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DS (11), his ipod and sleep...

9 replies

bramblina · 13/06/2017 00:07

Ds, nearly 12 actually, struggles to get up on a morning, always has, I usually wake him 3 times (7.10am). Once he's up he gets himself sorted for school and always makes the bus on time. He goes to bed around 9 and reads till about 9.30/9.45 ish.

He's not allowed his ipod during the week until his homework is finished. I always take it downstairs once his light is out- otherwise he would switch it on once he knows I'm downstairs and could be on it for another hour. Tonight I put it on the desk, ten mins later he remembered something and came downstairs, did what he needed to do and then took his ipod off the desk and went back up to bed, spent the next 45 mins on it until I realised it was gone. I went up, his light was off and it was on the side but it was warm so I knew he'd used it. I was cross and reminded him he knows not to take it and shouldn't have.

My argument is that until he can get himself up on a morning, I need to remove it from him. Once he can wake himself and get up on time then fine. But at the moment he can't discipline himself. He's a good kid, does really well at school, is polite and other than arguing with his sister (!) we have no concerns so I struggle with how tough to be on this.

Dh says I should leave him to sleep in once I've woken him once or twice but I can't bear the thought of him missing the bus. We live 10 miles from school and there are no service buses, only one school bus.

What would you do? What's the deal with electronics in your house?

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Freshprincess · 13/06/2017 06:27

They stay downstairs after dinner. if I catch them upstairs it's a 24 hour removal. Ds1 pushes it almost daily but I'm zero tolerance. His worst removal was a whole week.

I feel your pain in getting up in the morning. Ds1 is the same, I can't just leave him to be late as I have to go to work and he walks with his brother. I nag and nag and nag. Ds2 is like me, up as soon as the alarm sounds, so it drives me potty.

AdalindSchade · 13/06/2017 06:37

He's 11. Of course you shouldn't leave him to sleep in Hmm
When he's 15 it will be different. But you should still remove devices before bed even when he's 15 imo.

Soslowmo · 13/06/2017 06:43

I take my dd's (13) electronics away at night.

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KingscoteStaff · 13/06/2017 08:20

He needs a screen-free hour before his brain is ready to sleep. So if you want him to sleep at 9.45, he can have his ipod or phone from post-homework until 8.45, then it's shower and reading until you switch the lights out.

No electronics in bedrooms here (15 + 13).

arbrighton · 13/06/2017 09:08

More to the point, he has deliberately broken the rule, and been quite sneaky in doing so............

picklemepopcorn · 13/06/2017 09:32

Discuss it with him. Ask him to come up with a solution. Just showing him the problem and working on a solution may be enough to help him make the connection.

For deliberately breaking the rule, in my house it would be no iPod tonight.

For not getting up in the mornings, it would be He loses his iPod 30 mins earlier every night, until he gets up on time.

Don't let him miss the bus, it's more punishment to you than him.

Aquamarine1029 · 14/06/2017 18:15

I think I would set up a new rule. If he doesn't get up when his alarm goes off and you are forced to wake him, that means 1 full week of no iPod, tablet, video games, whatever. If he breaks the rule, then you enforce the punishment. Part of life is learning to be responsible for yourself and he needs to learn this now before his bad habits are really hard to break.

kathrynelizabeth3005 · 14/06/2017 20:59

If your DH thinks you should let him sleep in then he should be the one to do the school run if DS misses the bus!

bramblina · 15/06/2017 23:00

Thank you, everyone, it's great to get so many different ideas and takes on a situation. Appreciated.

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