To let my 7 year old stay up to watch the England game?

[moryn]

9pm kick off tonight, the first England game of the World Cup.

I have some great memories from the World Cup when I was a child. It’s once every four years…

Should I, or is it ridiculous?

If he doesn't stay up and then goes into school where the majority will have watched it and be sleepy he won't thank you! Routines should allow for a bit of flexibility, it really does no harm!

Mamdani has the personality to get away with that, imagine if Starmer did it!!!!

No not technically one night but if the OPs 7 yo is a nightmare to get up in the morning, struggles to get through tomorrow without being an overtired mess she can re evaluate the other 2 games and make a different decision

Well he can be warned that any ratty behaviour, including any reported at school, will mean he doesn't get to stay up late again.

He can go to bed straight after tea tomorrow.

I'll be letting my 8 year watch the first half at least, no school to worry about but we'll be up early for travelling. But we're in a travelodge so he can watch in bed and fall asleep while watching.

There’s are too many permutations for me to follow them all, but if England win the group, the subsequent match is at 2.30am!! Might have to rethink letting him stay up for the knock outs 😲. At least the semis and final are all 8pm. Let’s cross our fingers 🤞

Is this a wind up?

Probably will let my 7 year old if she wants to. It’s been quite fun seeing her enthused by some of the other matches and some of the olympics earlier in the year.

I used to be quite uptight about bedtimes when mine were small but I did relax on certain occasions ... football, snow, parties, holidays. They have lovely memories now they're adults.

Of course you should! Most seven year olds should be able to have an isolated late night without it affecting them too badly the next day. I was always allowed to stay up late for special events like the World Cup as a child.

No it's absolutely fine. It's a treat, for a lovely occasion which most of the country should be getting behind, even if you don't like football.

Can we at least agree that it definitely FEELS like it should be Thursday already this week though?

My 7yo will be up for it! Not sure will make it to the end but let’s see!

I thought that… so hard to tell these days 🤣

If we don't let our 7 DS watch it, he will only stay awake on purpose and keep up / down the stairs! 100% worth it. Routine is great, but family moments are greater

I'm not happy about it (I will be the parent dealing with the fall out in the morning) but both my DS's (10 & 7) will be staying up to watch the match. They are both football crazy boys and these are memories they will remember at the ages they are now so I can't take that from them. Good luck to School tomorrow is all I can say 😖

I don't really know why you'd need to ask permission for this! It's your child; only you know whether he'll be OK having a late night.

Personally, I think most kids (and indeed adults) should get acclimatised to surviving a late night now and again without collapsing from a failure to cope the following day. It doesn't kill anyone to be a bit tired for one day and while routine is good, it doesn't help kids to make them incapable of adaptation and flexibility.

I have very happy memories of being allowed to stay up for specific sporting events that we watched as a family when I was a child - World Cup / UEFA football matches, the Olympics etc. I remember thinking it was the most exciting thing in the world in 1984 when we stayed up late to watch the track and field events in the LA Olympics and ate cheese and biscuits.

My husband wasn't allowed to stay up to watch the Moon Landing in 1969. He was 8. I was very surprised when he told me this - it was such an incredible moment in human history, unprecedented, and his parents would not give way. No leeway at all.

It would be snarky to suggest that any halfway decent school would have have been all over this as a once in a 4 year chance to engage the whole school in something approaching a shared event ? That would mean some careful tweaking of lessons, advice to parents and some gentle guidance to staff on dealing with the aftermath ?

However this thread suggests that may not be the case. Which may explain a lot about our education system and it's uses.

They’re not back-to-back though, maybe try unclenching?

Why should most people though? I have zero interest in football so I won't be watching.
Or maybe I took your post too literally. Ignore me if I did lol.

No issues with who watches it or if they let their kids watch it though. None of my business.

No, I wouldn't. My 12 year old will be going to bed at 9 as usual. It's a group game, they're a child. Them feeling rested for school tomorrow is more important than a football match which will have no consequence on their life.

My son reported that all anyone talked about in school on Monday was 'the stupid game'. They watched the highlights and made flags and the kids who stayed up talked about it. They had a football day on Friday where they wore football strips and played football all day. In his words 'it's all too boring'. So schools can't please everyone lol!

I can remember being allowed to stay up watch Scotland in 1978 and watching Archie score.
I have never forgotten it.

Calm down!

Was just pointing out it's all the England games not just tonight.

It would be snarky to suggest that any halfway decent school would have have been all over this as a once in a 4 year chance to engage the whole school in something approaching a shared event ?

Then there would be multiple threads started by football hating Mumsnetters complaining about football dominating everything and not everyone who lives in Scotland or England supports Scotland or England and if you display an England flag you must be a racist...

I usually let whoever wants to watch it stay up and end up waking them up part way through, steering/carrying them half asleep to bed.
I suspect it’s only my 11 year old that will see it through, I’ve let him stay up/set alarms for early wake ups for any matches he wants to see.
In school they don’t seem to be doing anything much now they’ve had their SATS so if he’s a little more tired he’s not having to massively concentrate on anything, he’s still plodding through the school day.