go upstairs at around 6.30 pm and depending whether it's bath night or not (every other night) they are in bed for 7pm or 7.15 pm after milk and stories. @Just couldn't do anything to spend any time with dh if it was later as we don't stay up too late either - too knackerd! They both drop of pretty quickly and don't wake too early. Will probably change as dd1 gets older and she can go to bed a bit later.

[sazzybee]

7pm here for DS who is 5.5 months. He gets really grumpy if I keep him up later than that. I'm going back to work in 6 weeks though so I might push it back till 7.30 so I get to spend a bit more time with him.

[GodzillasBumcheek]

Bedtime for the littley (8months) is 7pm (give or take 15mins), and up again at 7.15am (though she has a good chatter for half an hour at 5 or 6am).
Bedtime for the 10yr olds is 9pm, lights out at 9.30. Up at 7.15 in term time, and about 8 or 9 in hols. For some reason though they keep just going to sleep at 9pm as though they are reeeeaaaaly tired. Not even back at school yet - i think they are becoming teenagers early

[tori32]

Andy are you related to me? because your nephew sounds exactly like mine!!!!! DITTO about your attitude to it!!!

[unknownrebelbang]

Spot on Cat64, lol.

[GodzillasBumcheek]

I am going to put a shower rail up around my fave comfy chair. When the twins get to the age when i can't tell them to go to bed (at the mo it's after i read them a story though), i will simply pull the rail around, sit back with a book and a drink (yes, alcoholic...they will be taking themselves to bed ) and cue the hamlet cigar music.

[seeker]

can I ask a question of all the "me time" people? When do you have "family time"? Or are you lucky enough all to have dps who are home by 5.30? We have bed times but they have never been super early, simply because we value time spent chatting, playing games and drinking hot chocolate all together. My two are always (well, nearly always) in bed by 8.45 and asleep by 9 - any earlier and their father would hardly see them during the week.

[seeker]

Oh and why do you have to wait til they are in bed before you have a glass of wine?!

[LucyJones]

My dh comes home at 5.30pm. We spend an hour all togther and then bedtime starts. It's not the same having a glass of wine when they are stll up. it'ds like a reward for getting through another day

[GodzillasBumcheek]

If you mean me (glass of wine), i was kidding - i hardly ever drink

Anyway, off to read story now.

[ragdollyanna]

My dh works away alot of the week so I am usually on my own from Mon to Thursday. Our family time is therefore at weekends.

When he is not working away he is usually home around 4.30 so we always get to have our meals together. We are lucky as although he works away alot he is self employed so can fit his work around school things.

I do agree with Seeker though about the after school stuff. We have not had a problem with this so far as ds1 went to Rainbows on a Tuesday but is home for 6.45 and both have swimming lessons on a Friday so have a later bed time (non school night). But ds1 is just about to go up to Brownies and this does not finish until 8pm. I share the run with a friend whose dh also works away and also has a 5 year old. We had decided that on the nights when both hubbies were away they would not be able to go to Brownies as we did not want to drag the 5 year olds out at that time. Fortunately my neighbour has stepped in and offered to babysit my dd2 on those nights.

It can make set bedtimes quite difficult when you have all the after school activities.

Ragdolly

[lilackaty]

My kids are almost 4 and 7. They are both in bed by 7.30 and the 7 year old reads til 8. I am a teacher and need the evenings to do marking and preparation. Our family time is very rare cos dh works 3 out of 4 weekends but he sees them lots when I am at work. DD does Brownies and on that night she just goes to bed a bit later. Bedtimes are important for mine

[carries]

My DD1 is 3 and has always loved her bed and just dropped her mid-day nap when she turned 3 sob, if we try and keep her up later (for visitors etc) she is begging to go to bed by 7.15. She is in bed and alseep by 7 pm most of the time, latest would be 7.30.

DD2 is nearly 7 months and we started a bedtime routine with her at 3 weeks and since she is in bed by 6.45 and most nights sleeps through till 7.

I know I have kids who love their sleep but also need it. I'm enjoying it while it lasts!

Any person who thinks I'm a controlling mum is right cos if parents don't have some sort of discipline over their kids will end up with a nightmare on their hands. We are parents not just their pals. that's my opinion anyway.

[seeker]

I quite often have a glass of wine while they are having their hot chocolate! The dcs tease me about mummy's bedtime drink!

[kamsmum]

We used to have bedtime between 8 and 8.30 pm for dd, 4.8, and ds, 15 months. Even if dd is not tired she has to go to bed and "read" for a little while which she loves as it makes her feel all grown up.
Since dd has been at school it is much earlier. She is so tired.

I do feel like I am in a minority though. All the neighbours' kids are still running about until it is dark and my SIL lets her boys doze on the couch all evening till she goes to bed herself and then she finally takes them upstairs.

I really do need time for myself and my DH at the end of the day.....and every other waking minute that is not taken up by work or school is family time!

[Ripeberry]

My DD1 is just over 5yrs old and we usually start getting ready for bed by 8pm.
Its this late as my DH does not get back from work until 6.50pm and then he has his supper and then has time for a play with them.
But DD1 can be a bit naughty and sometimes plays in her room until 10pm
DD2 who is 2yrs old, usually is out like a light and luckily they have a bedroom each so don't disturb each other.
AB