What time do you put your kid/s to bed?

[Gcross]

So as the title says really, what time do you put your child/ren to bed? Do you have a set routine?

I've always been quite hot on having a routine with my son, I personally think children need it (Although because of Christmas etc he has had a few late nights.)

Our routine is normally he has had dinner by 5.15pm then has over an hour to let his food go down, I then run him a bath at 6.30pm which he is in for 15-20mins then get him dried and in his pj's and then we read stories for a while, (he doesn't have a tv in his room and I would never stick him in bed and let him watch telly until he falls asleep) I'm then finished and back downstairs by 7.20pm. This happens exactly the same every single night.

I only ask because I'm shocked at how late some people actually put their children to bed - people I've spoken to or seen on FB etc.

Do you think I put my son to bed too early? Or is the norm time for everyone?
He is 4 years old and sleeps till 7am.

X

 

[virtues2011]

I think you are very sensible. How can small children learn when they have no rest, they need their sleep to be able to function, learn and grow. I couldn't stand the whining and crying of a small tired child and for those that are just starting school and are up to 10pm gone personally I think it is wrong, not only on the child but the parents too! I would never have a light on in or near the room either as if you read the medical references behind light and sleep and how detrimental it is most would be shocked.

I had a very strict routine with my daughter's bedtime and wouldn't change it for the world. Everyone was calm happy and fully rested. It is harder as they get older and as a teenager no matter what time they go to bed you still have to shoehorn them out of it the next day!

 

[Jhdhairdressing]

Not at all, I totally agree routine all the way!

I have a nearly 5yr old little girl and and little boy who's 1 today! They have dinner by 4.30 some times later if lois is at after school club. We go up for bath at 5.30pm by 6pm my little boy is in his cot drinking his milk goes straight to sleep and normally sleeps till 6.30am (he gets so tired that's why he goes to early hard to keep him up any longer) and my little girl goes to her between 6.30 and 7pm we always read books for a while lovely bedtime routine.

When I was on fb see people's statuses about their children still being up at 10pm! Then they wonder why they won't sleep and play up at bed time. It's madness children need sleep and routine

 

[AngieG]

I totally agree with a routine and I have a simular pattern to you.

Ok, they've had two late nights due to Christmas but that is very rare.

My two (aged 6 and 4) are in bed for 7pm ready for stories and then lights out at 7.20pm. My daughter sometimes chooses to read herself in which case I leave her to it but she knows her light must be out by 7.30 latest.

They both sleep through til 7am so they must need it. Occasionally I have started the bedtime routine at 6.30pm so they are settled and asleep by 7pm - this happens about once a month due to naughty outbursts due to tiredness, growing And school!! X

 

[sammyantha]

My 4yr old & nearly 2yr old are always in bed by 7. As much for my sanity as their need for sleep!

Only exceptions are holidays but try to keep it as close as possible. They're so grumpy if they don't get their sleep.





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[Nails<3]

My 5 year old(nearly 6) and 7 year old are in bed by 6:30/7pm on a school night.

They are allowed later bed times in the holidays and weekends but school nights they need a good 11/12 hours sleep.



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[Spandangle]

This is so good to read for me as my baby is due in march xx

 

[hazeleyes]

Mmmm I was always very strict with routines with my first child, he was a diamond baby slept all through the night etc he's now 7 year old and he goes to bed at around 8. I allowed the time to move from 7.30 as he struggled to go to m sleep before then! Sometimes if I'm tired and grumpy and just want to watch eastenders then they are made to go up at 7.30.

Now... The younger one is a different kettle of fish! He has a routine and sleeps all the way through, but very very clingy and it was a lot harder to get the routine set of a night time with him.
They share a bedroom so the baby screams for ages and keeps the older one awake! So now I send the older one up first and the little one follows once he's sound asleep which is usually approx 2 mins!
Weekends and holidays I do relax this though to be honest.

Oh no I wouldn't want them up till 10, I go to bed at 11 so it would mean no peace whatsoever!

 

[Mobile Manicure]

When its a school night my 6 year old goes to bed at 7:30, reads for 20 mins or so and is asleep by 8pm. She wakes at 8am. My 11 year old (nearly 12) is in high school now and goes to bed at 9pm, falls asleep straight away and wakes at 7am.

During the holidays they stay up a bit later but then also sleep in more. The little one gets 12 hrs sleep and the big one 9 to 10 hours.

If I had my way they'd be in bed by 5:30pm but unfortunately they'd then wake up too early!

 

[Missy1213]

All 4 of my kids go to bed at 8pm , my youngest doesn't nap at all during day and she is 2 so she does conk out sooner.
From the day I had my 1st child I followed a routine.
Did any one ever buy the book called contented baby? I picked up so much from that book and it's served me well. Come my 3rd and 4th baby I just did my own thing but I never dropped the routine.

It is so important for their development. You can't have a tired baby in the morning and expect them to function, look how us adults are when we do not get our full sleep, not that we do 90% of the time but were adults.

I know some parents that keep children up after 9pm, they conk out downstairs on the sofa. It's something I wouldn't do or agree with.

Most of all I need the ROUTINE for my sanity!!! I LOVE my evenings, if I still had my kids up, going to bed when I do I wouldn't be sane.

 

[virtues2011]

Talking on the same lines as routine, can it be taken too far? I say this as when my girl was a baby some 18 years ago I never read a book on how to bring her up, I'm not sure there was one, although I probably am wrong here. I just used common sense. I refused point blank to see a midwife or whatever you call them....you know, the annoying ones that come round the house on a weekly basis, have no kids then tell you how you have to do things....not for me I'm afraid.

I have a friend who swears blind by Gina Ford (writes books on babies apparently)- and it seems everything is timed to the second, from waking the child up from sleep, bathing times, feeding times, naps in the day and what time they have to go to sleep to what time you have to shake them awake, how many carrots have to be eaten at mealtimes and everyone has to stop speaking if the baby makes a sound as they feel the baby is not getting attention...to be fair this would drive me nuts. They can't even leave the house...that, I couldn't be bothered with for one minute.

 

[Missy1213]

Talking on the same lines as routine, can it be taken too far? I say this as when my girl was a baby some 18 years ago I never read a book on how to bring her up, I'm not sure there was one, although I probably am wrong here. I just used common sense. I refused point blank to see a midwife or whatever you call them....you know, the annoying ones that come round the house on a weekly basis, have no kids then tell you how you have to do things....not for me I'm afraid.

I have a friend who swears blind by Gina Ford (writes books on babies apparently)- and it seems everything is timed to the second, from waking the child up from sleep, bathing times, feeding times, naps in the day and what time they have to go to sleep to what time you have to shake them awake, how many carrots have to be eaten at mealtimes and everyone has to stop speaking if the baby makes a sound as they feel the baby is not getting attention...to be fair this would drive me nuts. They can't even leave the house...that, I couldn't be bothered with for one minute.

In all honesty I didn't have a clue what I was doing, what this meant what that meant so for me it HELPED. I wanted to be a perfect mum too.. Not that there is such a thing but that was me at 23.

I am very flexible as a mum and by no means stick to the routine by the T, I can bend the rules. My sister on the other hand. Her child has to be in bed at this time, Has to eat no matter what after 4 hours. If it doesn't go to plan then we hear about it.
Funny thing is my sister whenever she's has to do something she has to let the whole world know too. "I've got to feed my baby at 4", "she needs a bath at 6pm" etc.
It's a generation thing I think.
Don't know what it is but at the time I needed a book.

 

[virtues2011]

In all honesty I didn't have a clue what I was doing, what this meant what that meant so for me it HELPED. I wanted to be a perfect mum too.. Not that there is such a thing but that was me at 23.

I am very flexible as a mum and by no means stick to the routine by the T, I can bend the rules. My sister on the other hand. Her child has to be in bed at this time, Has to eat no matter what after 4 hours. If it doesn't go to plan then we hear about it.
Funny thing is my sister whenever she's has to do something she has to let the whole world know too. "I've got to feed my baby at 4", "she needs a bath at 6pm" etc.
It's a generation thing I think.
Don't know what it is but at the time I needed a book.

Oh sorry it wasn't an attack on you for mentioning a book, I was still writing my post while you had just posted your message, I didn't see it until I posted mine.

If you felt better and it helped you by reading a book then that is fine, everyone is different I generally only post on a personal level though. There must be a need for books as nowadays there are hundreds of them. I just think if you can't leave the house or can only call between 1.30pm and 2.15pm and can't talk when the baby is asleep I think that is just a little too much for me personally. However for those that know me on here they also understand my dislike of children so the earlier to bed they go the happier I am... ha ha... I do remember my daughter at 2 years old being in bed at 5.30pm though but it is purely a matter of opinion that is all.

 

[MummyCat]

My daughter is 9 and has a very similar routine to the OP, apart from now that she's older, she goes up for her bath at 7pm, gets ready for bed, reads and has a cuddle, then sleeps at 8pm.

This routine has been in place since she was about 4 weeks old and it works perfectly. Obviously on holidays, parties and weekends she might go to sleep later, however she ALWAYS wakes up at the same time (around 7/8am) ...so there is no way I'm changing her usual bed time as she'd be way too tired.

I really don't understand people that let their little ones stay up late...when do they fit in time for themselves? And their kids must be shattered?

 

[MummyCat]

Talking on the same lines as routine, can it be taken too far? I say this as when my girl was a baby some 18 years ago I never read a book on how to bring her up, I'm not sure there was one, although I probably am wrong here. I just used common sense. I refused point blank to see a midwife or whatever you call them....you know, the annoying ones that come round the house on a weekly basis, have no kids then tell you how you have to do things....not for me I'm afraid.

I have a friend who swears blind by Gina Ford (writes books on babies apparently)- and it seems everything is timed to the second, from waking the child up from sleep, bathing times, feeding times, naps in the day and what time they have to go to sleep to what time you have to shake them awake, how many carrots have to be eaten at mealtimes and everyone has to stop speaking if the baby makes a sound as they feel the baby is not getting attention...to be fair this would drive me nuts. They can't even leave the house...that, I couldn't be bothered with for one minute.

I'm glad you mentioned Gina Ford as I tried doing it with my child, but it literally drove me insane! I took all the elements I like from it such as nap times and swaddling to create my own & it worked perfectly! Still does!

 

[misslady]

I honestly think that sometimes we worry too much about what others do and think. I collect my eldest from nursery at 6pm and it can take 10-20 mins to get home. I then let him play with his brother/give him dinner then they both have a bath. If he doesn't nap at nursery he'll be asleep by 7pm. If he does sometimes it's 8pm. If he's overtired or unwell it can be 9pm. I don't care what anyone else thinks because I am doing the best I can with 2 young children. Right now they're both asleep. I don't think you put your child to bed too early, just keep doing what works for you. X

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[virtues2011]

I'm glad you mentioned Gina Ford as I tried doing it with my child, but it literally drove me insane! I took all the elements I like from it such as nap times and swaddling to create my own & it worked perfectly! Still does!

Just the name Gina Ford brings me out in a cold sweat... ha ha I think some people take it too far, but again if that's what they are happy to do good luck to them. I'm pretty confident to hedge my bets that the child I am talking about will grow up no different to those that parents have never read the book and based their child's upbringing around it. There must be a part in the book that says something about attention as this is what I find most bizzare. As a kid if I talked while adults were talking I would be asked not to interrupt and wait until the conversation had finished. It seems it is not like that anymore and the adults that are talking have to stop immediately and listen to the child. I was also told not to touch ornaments and other peoples things, but that seems to have vanished also.....I witness kids in my hair salon pulling things out of drawers and touching what they shouldn't be....I think it is all wrong. I remember one day inviting a friend and her little daughter round to my house, within ten minutes the whole of my kitchen cupboards were laid out on the floor while the mother laughed. Clearly I was not. I would be horrified if my daughter growing up even so much as pointed at someones drawers let alone opened them - am I old fashioned I wonder!

 

[MummyCat]

Just the name Gina Ford brings me out in a cold sweat... ha ha I think some people take it too far, but again if that's what they are happy to do good luck to them. I'm pretty confident to hedge my bets that the child I am talking about will grow up no different to those that parents have never read the book and based their child's upbringing around it. There must be a part in the book that says something about attention as this is what I find most bizzare. As a kid if I talked while adults were talking I would be asked not to interrupt and wait until the conversation had finished. It seems it is not like that anymore and the adults that are talking have to stop immediately and listen to the child. I was also told not to touch ornaments and other peoples things, but that seems to have vanished also.....I witness kids in my hair salon pulling things out of drawers and touching what they shouldn't be....I think it is all wrong. I remember one day inviting a friend and her little daughter round to my house, within ten minutes the whole of my kitchen cupboards were laid out on the floor while the mother laughed. Clearly I was not. I would be horrified if my daughter growing up even so much as pointed at someones drawers let alone opened them - am I old fashioned I wonder!

I think you and I are very similar in those views. I totally agree 100%.

But horses for courses, everyone has different way of parenting and I know that many won't agree with us.

 

[w1nnie]

Omg, thank god those days are over, I used to sit with glass of alcahol for me in one hand and spoon fed Angel Delight to the kids with the other, until they fell asleep and then put them in thier beds straight away ! Couldn't cope with bed time at all :Scared::Scared:

 

[Spa Therapist]

I found the Gina Ford routine completely ridiculous! What if my baby isn't hungry at precisely 3.15pm? What if I "put her down" (wrestle her) for a nap at the correct time but takes 20mins for her to go to sleep? What if she falls asleep in the car at the wrong time? Do I carry a stick with me in the car, then prod her at each set of traffic lights to wake her up? :lol:

No child is perfect and I think having a routine helps but it isn't the be all and end all! My daughter has always been a bad sleeper despite having a good routine. If she only sleeps for 2 hours through the night then I can't expect her to stay up until 7pm the next night for the sake of a routine

Bath time before bed never worked for us either, I bath my daughter in the morning because she screams and gets herself so worked up she'd never sleep afterwards!