Do I send my kids to bed too early?

[Ju_bubbs]

Thanks for you views everyone, kinda put me at ease that I'm not being a horrible mum Tho its nearly summer hols, so bedtimes will be out the window anyway lol

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

my 6 yr old goes between 6.30-8pm x

 

[ladykara]

Kids do need structure and if you can stick to a routine your doing good by your kids, dont ever feel bad about it babe .. xx

The problem comes when its still light outside and your telling them its bed time....I saw a clock which has faces to let them know when they should be in bed, it works for early rises as well as letting them know its bed time.... I keep meaning to buy one.

https://www.gro.co.uk/Gro-clock.html

 

[Ju_bubbs]

Oh wow! That clocks looks great, I dont need it so much for telling them its bedtime, I always manage to get around the light evenings by explaining that the sun stays out later coz its summer, but bedtime is still the same, which they are happy with! Its the mornings I have trouble with, my 6 year old insists on getting up as soon as he wakes at about 5am, then after a day at school, is really tired by the time he gets home!

 

[ladykara]

I have the exact same thing with my 12 year old, he was up at 4 the other morning !! he then sneaks some xbox in before i wake up and notice, i worry its because i send him to bed too early.. xx

 

[Ju_bubbs]

I have the exact same thing with my 12 year old, he was up at 4 the other morning !! he then sneaks some xbox in before i wake up and notice, i worry its because i send him to bed too early.. xx

I thought it may have been going to bed too early too, but then one night, i cant remember why now, but we didn't get in until 10pm for some reason, so they were all in bed late.. and sure enough, my 6 year old was STILL up at 5am He was just extra moody the day after coz he was so tired!

 

[ladykara]

kids ! i guess we will never work them out...lol They say when they become teenagers they just want to sleep all the time, i think My son should be hitting that stage soon, and ill be complaining he wont be getting up for school in time !!

 

[steffi2]

My 9 year old son and 5 year old daughter both are in bed by 7:30PM but they usually drift off to sleep at 8pm. My son wakes up at 4:45am as he wants to get ready early for school. He actually leaves the house for the carpool at 6am, and has to be in school by 7am. My daughter wakes up at 6am, since her class starts at 7:30am.

My son wakes up at 5:30am on weekends. He is the type who wakes up and can't go back to sleep. We try not to keep him up too late on weekends. Usually 9:30pm is tops as he will still wake up at 5:30am. I really want him to get more sleep as I know he needs it at this age. I think I am stricter than you when it comes to sending my kids to bed. I know they need as much sleep as they can get, so I really push the routine of an early bedtime.

 

[C&J]

My son is 10 and he goes to bed between 9:15 and 9:30. When its the weekend he is allowed to stay up till 10:15-10:30.

 

[babyblessed]

i am starting to worry the same thing, my older son is eight nearly nine and is usually in bed by 8/8.30 and i hear kids outside who are 6ish till 10pm, though if i let him up late he sleeps in and generally needs 12 hours so i think it is okay....i might let him up till 9 when hes 9 but me and DH do like the quiet evening too so im torn

 

[Pixxie]

No, during school time I had to go to bed at 9pm until I was 14! then 10pm Until I left school, might have been a bit extreme to some people but I was never tired during school xx

 

[Mrs_B]

My 4 year old goes to bed at half seven, and my 6 year old at eight. When the six year old doesn't get enough sleep he is VERY miserable and when my four year old doesn't get enough sleep she gets bad tempered and surly. I honestly don't know how mum's who don't make thier kids get a decent bed time cope, because to be frank my two are bloody hard work when they're tired!

 

[ladykara]

My 4 year old goes to bed at half seven, and my 6 year old at eight. When the six year old doesn't get enough sleep he is VERY miserable and when my four year old doesn't get enough sleep she gets bad tempered and surly. I honestly don't know how mum's who don't make thier kids get a decent bed time cope, because to be frank my two are bloody hard work when they're tired!

I feel awful now, my son is 12 and his bed time is 8, everything turned off 8.30..maybe im too strict..

 

[Embo78]

My daughters that are 12 and 13 go to bed at 9.30pm and my son who's nine goes to bed at 8.30 on school night.
I don't think you're doing anything wrong. Sleep is so important for our young 'uns!
My son has asked to go to nine o clock so I've said we'll think about it and maybe give it a trail!! I want him to feel he has some control over his life. If he gets cranky we can always put it back

 

[Mrs_B]

I feel awful now, my son is 12 and his bed time is 8, everything turned off 8.30..maybe im too strict..

Not at all, everybody is different and you know your own son. I need at least 9 hours sleep a night or I don't function and my OH can manage on as little as 4 hours.

 

[jubilee]

I have a 6 year old who goes to bed at 7pm
An 8 year old who goes to bed at 8pm
And an 11 year old who goes to bed at 9pm

I'm no so strict on times during holidays and weekends, especially since if we go to the beach or something, we rarely get home till 8 at the earliest anyway.. but atm, in term time, I feel really bad calling them in for bed and all their friedns of similar ages are all still outside playing till gone 9.
My kids dont complain about it, I'm just curious at to whether mine go to bed too early, or if everyone elses are out too late!

My 8 year old has just gone up to bed, I've just been to let my dog out in the garden for a wee, and there are still kids out there playing, even as young as 3/4.. All the parents can see them from our windows, but surely it's too late?

those times look about the same as the times my son went to bed at all those ages. he is 10 (11 in Sept) and I try to have him sorting his room and brushing teeth at 8.30/8.45pm and sometimes let him watch something bed if he's recorded it because it's usually on 25 mins.

In the hols I am not strict at all unless I need some adult time to myself lol then I ship him to bed at 9.30pm

I think there is no need for an 11 year old to be outside at 9pm...what could they really need to be doing anyway?

i think you have it spot on hun x

 

[jubilee]

My 4 year old goes to bed at half seven, and my 6 year old at eight. When the six year old doesn't get enough sleep he is VERY miserable and when my four year old doesn't get enough sleep she gets bad tempered and surly. I honestly don't know how mum's who don't make thier kids get a decent bed time cope, because to be frank my two are bloody hard work when they're tired!

I feel awful now, my son is 12 and his bed time is 8, everything turned off 8.30..maybe im too strict..

No hun, I will be more strict with keeping to my sons bedtime this eyar (as he goes into year 6). he does some after school activities whihc mean he has to eat later and therfore settle a bit later too.

Also if you are having no probs with your son then I wouldn't worry. each household is going to do things differently.

I tend to base my sons bedtime now on making sure he gets no less than 10 hours in his bed and luckily we live near to school don't have to get up too early. We get up at 7.45am and that allows for me to make him grilled bacon muffins (he's spolied i know!) while he has a bath and gets dressed then we can eat breaky and chat for 25 mins before he goes to brush his teeth, sort his hair and stink the house out with his deoderant!

 

[jubilee]

i am starting to worry the same thing, my older son is eight nearly nine and is usually in bed by 8/8.30 and i hear kids outside who are 6ish till 10pm, though if i let him up late he sleeps in and generally needs 12 hours so i think it is okay....i might let him up till 9 when hes 9 but me and DH do like the quiet evening too so im torn

Don't feel bad about your bedtimes hun. mean if you think a bout it what would he really be gaining by staying awake for an extra hour? It may be different if he is lying awake every night in bed alomne for an hour but if he's going to sleep,let him sleep & don't feel guilty about spending time with your hubby.

It's easy to wonder if your kids are missing out when you see other kids doing things differently to you but I honestly cannot see one benefit, except for kidnappers, for a 6 year old to be 'chillin' on the street' at 10pm x

 

[divadexie]

I think some kids cope with less hours sleep than others.

My son is 5 and I know for a fact if I don't have him in bed by 7.30 at the latest, he is cross, tired and grumpy the next day! Which isn't fair on him as he doesnt choose when to go to bed so I do try to make sure he is in bed on time. If we have a 'special treat' like fireworks lastnight at the fair I usually make sure I am home the next day but it was the parade today and once he got tired he was horrid!

 

[AimeeM]

My 7 year old goes to bed at 8.30 school nights and 9 holidays. They need a routine and when i see all the other kids still playing out i just know if it was mine i would have to drag him out of bed in the morning for him being tired!