So when did you give up blackout blinds / curtains?

[swings]

Dd's 3 now. As a small baby she always woke at sunrise, no matter when that was, so, being broke at the time, I covered her windows with blackout material which has been a lifesaver.

But, as dp points out unless we want her to think people all have dark bedrooms it's probably a good idea to give her back some light! (we're not cruel by the way, she spends no time in her room apart from sleeping, it's a tiny room)

When did you give up on blackouts and feel fairly confident your child wouldn't wake at the crack of dawn?

never had them. My MIL looks after them when I work and she didn't have blinds so I reasoned that they needed to get used to light at nap times anyway.

They didn't stir early in the summer either, or not before 6.30am which I consider a bonus tbh.

x

Thanks oo. What sort of age was that?

I have always had them, still do. My kids are 6 and 4. However they do have night lights I use it to block out daylight at nighttime, more than morning tbh

I still have black out blinds, DS is nearly 8, but he shares with dd1 who is 5, dd2, 4, has one too, when we move Ds will not have one.

You're supposed to give them up?

We have one - I mean, the kids have them in their rooms but we have one in our room too, otherwise the early light in the summer wakes us both up.

We didn't go for full black out blinds, but we do have a wooden venetian blind in each bedroom (including ours) and curtains with blackout linings. Doesn't blank out all the light but does keep it nicely dark - might that help if you dislike using the blackout material directly on the windows?

I agree with everyone else though, there's no particular reason to stop if it all suits you Then again, I haven't particularly bothered when the boys wake up early as long as they're playing happily in their rooms and not disturbing us until a more sensible hour!!!

Yes, Georgina, I was thinking of doing that, just adding blackout material to the backs of the curtains.

marthamoo, no, you don't HAVE to give them up!

We got rid of them this year, partly because we changed the curtains and didn't bother switching the linings, and partly because DS2 has got very nervous of the dark. We have a street light outside which brightens their room enough that it's not quite so scary pitchblack as it was. They are 7 and 5, and DS1 knows to check the clock in the kitchen (opposite their room) before going into the front room - they aren't allowed out of their room until after 7am.

Oh good, trefusis, dd will be 3.5 next summertime!