How can I stop my children getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning?

[Smamfa]

So we have quite a good bed time routine.

DS (7 1/2) gets up to go to the loo before 6 am. He has had night-time wetting problem since forever, so I'm glad he's not wetting the bed anymore. That was a killer. But he makes so much f*ing noise, singing, fighting, etc. Then, from about 6.15 keeps coming in to ask what time is it and can he go downstairs. (he's got clocks watches and he can tell the time). DD (nearly 5) sneaks into bed with me in the middle of the night (when I don't notice) and then fidgets from about 5 am. I am soooo tired of this, feel like I haven't had a decent nights sleep since before I was pregnant in 1999.

Have just read the riot act - again. We tried all manner of threats/bribery/star charts/you name it. It works for a few days and then it doesn't.

DH, helpfully, spends most of the night on the sofa with the telly on - I can't sleep except in the quiet and dark.

I don't want to be forced into bed at 9pm every night just to get enough sleep. I could cry - in fact I am.

I am with you. DS1 had me up at 5.45. He is 2.10 and is dry during the day adn when awake during the night insists on the loo rather than his pull up. Once he is up there is no change of him returning to bed.

He has a rabbitt clock and is good with it most of the time, although 6.30 is normal time.

DH gets up on a Sat and I find that helps my sanity.

unfortunalty I think some children just get up early..I know my 3 are early risers although we changed the 5am wake to 6.30am with reward charts..you have to just keep going with them..we still use the sleeping in bed until 6.30am on the chart even though since sept ds has done it.

But they are older now. DD started school recently and really needs her sleep. In fact they both really struggle if they don't get enough sleep, a bit like me.

DS is 4 and only started sleeping through in spet so you do have my sympathies..

at that age i think I would just let them get up, at least if they are downstairs you can be peaceful upstairs. They can make their own breakfast and watch cartoons.
Your dh must be exhausted though.

Posie - re:DH - yes he is, but we have two spare beds as well as a king-size in our room. He's ruining my sofa's too. But my MIL encourages it, because her late DP did the same thing (watching telly til all hours, sleeping on the sofa). She thinks I should get up in the middle of the night and make him come to bed. Sorry, I just need to whine 'what about meeeeee - when do I sleep?'.

But usually once they've woken me up I can't get back to sleep. And then I'm cross cos I'm tired and I can't sleep.

Oh I'm with you Smamfa!! DS is now at school and we had so hoped that he would start to sleep longer - no chance. Today he was up at 5.20am and we started on one of our "he will go back to bed " mornings. In and out, up and down until 7.00!! DH has switched all the upstairs lights of at the fuse box in the hope that if he can see anything it's pointless getting up!
Ds is shattered by mid morning and being a pain at school at the moment so we are desperate here too

can't see anything

Aha- fuses - good thinking I might try that!

Will social services come if I tie them to the bed? Why are they so resistant to what they need most?

Have told DD that if she comes in my bed again I will take all her chocolate and eat it myself. Have told DS that everytime he wakes me up before 7 am I will take one of his toys and put it in the loft. Absolutely worst threats I could think of.

Aha- fuses - good thinking I might try that!

Will social services come if I tie them to the bed? Why are they so resistant to what they need most?

Have told DD that if she comes in my bed again I will take all her chocolate and eat it myself. Have told DS that everytime he wakes me up before 7 am I will take one of his toys and put it in the loft. Absolutely worst threats I could think of.

Taking toys off DS has bugger all effect. He doesn't give a hoot about any kind of punishment at the moment

Smamfa, I have the same problem with dd, I just keep in mind that she will become a teenager who won't get out of bed for toffee, its a long way off though!