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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Time for bed?

18 replies

habitat · 26/01/2006 22:04

Just wondering what time your 3yr olds are going to bed - DS is just 3 and his bed time varies from 7 pm to 9.30 or even 10 pm - especially if he has had an afternoon nap which is usually about an hour. DH is trying to get a standard bedtime of 7.30 ish but DS is resisting!

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LadySherlockofLGJ · 26/01/2006 22:07

At 3, it was.......6.45/ 7.00 no questions asked.

Cut out the nap, you are in charge.

MrsSpoon · 26/01/2006 22:08

I have a three and a half year old and he goes to bed between 7pm and 8pm but he never has an afternoon nap these days, hasn't done for a looong time.

Hulababy · 26/01/2006 22:08

DD is 3y9m and goes to bed at about 7:30pm. Generally she settles straight down and is asleep quickly. If for some reason she feels not tired, she laeaves her night light on and will "read" books to herself. So long as she is in bed I am happy.

This bedtime is often later at weekends though as we are usually out and about much more. If she naps at all during the day (very rare now but sometimes in car) then it completely throws her bedtime out. Hald an hour in the day knnocks us back at least 1-2 hours.

salsa · 26/01/2006 22:08

My dd is 4 in May and she goes to bed at 20.30pm. She has an afternoon nap at school and she is tired at 20.30pm.

Piffle · 26/01/2006 22:08

7 -7.30pm
dd same time whether nap or not.
I am the boss

Furball · 26/01/2006 22:08

When you say afternoon nap - does he still have a morning one as well?

salsa · 26/01/2006 22:11

We are only just having dinner at 19.00pm let alone bed time.

gingernut · 26/01/2006 22:12

At 3 ds1 went to bed between about 7 and 7.30pm, with no nap. Stopped the nap when it affected his bedtime (wouldn't sleep till 9 or even later). He still naps in the car sometimes as like Hulababy we find even a short snooze during the day knocks us back 1-2 hours (unless he's ill). He's 4 now and goes to bed at 7.30pm.

Original poster

habitat · 26/01/2006 22:13

No Furball he doesn't have a morning nap and I know what you mean Hulababy - a short nap causes really problems later in the day - he probably has three out of seven days with a nap the rest without - but he gets soooo tired and is a real strop box when very tired! I might try to cut even this down and get him to bed earlier even than 7

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Hulababy · 26/01/2006 22:14

Salsa - similar here. DD doesn't get in until 6:30 and we eat not long after. If she went to bed any earlier she would hardly see anything of DD. This would bother me much more than her not going to bed early - it is importnat to me and Dh, that she sees lots of him. And it works for us.

Apparantly a 3yo needs about 11-12 hours sleep. I work out what time I want DD to wake up and take it from there. Luckily it does work like this for us on the whole. 7:30pm works good for us during the week.

gingernut · 26/01/2006 22:16

Yes, would suggest no nap and an earlier bedtime then. When I first cut out his nap I would let him have the TV on after lunch (the time when he used to nap), partly so I could get a few things done because I missed the time, but also because he would relax a bit and it helped him get to the end of the day without getting so tired.

Original poster

habitat · 26/01/2006 22:19

Tried to use the TV for quiet time gingernut but it sends him to sleep ! I agree that he needs the time to relax and I shall try bringing his whole routine forward and be a bit more disciplined myself - thanks everyone

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fisil · 26/01/2006 22:20

ds1 has just turned 3 and is snuggled down and fast asleep by 7 every night. We start bedtime routine just after 6.

Before we had the dss we both worked long hours. After ds1 was born we both agreed that if we wanted to spend time with him in the evening then we had to be home earlier. So DP went from being someone who never left work before 6 to someone who is rarely still in the office at 5! His priorities just changed. It means that for both of us we no longer get promotions etc., but our work just isn't so important to us any more.

Hulababy · 26/01/2006 22:22

How about reading books together for quiet time?

gingernut · 26/01/2006 22:24

lol, reading books sends me to sleep after lunch .

youngmama · 28/01/2006 14:08

My dd is 3.11 and is in bed by 7:15,and always fast asleep by 7:30.She has no nap now though-hasn't since she was 2.5yrs old.
All my kids go to bed at this time no questions asked(this is one area where I am pretty strict on) abd the others are almost 2,and 5.10

jenkel · 28/01/2006 14:37

My 3 1/12 year old has a bath about 8 and we aim for her to be in bed by 8.30. DH gets in about 7, it is important for us that she gets to spend a bit of time with him in the evening. It works well for us.

Elibean · 28/01/2006 21:16

I can imagine no nap making for earlier bedtimes - my dd is only just 2, naps in the afternoon, and is in bed by 20.30 (up about 8.15). Personal opinion: no 'right' time for bed - depends on what any given family and child needs. But I do think consistency is a good idea - hard as that must be when naps are in flux!

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