am i the last parent in the world whose 5yo goes to bed at 7pm?

[FloraFinching]

dd1 is in reception, and we have therefore entered the minefield that is after school playdates. there always seems to be a raised eyebrow from the other parents, when i (politely ask them to collect at 6ish, to give dd1 time to wind down before bed.

All the invited children seem a little bored/tired/fraught after 2 hours in any case, so surely that's a natural end point? Or am i just terrible at playdates?

My 7 year old is in bed by 7pm and asleep by five past, school tires him out DD1 on the other hand

I have a 7 yr old DD and 5 yr old DS. The both only have play dates till 6pmish and then they tend to go for bath 6.30 and bed 7pmish. They are then allowed to read. 5 yr old reads for about 10 minutes and then asleep. 7yr old for about half an hour or so then asleep. It's slightly later holiday time but in general 7pm is cut off time in term time.

My ds aged six recently started going to bed at 830, always used to be 8. I work full time and due to various activities we often aren't home until after 7. We're both nightowls and don't have to get up until 8am so no point putting him to bed sooner. He always sleeps around ten hours whenever he goes to bed.

Playdates (is everyone calling it that now) if "official" (as in mum dropping off and picking up and pre arranged) are usually 2.30-5/ 5.30 here - pre school (age 3-5 or 6) children maybe 2-5. School is morning only for the whole of primary, lunch and homework need to be done, then it's play time. It's rare for visiting children to be invited over a meal time (not my rule, the way everyone does it here).

Most of my children's friends live within walking distance and these days they just drop by or phone to check if DD has finished her homework, and go home when I tell them to (usually when DH gets home or I want to serve dinner) or when their mums phone and ask me to send them home for their dinner, rather than a pre-arranged time.

DS1 (4) has football from 5pm-6.15 1 night a week and is usually too tired to eat his dinner afterwards... That's the only late activity though, and worth keeping doing because he loves it.

At that age any playmates we did were done and dusted by 5.30!

My 10 yo would happily go to sleep at 7! He is very active, plays tennis 3 times a week and regularly falls asleep in the car on the way back from training. But then he gets up at 6.30, so 11 and a half hours sounds about right to me.

How odd - round here, children coming over leave at 5.30, 5.45 at the latest. DS goes to bed 7-7.30 generally although at weekends (and when it's so light, he might not actually go to sleep until 8.30.

I go to bed around 10pm most nights so I jealously guard my few hours on my own

DS is YR, 5 yo. 7 pm bedtime.

PLaydate pick up here is 6 pm, come earlier if you're coming in for a cup of tea.

DD's in Reception so 6pm's about right for her playdates

DS (Yr 2) has sometimes not been returned to us till about 8. On a school night. I don't mind.

We decided early on that we were going to run things 8 - 8 not 7 - 7. None of us are morning people.....

Mine were in bed at 6 at that age but they had to be up at 7 to get them all to school and me to work. They were horribly grumpy if they went later so after school visitors were reserved for Fridays.
In winter I sometimes said it would be bedtime when it was dark, one day towards the end of the Christmas term they were in bed and asleep by 4.30!!!
They were shattered and only the oldest was at school then.

Visitors home 6-6.30 bed at 8pm.

Except it all goes to pot with light evenings and hot bedrooms, if the sun shines.

I am a cruel mother. DS is almost 14 and goes at 8pm.!! But he is usually more than ready, and can read for a bit if he wants to.

7/7.30 until 7/7.30 am. Plus 2hr lunch nap for both ( pre school)

At this moment in time I can't imagine they will need less than 12 hrs a day sleep ( currently on 14+) for a long time

The entire time they are awake though they never sit down, it's all play/ outdoor adventure/ walk everywhere etc.. Literally sit for 5 mins if we get on a bus.

Oh I wish my DS was in bed by 7pm . He was a GF strict routine child for years but school, work, nursery pick up and the chaos of 2 small children have ruined it .

I start bath / showers / teeth at 6.15 but he's not usually in bed until gone 7:30. He's a good sleeper though and wakes up happily at 7am so I don't worry too much.

My 4yr old DD has a bedtime of 8pm but if something comes up we are not strict about it. Sometimes life happens

No, my 7 year old has lights out at 7pm

DS1 is 5yo and goes to bed at 7pm.

My 5yo is usually in pyjamas at 7 and bed for 7.30.

DS is 11 now but was always in bed by 7pm until he was about 8 - except Cub nights .

6pm is certainly late enough for a 'playdate' for a 5 year old, even at 11 my DS's friends would be expected to go home around 6pm for a mid week 'playdate' - a bit different at weekends or if it is a more casual meet-up eg: in the park.

I think 6pm is reasonable end time for playdates. DS is nearly 6 and is in bed right now, he might chat with DD for a bit but usually they doze off quickly. We're up around 6.30-7.00 in the morning.

Weekends and hols we have later nights.

My 4yo DS goes to bed between 7.30 & 8 because generally if he goes down any earlier then he wakes up at about 5 , which is far to early for me to get up.
Sometimes he crashes out earlier (tonight ) but that's usually when he's spent the whole day running about outside or has gone swimming.

We only get home from nursery /work at 6.15 and dad doesn't get back til 7 so 7.30/8 works for us in terms of seeing both parents etc. Don't do playdates in week really except next door neighbour.