Yo not know what to do when kids wake so early?

[FFfffffsake]

Argghh. Up since 530, so by 830 been up for three hours. What do others do? Just 18 months so not able to entertain themselves!

Mine were (and still are) naturally early risers. At 9 and 7 they are better and wake about 7:30 on their best day. 6 on their worst!

When they were little I had a rule that the day didn’t start till 9am. I’d give them breakfast etc as they were ravenous but no activities, no tv etc. They just had to entertain themselves. The main purpose of this was the day didn’t feel as long. I’ve made the error of starting activities at 7am and then I’m burnt out by 10am!

Now they’re older they get their own breakfast and go downstairs on their own. It’s brilliant.

Was about to say exactly that. Some children just wake early. My early riser still wakes early but now (aged 11) reads in bed until everyone else is up.

That said she is obviously totally knackered from the end of year 6 as she has been sleeping until 8 for the last couple of mornings which is unheard of!! So OP there is hope. But don’t believe anyone who says it is lack of consistency or persistence- believe me I had a lot of both but neither worked!

These days were hell! Remember them so well.Ds is 8 and I'm well out the other side.
It will change in time its definitely a thing for toddlers to wake that early.

I would put mine into a playpen, secure, it was a travel cot, then plonk the telly on, and nap on the couch.

Stairgate over the sitting-room door. Child-proof the room and then half snooze on the sofa while child plays with a big box of toy. Then TV for an hour when child loses interest in toys. We had our TV inside a playpen so DC couldn't reach it. I'd give a bowl of porridge and cup with a lid of milk in case I nodded off for real - not so much of a choking hazard as fruit/cereal.

We have a 7 year old who still really struggles to entertain herself and still comes straight in to wake us. We have to put our foot down and say not to wake us up early on weekends. Also no breakfast before 8am on a weekend, just fruit she can grab herself in the meantime.
Obviously when she was younger I got up with her. I always just popped the telly on and we’d have quiet time until 8am breakfast. Sometimes she would do some colouring.

This is so patronising.

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea I thought so too, especially as it starts by stating the children have always been good at sleeping in. How is that helpful then?

At that age, I fed them breakfast, put the tv on, made sure they were safe, and then dozed on the sofa

OP honestly, some mornings don't fight it. We would come downstairs and let DS watch TV or play quietly until a more reasonable time. Try and keep any naps around the same time if you can so it doesn't spoil the next nights sleep. When they get a bit older you can put some nice quiet toys in their room (like blocks and loads of books) and told DS if he woke up too early and couldn't get back to sleep he could play, but if he was staying awake on purpose then we would take the blocks away.

Invest in a grow clock now, start getting them used to it.

There is not always a reason for an early riser, our DS is just naturally awake early, always has been.

He plays in his room until 06.30 when his grow clock comes up.

We do alot of reading, colouring and playing.

The upside is he goes to bed about 17.30, asleep by 18.00 or he doesn't get his sleep in

I feel your pain. DS1 is a lark (usually awake by 6 now, aged 9, but Dan entertain himself) and I have been to many a playground at 8 in the morning when they open. DS2 in contrast likes his sleep. We tried everything and either ended up with tears all round or no sleep at all (and sometimes both). It does mean he now goes to bed earlier than most of his peers.

I just keep telling DS1 that he can get a long city hours job and keep his parents in the style to which they wish to become accustomed!

Sorry he is 4years old now, but from about 2 he has played in his room, came out for the loo and then took himself back in to play until his sun came up.

At 18 months they can start to see the clock coming up etc, set it for a time you know he can get up for a while and show him, yes now we go downstairs, then start to introduce,waiting 5 mins for sun to come up, they soon get it

Gro clock and push morning time gradually back. Be quiet and non engaging before 6am. Don't start the day until it's morning time.

My 3yo has always gotten up at 5/5.30ish. Only way I can cope is early nights and letting him in my bed in a morning, he lays with me and sometimes watches tv until about 6.30ish.

I'd have been turning the shower hose on you if you'd been my neighbour at 5 30am 🤣

My nearly 4 year old DS has woken at 430am-545am forever.. literally. I refuse to go downstairs before 615 and let him watch tv in bed whilst I doze until then. I then generally make a massive coffee and put tv on again downstairs until 730/8 because I am not in any mood to be playing games or puzzles etc most days! My husband and I take each day in turns so sometimes I manage to then turn the tv off and play earlier if I’m in a better mood!

“Many people lack c self awareness and common sense yet have children so it makes sense issues occur when raising children.”

You actually typed that out 😮.

You sound like an utterly joyless parent, btw.

My 13yo still gets up at 6am but now she reads or stares at her phone till the rest of us gets up. 5.30 is a bugger because it's so close to an acceptable wake up time. Books in their own room might help so they've got something quiet to do so they don't disturb you (1930s with high up door knobs help as well, although we have been woken by shouting in the past). Blackout blinds help a bit, but being as boring as possible is the best bet. Take them into bed with you, BF if that's an option for you, but lights out (it'll be dark at 5.30 in a month or so which will help), pretend to be asleep and say shhh if they make a noise. No TV, no toys except teddys, no games, no chat until the time you are happy to get up. Hopefully the early waking has been inherited from a parent and that one can do the early morning parenting once it's 6 or 7 am while the owl stays in bed.

My son is 20 months and if he wakes earlier than 7am one of us will go in a resettle him. Sometimes it's because he's too cold or he might want a drink or the white noise has turned off etc. Sometimes I think he just wants one of us to lie him back down again. Either way, whatever the problem he goes back to sleep afterwards. No idea whether this is because his sleep cycles are naturally like that or because he's just used to us resettling him 🤷🏻‍♀️

You tube kids I make son stay in bed till 7 withe while I snooze. Sleep is the priority

DS is 3. If it's 6ish, hand him my phone with Paw Patrol (in bed between us) and a granola bar. Go back to sleep. His Gro-Clock is 6.45 and the deal is if he waits til then someone gets up.

It's really not about routines. DS does not sleep any later after a late night. Wakeup time is wakeup time and that's with blinds.

My youngest has always woken at 530 . Blackout blinds, noise machines bedtimes later, earlier, nothing worked. Hes 6 now and still wakes at roughly the same time. I may get a lie in until 6.
No advice I'm afraid but I know how brutal it is.

An iPad or your phone + cartoons is your friend here. Don't martyr yourself. Before 6am I am dead to the world and that is how it will always remain unless I have a flight to catch.