6yo bedtime

[Mum157]

I have a (just) 6yo DDand a (nearly) 5yo DS. They both go to bed at 7pm. DD is often still awake at 8/8:30. She's pretty happy, just lying in bed, awake but I'm wondering if I should be putting her to bed later?

If I do, DS will want to go to bed later too, as he won't get the 'but she's older than you' argument, plus he needs more sleep anyway. So, that will be tricky.

Also, even when they go to bed at 7, I still struggle to get through all the things I can't do when I'm looking after them, so a later bedtime will give me even less time.

WWYD?

Case it point, she's still wide awake now.

What time does she wake up in the morning? Or do you wake her?

I have two children only a year apart - I completely understand the need to keep bedtime the same time in order to maintain peace. However you point about needing a child-free evening is irrelevant. You will have to accept that will change. My eldest two are 11 and 12 now. They are still awake (out in fact, at Scouts) now and it's 9pm. You can't keep your 4 hours child-free evenings forever.

In terms of bedtime, my younger two children (aged 7 and 2) both share a 7.30-8pm bedtime. By that I mean that we go upstairs to do teeth/PJs/story at 7.30pm and they are asleep no later than 8pm. I think my 7 year old could be later, given he is the first in the household to wake in the morning.

She wakes up at about 6:30/7, occasionally I'll have to wake her up at 7.

I realise I won't have kid-free evenings forever, but hoping to string it out for as long as possible.

I was thinking about putting them to bed at the same time, but she can listen to an audiobook for a while....