kids bedtime is.....? I'm not normal?? h uh??

“sacco, you know how sometimes you go on a backpacking trip and everything goes wrong, the weather sucks - it rains buckets, snows, hails, thunders etc, your tent leaked, the stove wouldn't light, you slipped on a downhill, fell in the mud and tore your zippoff pants. But sitting around the fire that last night with your buddies everyone is telling the funniest stories about events of the trip. Your all having a grand time while watching the stars come back out one at a time. Then on the ride home everyone agreed that that was just the coolest damn trip ever and forever more you remember it fondly...

well, thats what raising children is like.”

“When our oldest was 14, we set her bedtime at 10 on school nights. By 15, we let her set her own bedtime. She quickly learned that if she wanted to be rested, she needed to get to bed. She's 16 now and usually goes to bed between 10 and 11 (no phone after 10 or she'd be up all night). She's generally very responsible and mature. If you don't give them some responsibility, they won't learn it.

The younger ones need more rules. Our 7 year old is in bed by 8 reading. Asleep around 8:30 or 9. Same for our 3 year old.”

“BowlderSon - age 9 - 4th grade - 9PM bedtime on school nights or when we have an early practice or game on the weekends. He has to get up around 6:30-6:45 on school days. If tired, bedtime is 8:30. Weekends: usually not later than 10.”

“So, what rhymes with sacco?

a. taco
b. whacko
c. macho”

“d. banana”

“Violin has a three-year-old!!!
Ha ha ha!!!

hyway, those five years home with kids were some of my best.
I learned to appreciate Mister Rogers, for one thing.

"banana"
Oooo, ya got me there!!
last edited: 4/14/05 11:22:00 AM”

“I like your idea Violin. Gives him the feeling of me letting him decide on his own, thus boost his self confidence. Hmm... I may try this for a while (like a couple weeks before summer vac starts...) I am still worried that he don't care as long as he can play xbox until 2 in the morning. LOL

Treebeard my friend: Psycho Mom? That's what you think of me? really? :(”

“I remember when I was 16 not being able to keep my eyes open past 10 if I wanted to. Our highschool started at 7:30. I was up at 5:30 every morning. Gem, I think it's great that you are willing to work with your son to determine an appropriate bed time. Just don't let him exhaust himself!
Studies show that kids and teenagers need more sleep. Supposedly as we get older we need less and less. Why I continue to need 10 hours is baffling! LOL!”

“My whole family has always been a bunch of night owls -- even now as all adults, no one goes to bed before midnight.

Growing up, however, my grandparents spoiled me by letting me stay up 'till 10 early (though this was never on a school night), but half the times I could never make it that long.

By the time I started sleeping in late enough (when I could -- well into Jr High), I was pretty much allowed to stay up until 11, but initially, I had to be home by 8 (and likewise, all friends had to leave by 8 -- no hanging out in the basement). This would gradually get pushed back to 10 as I got older and actual bedtime had become whatever.

However, oddly enough, the 10 PM kerfew lived pretty strongly right up until senior year in high school. By then, of course, I was the laughing stock of all my friends for that. But my folks wouldn't have any; I knew that if I showed up at 10:01, I could expect some serious trouble (but still managed to pull it off most of the time -- heh heh).

Oh and my folks were firm opposers of the sleep-over; never done that once with any of my friends the whole time growing up...”

“Gem - If I am very very good, I'll let myself stay up for Letterman. If I'm extra good, I'll give myself a cookie.”

“so you're trying to say you're never up past 9PM then huh pennsy?

grin”

“you're close, Gem. About the only times I'm awake past midnight is on Trail Talk trips.
last edited: 4/14/05 7:49:50 PM”

“I don't have any kids, but I remember that I had to be in bed by 8:00 PM when I was a kid. No lights, no nothing.”

“We get our 9 y/o to bed at 9:00 on week nights, he usually reads or listens to music for a few minutes and goes to sleep. Weekends 9:30 or 10:00 depending on how fussy and tired he is.

I was also an under the cover reader.”