My kids go to bed early, therefore I am a good parent.
I’m kidding.
Sleeping is a hot topic, and everyone has an opinion. I started getting questions and advice before I even had a baby! It’s like a baby bump is a magnet for some people to fill your head with their ideas on how to get your baby to sleep. What books have you read? Do you plan on sleep training? I remember acting like I knew what “crying it out” meant when I was pregnant with my first. It seemed like the quickest way to get myself out of the conversation. I figured if the “experienced mom” thought I agreed with her, I could escape more quickly.
Don’t worry – I won’t write a series on early bedtimes and the ten reasons YOUR kid shouldn’t stay up late. I won’t do that because while this “method” of early lights out greatly works for me, I guarantee it won’t work for everyone. Blogger Kristina is not a stickler for early bedtimes.
The most important reason early bedtimes work for us is this: no matter what time my son goes to bed, he will wake up at the same time. Lights out at midnight? He is still up by 6am. Lights out at 7pm? You guessed it, he will wake up about 6am. Clearly one of these options is better than the other. You’re starting to support my early bedtime decision, aren’t you?
My daughter is more of a night owl and more likely to sleep in. However, like many second kids, she just gets to go along with what her sibling does. Plus, my son “accidentally” wakes her up in the morning and if that girl doesn’t get her 11 hours of sleep in, watch out. So, off to bed they both go. By 7pm. This means in bed by 7pm at the latest. All extracurricular activities are done by 6pm. Baths, brushing teeth and all the other tedious bedtime routine events happen within the 6 o’clock hour.
I know, some of you are thinking – but we are just starting dinner at 6pm!
I get up at 4:20am during the week. Trust me, I would sleep later but between the kids, a full time career, and knowing that if I don’t work out I am equally as cranky as my four year old on under 11 hours of sleep, I basically have to start my day that early to get everything accomplished. I cannot have kids running around at 9pm when I have such an early wake time.
Putting the kids down early means I have a shot at packing lunches, doing laundry and getting hopefully more than six hours of sleep before that alarm clock does off.
Early bedtimes are for my own sanity.
But what about weekends?
Weekends, we go crazy. We really mix it up. We extend bedtime all the way to…
…wait for it…
…8pm.
My kids have always been good sleepers. One of them is just not a good sleeper-inner.
Our household runs well with early bedtimes. It’s not for everyone. Heck, it probably won’t be for us as time goes on and my kids naturally have later extracurriculars and loads of homework. We will shift as the needs of our lives shift.
But for now, if it’s past 8pm and my kids are up – please send help.
Are you a stickler for early bedtimes? Do you let your kids hang till 10pm? We’d love to hear!
YES! It’s good to know I’m not the only one! I’m a big advocate for my kids getting their sleep for alot of reasons but, mainly I know it’s when their bodies need to reset for the next day & when they need to grow.
Sometimes it seems like I am alone when I am also a stickler for early bed time & all the neighbor kids are still up playing outside and my kids have to come in at a certain time because they have to be in bed by 7 each night as well.
I have 3 kids and I know if I don’t get them in bed by a certain time it’s going to be a big battle in the morning.
I’ve had to adjust the last couple of years tho as they have gotten older and have different school schedules, & more homework, but we still make it work so they get in bed by a decent hour.
Weekends I let them go to bed a few hours later than the norm and it’s back on schedule Sunday night!
You are definitely not alone! It does get tricky when they are playing and have to come in when it’s daylight still or we leave a gathering at what may seem like an early hour (but not to me!). It makes our days so much easier when our kids are well rested. Crankiness usually stems from being tired (for me too, LOL). I bet there are more moms out there who are sticklers for early bedtimes like us! =)
I am a huge stickler for early bedtimes. My two girls age five and eight are in bed by seven every night even on weekends. My ten year old son gets to stay up till 8:30. My kids need at least 11 or 12 hours of sleep to be happy and they are all up really early no matter what time they go to bed. I also really enjoy my evenings to myself. I am exhausted by seven pm and usually out of patience so it’s for everyone’s benefit to put the kids to bed early.