Early morning starts with children

[Sacmagique75]

When I was a child in the 90s I used to wake up super early. I’d quietly put the tv on and watch live and kicking for hours until my parents emerged, I did not dare open their closed bedroom door before they woke and came out. Which was never before 9am on a weekend. I certainly didn’t barge in, demanding breakfast at 5:30, crying and whinging until they relented. My two young children have always been early risers but now at the ages of 6 and 4 is it too much to ask that they quietly entertain themselves with tv for an hour rather than demand I get out of bed before 6:30?

What time do they go to sleep?
mine tend to sleep late, 8-10pm but equally wake up late. Usually we’re late for school though 😂On weekends none of us get out of bed till 9 😆 They are often on tablets & phones though for a good hour in bed.

@Clammyclam

Possibly, although I’m 34 and I do remember not waking my mum up at the weekends. She was a nurse and worked hard. If I was sick then I would wake her up and of course she was absolutely fine with that. Same as me, if my kids are ill then they come and get me but they’ve always been considerate on a Saturday morning. They’ll often get their tablets and chill in bed for a bit, or go downstairs and pop the telly on.

I rule the house though, not them. Just like my mother ruled the house when I was a kid. I wasn’t afraid of her though. Weird how some people interpret authoritative parenting with authoritarian. There’s no balance at all with some people on here.

Think 4 might be a smidge young but my 6 and 8 year olds get up, put on TV and get their own cereal. My friend’s 11 year old still wakes her at crack of dawn to get him breakfast. Gro clocks never worked with mine. Good luck though!

Groclock (ours is 'Mella'). Took a couple of weeks of hell, taking kid (age 3) back to bed 1000 times while he tested the system, but he now knows that he doesn't barge into my room unless the clock is awake, and also that before the clock wakes up at 6:15 he will just be told that "it's night, go back to sleep" if he calls me (obviously unless he's ill), and I won't linger to give him attention other than to tuck him back under the blanket. Once he realised that nothing interesting was on offer, if he got out of bed, he pretty much gave up doing it.

I was brought up in an authoritative house. Was scared of my mum (not physically, but wanted to please) had firm boundaries...but it wasn't bad thing, I had a happy childhood, got on with my parents well growing up and still do now. I am the same with my kids, we rule the house, not them.

I have an almost 11 year old, the first 3 1/2 years she woke 3 times a night - nearly killed us both off, she also woke every day at 5.30, I don’t know how we survived. At 3.5 she started sleeping and sleeping and sleeping…..if given half a chance she’ll stay in bed till lunchtime everyday - I though still wake at 5.30am EVERY SODDING DAY!!!

Not too much to ask. My children are 9 and 6 and have been doing what you describe for about 2 years. They tend to get up at 0715/0730 and then my DP or myself get up about 0830 or 0900. They get their own breakfast, let the dogs out into the garden for a wee (and then back in again), feed the dogs and then watch TV. Obviously we are only upstairs if they need us or anything happens.
I did similar when I was a child. My brother and I used to watch Wacaday (showing my age!).

My daughter also learnt very quickly how to override the Gro Clock and when I mentioned this in a social media group I was told what an awful mother I was and my daughter was out of control and needed to learn how to respect boundaries! 🤦‍♀️

Well, locking kids in their room is certainly one way of ensuring no early starts.

Mine are 7,6 and 4 and don’t have tablets. I can only dream of them staying in bed/not waking me up. But that time will come.

I remember how nice it was to wake up early as a kid, go and grab a breakfast bar, turn the TV on low volume and plant myself right in front of a heating vent.

I would say try giving them some small chores and independence. And ask them to do stuff for you. Instead of you turning on a light when you enter a room, ask them to do it. This shows them they are allowed to turn on the light and lets them practice it. Have them bring you things from the fridge.
But, also know that if they are just naturally extroverted morning people, probably puberty is the only thing that will make them stop.

I used to put something to eat on the kitchen table ready for them to eat. Bread and jam and a drink (milk won’t go off that quickly this weather). They then watched tv. Make sure their rooms are dark.

Because we lived in fear!

@laylababe5

Speak for yourself. Some of us just had respect. I remember my mum working long shifts as a nurse and I used to let her lie in. Even as a young kid I grasped that. Why do people treat their kids like they are dunces?

Yeah my DDs come in, see I’m still asleep and get in beside me or leave. They’re older now but they knew not to wake me when I was sleeping. I’m not sure how I trained them to entertain themselves until I woke up or my alarm went off …. Probably by mumbling ‘I’m asleep, come back later!’ 😂

When ours were really small my husband and I took turns in the week-end who got up and who could stay in bed. But soon, I think they were 4 and 6 they managed the TV on their own and were able to do a bowl of cereals and milk. Gave us some extra time 😊

My reply was tongue in cheek and yours came across a little rude.

I don't get this either. We were lucky as I've always woken before our DCs, who sleep for England.

But when I was young I remember waking at about 7.30 on a weekend and counting down the minutes to 9am when I was 'allowed' to bring my parents coffee. I loved it.

I suspect you were maybe older than you’re remembering? I’ve found that my memories of what age I actually was when stuff happened are sketchy at best when compared with the rest of the family.

Theres always the possibility that you’re just a responsive and caring parent who doesn’t want or expect their kid to have to be knocking about the house on their own… and er the expectations of parenting standards were slightly different back in the day…

Not at all unreasonable! My youngest luckily sleeps for England but if he does wake he takes himself downstairs and turns the Tv on. My youngest has always woken early I taught him the same, I sometimes leave a drink and snack out but my eldest can do that now, I bought him a stool a couple of years ago so he reach the toaster!

So I asked my mum and you are quite right - when my sibling and I were my kids current ages and younger, we apparently reliably slept until 7:30am and we all got up together then. We did also go into her bed when very small.

From around the time of the live and kicking stage I remember, my younger sibling came along so I guess the closed door was more because she had a baby in there then keeping us out while she had a lie in…

She also worked nights for much of her career.

Basically what I’m realising is she was a super woman and I really should just stop complaining and suck it up 😂

My dd is 8 and at weekends she goes downstairs, gets a snack and puts the tv on or gets the iPad, she's been doing it for about 2 years now.

If Ds 8 wakes up before us on a weekend he'll put his TV on low until he's hungry and he'll give us a shout to get his breakfast.Hes allowed to go to bed an hour or two later on friday and Saturday so doesn't rise til around 8.30/9 luckily.

Woke up shockingly early when younger though.

Why are all your kids getting up at 4.30??
That's the middle of the night and they should be taken back to bed. Bonkers!

We were the same OP. I am wondering if it was because once my parents were up they would have a turn of the tv too so them staying it bed suited me.