What time do your junior-aged children 'disappear upstairs' in the evenings

[roisin]

I'm continually astonished at the times of evening activities aimed at junior-aged children. In the last couple of weeks we've been invited to 4 different mid-week activities starting at 7 or 7.30pm.

My boys are 7 and 9, but by 7 pm they are both upstairs reading or playing quietly (alone) before going to bed/sleep.

DS2 (7)
Upstairs: 6.30 pm
Lights off: 7.30 pm
Asleep: by 8 pm usually
Wakes next day: 7 am

DS1 (9)
Upstairs: 7 pm
Lights off: 9 pm
Asleep: by 9.30 pm usually
Wakes next day: 7.20 am

DS is nearly 6.

Upstairs 6.45p.m - 7.00p.m and into the bath.

7.20p.m Out of the bath and a story. or an extra 10 minutes in the bath and no story.

Lights out at 7.30 p.m.

Wide awake 7.00 a.m

dd is 8. She goes to bed at about 8 and reads for an hour or so.

Same for ds1 who is 7 tomorrow.

My four year old and my two year old both go at about 7 and I read to them and come downstairs at about 8.

DD age 7 bed at 8.30 lights out about 9
DS age 10 bed at 9, lights out at 9.30.

If no activities on we have dinner about 7pm. Other nights we have to fit it in around them so might have an earlier dinner at 5pm and a supper later.

DS gets up by himself at 7am every morning , DD has to be dragged out, we have tried ealrier bedtimes but she just doesn't fall asleep, but we are still trying very gradually to bring it forward.

I am quite happy for mine to go to eveing activites and socialise rather than playing alone everynight, 2hrs before bed alone seems a lot. DS's scouts finish at 9.30, but that s on a Friday so it doesn't matter.

This is a constant subject in our house- my unfairness at putting them when "EVERYONE" in dd2 class is "SOOOOOO much later" than her! The times are at moment
DD1 (13) 8.30pm as needs her sleep-gets up 6.30am
DD2 (11) 7.30pm sometimes reads till 8
DD3 (8) 7 pm latest as needs at least 12 hours.
2 nights a week the older 2 have activities so go much later but not the younger one.

Its something you have to judge yourself and take into acccount whent hey have to get up, we live 5mins from school so no point in kids up bouncing about at 6am, we like to watch TV together or play monopoly (flavour of the month) in the evenings. My friends 7 yr old goes to bed at 7pm but has to get up a lot earlier than my 7yr old.

Ds1 (10) goes up at 8:30 but can read until 9.

Ds2 (9) goes up at 8:00 and isn't supposed to read (if he wants to do that he should go earlier, but the other day he was caught reading at 9:20

Dd (6) and ds3(nearly 4) go at 7:30 and are supposed to go straight to sleep too.

In reality, I suspect they all read or stay awake listening to tapes for about half an hour after their bedtimes. I see this is a bit later than some here, but I don't have a problem with it as they are all always up well before me in the morning, with the occasional exceptance of dd who might need waking at 7:30. I also get the impression other childre stay up a lot later than mine - I see them out and about in the summer when mine are in their pjs.

exceptance? I think I meant exception - sorry, not got a very clear head today!

ds-7yrs-upstairs 6:15 for bath.In bed at 7pm,he reads a book.Light out at 7:15.Asleep by 7:30.He wakes himself at 6:30-7am.
dd1-4yrs(almost 5yrs) same as ds.She wakes herself 7-7:15
dd2-2(almost 3yrs) upstairs at 6:15.Asleep by 7pm.Wakes herself at 7am on the dot.She still has a nap everyday at 1-2:30

I would let ds stay up a bit later than dd1 as do feel a bit mean that he goes to bed at same time as younger siblings.But my kids have always required alot of sleep.He needs 11hr30mins each night otherwise he's a grouch and the only way we can fit the 11hr30mins in is by him being asleep by 7:30.dd1 also requires 11hr30min so she goes at same time.dd2 needs 12 hours plus at least 1hr nap in day