Bedtime!!! What times for different age kids?

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Looking for advice, I'm a single parent and have 3 girls aged 10,8 and 6!

In the past they always went to bed at the same time and have always been really good and went off to sleep nicely.

Recently this has changed, I'm finding they are still messing about in there rooms at 9.30-10pm at night and in the morning they want to sleep in (only school days mind)

My oldest is now saying she should get to stay up later ( in last year of primary) problem is the middle one thinks this is unfair as she doesn't see a 2 year age gap between them.

My youngest does get tired and needs to be in bed by 7-7.30pm I would say.

Just wondering what you all do at bedtimes and what about at weekends?

Thanks x

Tricky! When is their 'official' bedtime? Can you appear to be reaching a compromise by allowing a slightly later official bedtime for the older one, and perhaps allowing the middle one an extra 15 minutes so she feels she has had a compromise too. And make it clear that if your bedtimes aren't adhered to and they are still up messing about late, then all negotiations are off and they continue to go to bed at whatever time you send them now. Just an idea.

I would stagger their bed times, so 7.30, 8 & 8.30. They are different ages and have different requirements, they shouldn't all be treated the same.

MY DC are 11,9 and 7.

DS2 7 goes up about 7.-7.30 and reads for 30 minutes before lights out.
DD 9 goes up at 8 and reads for 30 minutes, lights out 8.30
DS! 11 goes up between 8.30 and 9 and depending on that reads for a half an hour or lights out at 9.15.

I think with three it's harder for you to stagger their bedtimes but it does need to be done. My DS1 is 6yrs old and goes to bed and straight to sleep at 7:30pm. My DS2 is only 20 months but is in bed asleep at around 6:45pm. I only have two obviously but I have 2 friends with more children, one has 4 and no set bedtime. The children are happy and relaxed but they don't get anywhere near enough sleep in my opinion so are constantly tired on school mornings and argumentative with each other. The other friend has 3 children of similar ages to yours. She puts the 5 year old to bed at 7pm, the 8yr old to bed at 8pm and the 11 yr old goes up to bed at 9 pm. This works really well for her and everything seems to run a lot smoother because of it. It DOES mean however that my friend is pretty much non stop between 7 and 9 though doing reading, putting kids to bed, spending one on one time with older one etc but it works for them.

Dd1 should be old enough to take herself to bed?

Ds2 has taken himself to bed since just before his 11th birthday, so maybe that's something you need to be thinking about and building up too?

ds (6) bedtime is 8pm on school nights. dd (9) bedtime is 8.30pm school nights. They get an hour extra each at weekends.

I agree that they should all have their own bedtimes , do they all have their own rooms ?

The amount of homework on starting secondary will dictate a much later bedtime for your eldest next year, might be as well to make a distinction now. You're also going to be needing chats with her that might not be appropriate for the younger two. I aim for 9.30 for my 11 and 13 year olds, (was 8.30-9 in year six.)

Thanks for replies, the oldest has her own room and younger two share, doesn't help that house is a mess and younger two are currently sharing one mattress as new house, beds ordered only to find after waiting weeks they were out of stock!!! Hoping to get new ones by this weekend

Def going to start a staggered bedtime thinking 7.30 for 6 year old, 8pm for 8 year old and 8.30pm for oldest though will prob give them some quiet reading time x