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Parenting

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Original poster

Is early waking 'naughty' ?

23 replies

lilyloo · 28/06/2008 22:05

DS 6 has always had sleep issues.
He slept through at 3. Co slept until 9 mths.
When we got him inot a routine he always went to bed at 7 and still does.
However he can wake any time between 5 and 6.30 now and always has.
He doesn't bother us and will read/play in his room/watch tv downstairs etc.
But this becomes an issue when he wants to stay up beyond 7. For example last night he stayed up until 8.00.
Today he has been really moody/tired etc
Me and dp differ because i feel sorry for him that he can't sleep in but dp hinks it's naughty and tells him off for getting up early.
Tonight he wanted to watch Dr Who but we are left with the dilemma of his behaviour tom if he does.
Well done if you got this far

OP posts:

kingfix · 28/06/2008 22:09

I don't think it's naughty, I think some people and a lot of children are early risers. If going to bed later for a few days doesn't result in him sleeping later and he's obviously tired the next day, I guess you need to be strict about bedtime to make sure he's getting enough sleep, maybe with exceptions for special occaions (Dr Who?). If he can amuse himslef in the mornign that sound great (I am resigned to getting up at the crack of dawn for years and years though, so maybe I am not a good person to give advice)

deanychip · 28/06/2008 22:09

is it eck naughty!
just the way he is.

tape Dr who for him to watch tomorow, keep his bedtime at 7 if it upsets his mood so much.

mine is the same, was up at 4.50 this morning.
if he doesnt bother you, whats the issue?

( i know that you would want him to sleep in later, but you cant make him can you)

Original poster

lilyloo · 28/06/2008 22:16

Thanks
the issue is do we let him stay up late knowing he will 'play up' the day after.
I think yes as i think he is just an early riser and can't help it.
DP thinks he shouldn't as he needs to 'stay in bed' if he is allowed to stay up late.
I can't see him doing that.

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ChasingSquirrels · 28/06/2008 22:18

agree on taping for him to watch the next day (or the next weekend and just say it is on at 6pm).

kingfix · 28/06/2008 22:20

IME, they don't stay in bed in the morning just becasue they went to bed late. Any chance he could have a nap or quiet time to recharge a bit the day after a late night? But I do think early risers generally need early bedtimes or they are grumpy. LIke deanychips idea of taping Dr Who!

CarofromWton · 28/06/2008 22:21

If he's anything like my DD1 he is just an early riser and there's nothing you can do about it! DD1 got me up at 5 am every morning until she was 4 years old, and it didn't make any difference if we kept her up late (in a vain attempt at a lie-in). She's now 9 and still gets up before her little sister, who is quite happy to stay in bed some mornings.

Hassled · 28/06/2008 22:21

You can't make early risers stop being early risers - it's just the way their body clocks have kicked in. I was always up with the lark as a child and am still a morning person - if he's not waking you as well, he's hardly being "naughty", is he?

misdee · 28/06/2008 22:23

dd1 needs 12 hours sleep. she goes to bed at 7 and gets up at seven on weekdays. at the weekends she gets to stay up later, but if she is grumpy the followwing afternoon, then she gets told to go and have a lie down or some quiet time. but by sunday night she is back to 7pm for sleep.

Original poster

lilyloo · 28/06/2008 22:24

I have dd who will stay in bed following a late night but that causes issues as she is younger than ds.
Glad to know it's not just him kingfix have visions of him going to bed at 7 as a teenager

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Original poster

lilyloo · 28/06/2008 22:27

Agree Hassled am getting sick of dp saying he is waking up 'too early'. I am sure ds is too!
I think we just need to accept he is an early riser end of.
However i am of the mind set of dd i am not a morning person

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misdee · 28/06/2008 22:28

oh when dd1 does go to bed later shetends to rise even earlier, which is strange.

kingfix · 28/06/2008 22:33

same here misdee! With my dd the earlier she goes to bed the better she sleeps. lilyloo, feeling for you, I am not a morning person at all and had barely ever been awake before 7am before having kids, now I feel like I've done a day's work by 8.30.

misdee · 28/06/2008 22:34

i'm not a morning person at all. but also tend to wake early as well which annoys me.

i used to get up with the kids at 5am and watch the sun rise. but then i didnt have mumsnet and stay up late lol.

LuckySalem · 28/06/2008 22:35

I agree it's not "naughty" as long as he's not upsetting you in the mornings it won't be such a big deal. However if late nights are deadly for him then have you tried explaining that too him?

Say you will tape it because if he stays up too late it can make him grouchy?

Original poster

lilyloo · 28/06/2008 22:40

Feel like we are making a really big deal of him getting up early tbh
He has clock etc. has even been known o move his clock forwards in his room.
He knows what time it is and knows that we have said 7 am is a good time to get up but i don't think he can do anything about it.
I don't think it's 'naughty' just part of ds! But dp doesn't buy that!

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Original poster

lilyloo · 28/06/2008 22:42

Lucky it won't send you email it bounced back saying mailbox unavailable!

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Quattrocento · 28/06/2008 22:42

Naughty? Get real. It's loverly.

They sneak into your bed at 5am for a cuddle and a kiss.

Don't be cross with them. Love them for it. Before long you'll be DRAGGING them out of bed.

Original poster

lilyloo · 28/06/2008 22:42

oops wrong thread

OP posts:

kingfix · 28/06/2008 22:45

My grandmother [heaves dusty old folksy family wisdom out of cupboard] used to say 'never confuse naughty and inconvenient' and I think your ds is just doing something a bit inconvenient. The main thing in my book is that he is well-behaved in the morning. If he was coming in to you at 5 and screaming and shouting it would be different, but reading or watching tv? You just need to get him to bring dp breakfast in bed a few times and I'm sure he'd stop thinking it was naughty.

CarofromWton · 28/06/2008 22:53

kingfix - looking back, my DD was quite demanding when she used to get up at 5 am. She wasn't happy with joining us in bed for a cuddle - she wanted us up and entertaining her (even if it was only the TV some mornings when I couldn't do anything else!). One of the first words she learnt to say was 'downstairs!', which she used every morning as her first instruction. Talk about the tail wagging the dog - the things you put up with from your first child!

kingfix · 28/06/2008 22:57

oh same here, when dd's up she's up. There are days when I wish CBeebies started a couple of hours earlier

christywhisty · 28/06/2008 23:32

Ds 12 has always been an early riser, but never really disturbed us even when he was little.
It doesn't matter what time he goes to bed he always gets up early. Yesterday up at 4 am to go on school trip to France, got back home in evening at 7 decided to go straight to scouts. came back 9.15 and didn't go to bed until after 10pm. This morning he was still up before 7am . Gone to cub camp to help out today so no knowing how much sleep he will get tonight.
We have a parental code on the tv, so that he isn't getting up to watch the tv

springerspaniel · 30/06/2008 18:46

Not sure but that sounds like quite a lot of sleep for a six year old. Maybe change his bedtime to 8pm slowly or do it quickly and live with the grumpiness for a few days till he adjusts. Blackout blinds?

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