Because of some scheduling issues tonight and in an attempt to help people get to where they need to be and to also help me out with some carpooling, I have two extra children for a bit this evening. I am patiently waiting for the parents of two little boys to come get their children. It is 7:53 pm. So I have 5 kids who are still up watching a movie. Two of them aren't mine and two of three that are mine are approaching an hour past their bedtime. I just finished listening to my 7 year old ask his friend who is 8 what time he goes to bed. This is how the convo went:
mine: what time do you go to bed?
not mine: 8:30
mine: WHAT???!!!??? I have to go to bed at 7!
not mine: you go to bed at 7? Oh........
mine: my brother gets to stay up til 8, he's so lucky. And my sister gets to stay up til 9 but she has to go to her room at 8:30. Our teenager goes to bed when my mom does. I wonder why it is so different at your house.
YEAH! ME TOO!! Why the heck is it so different at everyone else's house? What time do these parents go to bed? Don't they need to sleep? When do they get up? Aren't they tired?
I. Am. So. Tired.
I go to bed at 10, unless I am out, which is hardly ever. I don't go to sleep at 10, I like to read. I probably should go to sleep at 9 because I AM SO TIRED.
I get up at 6:45, whether I like it or not. I absolutely NEED some quiet time in the evening. So the children have to go to bed early. It's simple. Or is it?
I don't get how the rest of the sleep deprived world works....... or functions, for that matter. Besides my sister, who has also adopted the brilliance of the early bedtime in her family, I feel all alone in the world on this. How can this be?
Early to bed, early to rise. Isn't that how it goes? If 8:30 is early for an 8 year old what on earth is 7? I just don't know anymore..... I'm so disillusioned.
People! PUT YOUR KIDS TO BED!! They're tired, they want to sleep.
Trust me - they do.
Post edit: I thought I'd let you know how my night turned out since everything happened sans schedule, which is opposite of how I like it. I got my kids to bed by 9. The older ones thought it was unfair because the younger ones got to stay up longer than they did. My response? "I don't care. Go to bed." So then I finally started to watch the shows I would have watched at 7:30 if my schedule had happened. I finished watching Biggest Loser (pvr'd) at 10:40 ish and was in bed at 11. Chatted with the man until he fell asleep, frustrated that I keep him up so late. My last clock check was 11:51. That's too late! Now I'm tired....again.
Chicken starts his bath at 7 and is in his crib by 7:30 (he usually talks for 1/2 to 1 hour). He is not allowed out of his crib until 8am and he usually sleeps until 8:30. I agree - sleep is important for kids and for parents!!
ReplyDeleteWhich makes me wonder: I don't know how people who sleep with their kids do it. Especially when they are older babies and could roll out of bed. Do you just go to bed with your baby at 8pm? I've always wondered!! Also, if you sleep with your kids how do you get pregnant again?
I'm probably asking the wrong person...
I am with you! My kids go to bed at 7:30 PM for the 8 year old, 8:00 Pm for the 10 year old and 9:00 for the 13 year old (who also mostly wanders off to bed at 8:30 PM with out being told. You are not alone in your thoughts!
ReplyDelete8pm bedtime here too - it is hard when you can hear the rest of the neighborhood going strong at 10pm though.
ReplyDeleteI am not for being sleep deprived! My kids are in bed at 8pm...i follow by 10pm. The little one still naps, but he'll happily sleep till 830am most days. Girlie doesn't nap these days, but she's in her room till at least 8am.
ReplyDeleteI've never understood why people don't put their darn kids to bed--my biggest pet peeve is having to do a Walmart shop and seeing crying/tired kids beign dragged around the store at 10pm! Geesh.
Kids need sleep. Parents need time to recover from their day. Love my kids but i do not want to look at them ALL day. LOL, j/k.
We start bedtime at 6:30 here....the kids are usually dead to the world by 7 or 7:30...
ReplyDeleteNow if only Dwight and I could get to bed earlier (although we have been enjoying a forced 'slow down' this past week and have been in bed by 11 instead of 1)!