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Parenting

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Original poster

For those that used a gro-clock

16 replies

Sakinanina · 30/05/2025 09:45

How did you get your children to actually use it?

Mine just has a look at the clock and gets up anyway, sometimes comes in and says 'my clock is still red' 😂 Great, thanks for waking me up to let me know.

Both kids wake up fully switched on and stay that way all day. I hear stories of children who sit on their bed and look at books or play with their toys....can this be taught or is it just different personalities?

*edited to add ages eldest is just 3 and youngest is 23mo (not expecting her to use it!)

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katmarie · 30/05/2025 09:47

Honestly, we tried it, but it didn't really work with our DS, he still got up. He's 7 now and is still up with the birds at 6am.

JustShhhhh · 30/05/2025 10:12

We don't use the gro-clock specifically, but use the similar function on the yoto. We just send DD back to her room if she gets up before the sun as appears, but we make sure there's books/jigsaws/toys in her room to play with. I think it's different personalities to be honest.

IsThisLifeNow · 30/05/2025 10:27

We just kept sending him back to his room, we used a star chart and got a star fir every time he staying in his room till the click went yellow. It took ages, but he did eventually get it

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tedibear · 30/05/2025 10:33

Waste of time. They just ignored it anyway 🤣 tried when my eldest was around 5. I think it really does depend on the child.

BertieBotts · 30/05/2025 10:35

You have to back it up with action, it doesn't work on its own. So if they get up too early don't get up with them, take them back to bed. Hide and pretend you are sleeping if you can't get back to sleep! And lots of praise or even a small reward if they follow it properly.

It might be at first that you've set it too late. Try setting it really early so they get a few days where they wake up and it's already green so you can give them all the praise/reward, that shows them the behaviour that you want and lets them experience success. Then you can move it later so they only have to wait a little while at first and work towards the time you want.

DS2 followed it from about 2.5, I was surprised.

Wish44 · 30/05/2025 10:36

We literally did not let her out of her room until the sun came up…we also only added a small amount of time to her natural wakening ( half an hour)took about 3 days and then she stayed in her room of her own volition.

it was a brilliant godsend at 5 am!!!!

then gradually we made the time longer. Over 6 months we went from 5am to 7 am. Wonderful!!

Paperumbrella · 30/05/2025 10:38

You have to mean it. I am simply not getting up before 7am for anyone, it’s not an option. When he was only tiny that was different. But from 2 years old onwards he knows that he can leave his room when the sun is on his Yoto player. So if he wakes at half 6 it’s up to him what he does for half an hour, but he doesn’t leave his room other than to go to the toilet or if there was an emergency. Often he gets engrossed in books or Yoto cards so ends up staying in his room until closer to 8 anyway.

Kreepture · 30/05/2025 10:40

we couldn't use it to keep DS asleep, we did teach that if the moon (or whatever) was still on, and not the sun, then he had to stay in his room and find something quiet to do.

if he came in before it changed, he was returned with a reminder that moon means sleep/quiet time.

AppleKatie · 30/05/2025 10:40

We started really really early like around 19months.

we used it consistently, no sun no getting up- if you do we will immediately return you to your (perfectly lovely and safe!) room.

praise good behaviour and yes set it so success is achievable- if they always wake at 5, setting it for 7am day one is obviously doomed to failure.

it became part of the routine and we ended up using it for years (probably longer than necessary) it just became a useful tool.

my DC are fairly law abiding souls, but even if they were less so I would have doggedly persevered

Groundhedgehogday · 30/05/2025 10:45

No, it was useless. He just got up regardless. Think he's naturally an early bird and nothing we've ever said, offered, promised or threatened has made a difference.

BoredZelda · 30/05/2025 10:47

It worked brilliantly for us. We read the book every night, she understood the concept and that we didn't get up until the sun rose. It just need re-inforcing.

ObstreperousCushion · 30/05/2025 10:55

What @BertieBotts said. If they got up / called, and it was blue moon, we put them back in bed and went back to ours. If that failed after a couple of goes, one of us would ‘go to sleep’ on their floor. No getting up early, nothing fun, just ‘blue moon, sleepy time’ and an adult who wouldn’t engage beyond that. Then a huge fuss when it was yellow sun, cuddles in our bed, all the nice things.

You do have to be very consistent, and set it at their normal wake time then move it forward a little each day. Though obviously if they’re ill or something, you do whatever they need and them come back to the Groclock when things are back to normal.

I credit the Groclock with both of our DC being good readers. They needed something to do until it went yellow, and it often ended up being looking at books and (later) reading them.

Edited to add - we also used it for quiet time, not just sleeping. So they didn’t have to sleep, quiet playing or reading was absolutely fine.

Mauvehoodie · 30/05/2025 11:04

I suspect it's different personalities. Didn't do anything with my DS but DD(4) stays in her room till the clock changes and has done since she was 3.

MrsRL · 30/05/2025 11:26

Mine is also a naturally early riser and is very awake as soon as he wakes up. Gro clock never worked and he also learned to climb up and switch it to yellow himself. We gave up and just used it as a night light

Zippp · 30/05/2025 11:30

I got mine to sign a contract when they were 4 and 6, that when it got to 6.30am they could go downstairs and play quietly, and when it got to 8am they could come and wake me, unless it was an emergency. And I used a real clock rather than a gro clock so they knew how long they’d need to stay in bed for if they woke up early.

Original poster

Sakinanina · 30/05/2025 12:43

Thanks everyone for your replies, I think I'm getting the gist and can conclude that it's not working for us partly because of their personalities, but mainly that it doesn't bother me enough to enforce it strictly.

They wake up at around 6:15 which is absolutely fine with me, I think what I really want is just for them to play quietly for 15-20 mins in the morning rather than just roaring in to the day.

They have toys and books in their room, I don't keep the yoto in there because I don't like that it's a WiFi device (EMFs, yes I do own a tin foil hat) but since they know how to turn it on I could leave it in there off and see it that helps.

Or maybe we're just in the wrong season of life for quiet mornings.

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