Do you observe a strict bedtime for your children during summer months?

1. 73

   breathe2travelposted 11 years ago

   Do you observe a strict bedtime for your children during summer months?

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2. 61

   duffsmomposted 11 years ago

   Kids are all grown, but as I recall, no we didn't.  As long as they were quiet, they could watch TV all night or read or whatever they wanted.  They never stayed up very late though.  Ten or eleven was their limit set on their own.  School nights was 9pm and they could read for a little while in bed.
   
   We let them stay up for special programs and tried to be flexible.  Sometimes I think if a parent is inflexible, the kids long for things they can't have, staying up late, staying home from school, doing things they aren't supposed to.

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3. 62

   landscapeartistposted 11 years ago

   No, I don't stick to bedtime routines throughout the summer months.  I think that everybody should have a break in their set routines every now and then.  Even kids need a break.  I just don't let my son stay up every night late.  Some late nights is fine, and the odd allnighter if I know he can handle it. 
   He sees it as a treat to be able to stay up as late as he wants.  I try to be flexible with his sleep time, and I do not overdo it.

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   adawnmorrisonposted 11 years ago

   My parents did not monitor our television viewing, bedtime, or personal productivity during the summer months at all when I was a child...and sometimes I wish they had, as self-discipline is still a struggle for me.  We are not "strict" about bedtime in the sense that the lights must be out by a certain time, but we begin the bedtime routine at about the same time every night and they know that when it's done, it is time to sleep.  We are more flexible during the summer months, especially if it gives us a chance to do something out of the ordinary, like build a campfire, catch fireflies, or have a family movie night.  But I would not allow them to stay up all night and miss all the good things that they could be accomplishing in the daylight hours because they are too tired/crabby to take advantage of them.

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   LaThingposted 11 years ago

   In a way we do, but it's more relaxed routine. We all stay up later than school days, and if some of them wants to stay up late some night, there is no problem.

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   Lady Wordsmithposted 11 years ago

   Mine are still small, so I don't let them stay up too late.  I can tell that they still need a good ten hours of sleep, because they just wake much later in the morning if they have a late night.  So I let them stay up if they're in the middle of something really fun - usually getting filthy in the garden with their friend from across the back.  But otherwise I try to get them to bed at a decent hour still, albeit a little later than school nights, as I need my own evenings even more in the summer because they're exhausting kids!  They don't stop moving and shouting and questioning from the moment they get up until the moment they fall asleep!  I've got to have a couple of quiet hours before I go to sleep myself, man!
   
   My eldest, who's only eight, stays up a little longer than his brothers, because he has his own room and he's no trouble at all at bedtime - he just reads quietly, or does some drawing or writing in his diary/journal.  That's often his most productive time of day, because it's his quiet time as well, and he gets peace from his brothers. 
   
   Nice question

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      breathe2travelposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You are sooo right - the kids are busy from the moment theay awaken til they drift to sleep -- full of energy and requiring my energy! I need my down time, too!  We've decided to allow down time for the kids in their rooms - read draw, watch a video.

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      Lady Wordsmithposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's something that we might perhaps disagree on then breathe2travel - I don't allow TVs, videos, DVDs, stereos, computers, iPods or any kind of gadgets in my kids' bedrooms   I'm very strict on that one!  Books and toys only

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