At wits end over eight year old.

[leisurely]

Am I expecting her to sleep for too long? Briefly, she adores reading to the extent that we removed her lightbulbs so she has an anglepoise to read by prior to settling down. She then had to lose her nightlight and alarm clock because she was trying to read by them. Next the bookcase left the room. Currently she gets into bed at 7.30 and reads until 8 then it's lights out till she gets up at 6.45. Are we expecting her to sleep for too long? She inevitably gets up around 9 to pee then fanny's around for 5 minutes before going back to bed. She is a disaster to get up in the morning due to tiredness. Anybody got any tips or strategies to help? she's eight years old and doesn't eat very much if this adds anything.

i used to be the same. i would hide books under my pillow. (although i know now that this wasnt a brilliant place to hide them! lol) but i would quite happily read till 9, 10pm.
my bedtime was at 8 though. and reading till 9 was only an hour. but i was also a nightmare to wake in the morning. i still am now even if i went to sleep really early. i could just be that your dd is a night owl like myself.is she ok once shes been awake for a little while in the morning?

xxx

Thanks Lexilex, she is a horror in the morning when she wakes up, refuses to eat breakfast so that turns into a battle and getting her dressed is a disaster. She does appreciate that the reason she wants five more minutes is becaus she didn't go to sleep but can't seem to put the two together.
Last night for example, we did the usual routine- reading, kiss, lights out etc. I went to the balcony to have a cig and heard the blinds going up (outside), investigations revealed DD contentedly reading. She'd hidden the book in her bedside table and I hadn't even checked there, she generally favours up her nightie or under pillow. She was furious that I'd found out. I'll just have to continue but sedation would be lovely.

im sorry its difficult for you. have you tried putting her bedtime up to 8pm?

i also find my DS gets ready much easier with no TV so is not distracted by anything. also breakfast before getting dressed sorry if you have tried all this, these are things that help me. (my alarm is set for 6am so i can get up by 7, half 7 at the latest! got to love the snooze button!) i hope this helps i dont know what else to say.

(by the way im lexilex, name changed as i got bored. hehe)

Put the clocks forward half an hour and put her to bed earlier. Reading should be encouraged, but she does need her sleep. I can totally relate as a night owl not morning person, but do you think she'd like reading in the morning? Oh I never ate breakfast either! Had it on my way to school on a good day.

Cracking suggestion ches and sparkle, but she is too shrewd for that to work. She got her head into a point when the clocks went forward and I changed her digital clock (when she still had it). She accused me of all sorts of shenanigans and just had a melt down because 'you don't love me enough to want to spend another hour with me'. Nothing could be further from the truth, but what I wouldn't give for a child who decides that they are tired (or hungry for that matter).
We've tried the 8 o'clock lights out but that just made matters worse the next day. I suppose I'll just have to live with it.