Should I have let my 9 year old stay up to watch the bake off final?

[Cheeryminimum]

Yes - YABU
No - YANBU

She’s 9, she’s quite grumpy without sleep, we have to get up at 6.45 for school. Usual bedtime is 8pm (lights out) - bake off finished at 9.30. We usually watch it a day later on catch up.
I’m just going to bed and I can see that one of her friends has stayed up to watch it and now I feel like a meanie!

I can see both sides here - on the one hand you know if your child will be a monster if they don't get enough asleep, and I also agree that parents should enjoy evening time while the kids are in bed while they can. And even if kids do "spoil" it the following day they might not have seen the actual show and may have just picked something up on breakfast TV or off the radio. And yy to no TVs in bedrooms (though the advent of all the other devices has sort of negated that over the years).

On the other hand it's one time. I never got to watch things that other kids did eg Dallas and it was annoying to always be left out and have to go to bed by 8pm.

@Ohalrightthen

It finishes at 9.15pm, and she's 9 years old. She'll definitely get it spoilt for her at school tomorrow. I think that was pretty mean, sorry!

This

In the interests of continuing the 'Children's bedtimes vary' conversation, DS1 (9.5yo) gets sleepy by 8pm and is half dead by 9pm; DS2 (8.5yo) rattles around in his room until at least 9.30pm most nights and often later. They are all individuals!

Yes you are mean. Teeth etc in adverts and stay up to 9.15pm. Wouldn't have hurt for one night. She will now know who wins.

just tell her that the fat-off final happened in August, so it makes no difference if you record it and wait one day.

this thing is spectator sport without even being sport. Competitive cake making - have we really come to that?

I probably would have for one night. I’ve still never forgiven my Mum for not letting me stay up and watch the Eurovision Song Contest the year Bucks Fizz won! I would have been 7 or 8 at the time I think.

This sort of thing is quite important to kids IMO. Mine are older now but have fond memories of staying up late to watch I'm a Celeb final or similar … order a pizza, get PJs on during the break. Something different from the norm is fun.

Do you all stick to rigid bedtimes at weekends/holidays?

@formerbabe

How do you get a 9 year old into bed at 8 !!??

Tell them its time for bed

😂

@formerbabe

To be honest I don't want my dc up late anyway....I think I'm entitled to an hour or so childfree time in the evening to talk to my dh and watch what we want on tv.

I suspect this is the real reason many posters would not allow it. Staying up a bit late isn't going to have a detrimental effect on a 9 year old. Quite the opposite, things like that are really special to children.

I can't even imagine feeling that way towards my children. I love sharing special things like this with them.

mine stayed up for bake off every week. bedtime is normally about 8.30, but IME at this age you can get away with the odd late night without too much ill effect. If she went to bed at 9.30 overnight she's be foul though.

it's not often we find a programme we're equally enthusiastic about watching, and it's nice to share an interest.

ffs autocorrect - "overnight" should read "every night"

I can't even imagine feeling that way towards my children

Feeling like what towards your DC? Or do you never want a second apart from them?

My 9 and 10 yr olds have watched the whole series. They go to their rooms at 8pm but are allowed to read as late as they want (within reason). 9 yr old is usually asleep around 9:30. They get up for school at 7:15.

Not sure what I would have done in your position to be honest - I can't be doing with an overtired child - mine - like me as a child - seem to survive on not much sleep!

To be honest I don't want my dc up late anyway....I think I'm entitled to an hour or so childfree time in the evening to talk to my dh and watch what we want on tv

I take it you don't have teenagers @formerbabe?

@MrsJBaptiste

To be honest I don't want my dc up late anyway....I think I'm entitled to an hour or so childfree time in the evening to talk to my dh and watch what we want on tv

I take it you don't have teenagers @formerbabe?

I have a 10 and 12 year old...nearly 13. My eldest goes to bed at 9pm, much to his annoyance...but any later and he can't get up in the morning...in fact I had to wake him up today at quarter to 8. According to him, his friend parents allow them to stay up past midnight...

I let my 8yo stay up. Normally we watch it the next day, but I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid the spoilers. He kept complaining about the adverts!! I'm kidding myself if I think he would normally be asleep by 9:30 though.

I can’t imagine being such a stickler for bed-time that I would let my DD miss the final episode of a programme she really loves. How dull. Sometimes you’ve got to unclench a bit.

Feeling like what towards your DC?

That my 'entitlement' to an hour to myself is more important than letting them enjoy staying up late and watching something special to them. In fact I said earlier I probably would have got some snacks through and made big deal of it for mine. I can't imagine sending them to bed feeling a bit crap because they are not allowed to stay up and watch the final, just so I could have time to myself.

Or do you never want a second apart from them?

Of course I do, but this was a special circumstance not an ordinary evening.

My 5 year old isn't in bed at 8 let alone my 9 year old. I was never put to bed really early either so I guess it is just not the norm for us. Neither would have an issue with staying up till 9:30.

Always remember being allowed to stay up to watch Adrian Mole! Such great memories!

Its just such a lovely family friendly show, that you can actually participate in at home to an extent that it seems a weird stance to take.

My my nearly 8 year old is in bed by 9 but doesn’t sleep until 9.30 , I wake her up at 8 though as school is 2 mins away and there is never a rush in the morning. I can’t understand what she problem is ? It’s not late for a 9 year old but 6.45 is early so I get that but for one night? A little harsh I think

Op hasn't even been back.

@unicornparty

Op hasn't even been back.

I don't think the thread is for her any more