What do kids do who get up at 5.30am?

[gerispringer]

Hi there grandparent here- am on childcare duty for week 1 of summer hols. 2 youngest GC 4 and 6 who get up anytime from5 am. I just wondered what do parents of early risers do with kids these days? I remember my DC reading books or one who did lots of drawings. These 2 seem to expect to watch TV first thing. I feel a bit guilty letting them watch too much TV but it means I can have an early morning cuppa in relative peace.

As a parent im strict with their routines and rules. When I become a grandparent routines and rules (within reason) won't exist in my house. What kind of grandparent is stricter then parents when only having the grandkids occasionally. Its suppose to be fun their probably really excited to stay at nanny's.

When my DC were little, I had a cardboard clock in their room with the hands set to seven o’clock, so they had to wait until their real clock was at seven before they could come downstairs - before that, they could play in their rooms with books and toys. All my DC became voracious readers - it used to annoy my DSis no end that mine would happily stay in bed with books where hers were up at dawn!

I don't think they watch much TV at home but they think they can do it here. Sending them back to their room would work if there was only one of them but arguments would definitely erupt leaving them to their own devices with play doh etc i just wondered what others do. The TV is off now and I feel a bit more human!

I send DS back to bed 700 times then give up and have a coffee while he watches tv. When I'm more alive, I turn it off or put something boring on and then he will draw or build Lego. If he's in and out, he wakes DD which then causes absolute chaos so it's just easier.

When my eldest was a toddler, I used to let him watch TV because otherwise he was so full on at that time of day, and I at least needed time for a cup of tea!

But from about the age of 4, if not earlier , he had one of those clocks that turns yellow and from then he could generally play in his bedroom until 6:30 at earliest.

I'm a grandma, our 5 year old GC lives with us. She tends to wake up at 7.00 which is manageable ( not that I wouldn't love a lie in occasionally). I think a 5.30 start might finish me off altogether. I'm 60, husband 65, 95% of the time we parent as though we are parents, the other 5% we are knackered gps who are very grateful for tv time. It's the trade off to ensure she is safe and looked after. I think it's absolutely fine.

As a parent, 5:30 is when we do our reading book! Quiet activity but can be done snuggled up in bed. If you want them to stay in their beds I’d try an audiobook

I would do the same as if they woke at 4.30am, back to bed, it’s not time to get up yet.

My DD is 11 and has had problems sleeping and early rising since she was born. She usually gets up anywhere between 4 and 7. She will read quietly in her room until 7ish usually then go downstairs and watch TV and get breakfast. Her iPad is locked until 8. She has done this since she was 6.

Have they got blackout blinds? The sun rises ridiculously early at the moment and that could be waking them. 5.30am is very early to be waking at 4 and 6, even if they do go to bed early. I'd be not letting them get up until 6 at the earliest, but once they're up I don't see the harm in watching TV so you can have a quiet cuppa - you only have them for a week, don't feel guilty.

This. It's not as easy as "sending them back to bed". Some kids are early risers, they grow out of it eventually. In the meantime, you do what you need to get by. I have no issue with putting a film on the tv if it means the whole house isn't disturbed.

DS would go back to his room but he's ON, he's a high energy kid so he's not going to be sitting quietly with a book

I never used to put on the TV that early because they would have been up just to watch it. They pottered around. TV on weekends is from 7.30am.

Just nope. I’m not doing anything before 6:45.’, preferably 7, especially at weekends. My 3.9 year old doesn’t know what ‘7’ is yet obviously but I do, and he’s told that it’s too early to be up. 5 is still very much night time here 😆 once it gets past 6:30 I don’t mind if he quietly plays with magnatiles or looks through his books but my day isn’t starting then, I’ll come in at 7. Blackout blinds do help but you can’t easily block all light in summer I find. DS is a lively boy and gets plenty of stimulus throughout the day but this is a rule we firmly stick to.

Seriously though at those ages they can be told that it’s too early. They need to amuse themselves for a bit, or lie there quietly trying to go back to sleep.

I tend to dedicate the rest of the day to stuff like that and do TV first thing so I can wake up a bit. IMO the time of day doesn’t make an activity more or less worthy.

Send them back to bed! Have you not got blackout blinds/curtains? They’re old enough to understand they should stay in bed. Put a clock in their room and tell/show them the time they can get up. Mine were told not till 7am. They stayed in their beds quietly. Sometimes they went back to sleep, sometimes they looked at books, but they knew not to come out and they knew not to make any noise.

Send them downstairs to watch TV while you have a bit more snooze

Mine had Gro Clocks at that age - you set them so they show a sun during waking hours and a moon / stars during sleeping hours. If they woke before 630am the moon/stars were still on and they were to stay in bed and try to sleep/rest.

530am is too early! Could making bedtime slightly later help?

Easier said than done! Especially if the OP doesn’t want a battle… I’m sure she wants another hour in bed with a cuppa, I know I would.

Def no tv before 7am

They prob wake knowing they can watch tv

if they wake early they can play quietly in rooms or read or colour etc

saying all that

Tho as it’s only a week and you a gp - do what they do

but if the parents wanted to change the early rising I would ban tv for other things

one 4yr I knew was waking at 430 to watch tv - he was shattered at school

easy enough to get second hand ones (obviously not for this trip but likely to be many others )

they do need to know what time it is and these are the most accessible.

the blinds that are a big piece of fabric and Velcro aren’t expensive and would do many future visits for years.

I wake around 5/5:30 anyway but I know many people who would value their sleep, especially if looking after the grandchildren!

The other tip is a lot of fresh air and daylight right up to bedtime.

but generally need enough energy yourself to sustain this!

I fully agree that if children are used to tv and bright light at 5:30 am their body clock will set to that.

DD aged 4.
Wakes up 5:30.
Has TV on so I can wake up, have a cuppa, get ready.
She then gets ready.
We leave the house.

There's no harm in TV 😊

It's fine for them to have a bit of TV in the morning as long as they're not getting too much TV / screen time in total. Use the TV when you really need a break - if that's in the morning, fine.

There already 4 and 6 and obviously not a regular thing if op is asking this question. A few years and op will be posting how do you drag kids out of bed

I would try to enforce a rule or use a gro clock with an acceptable time to leave the bedroom and maybe a small reward if they comply.

My kids (who are screen addicts) are not allowed tv before 8am and never before school. I find too much affects their behaviour for the rest of the day so whilst it gives me a couple of hours more sleep first thing, I suffer the consequences! However if your grandchildren can manage it, it would be the easy answer for a week