We tend to eat together at the weekends - kids hate the fact that we dont have the TV on though - how bad is that

Will they send someone round to pick them up and take them away.......Oops, nodded off there for a minute

Don't know if they will but if they do will you return the favour?

When my little girl was a baby she wouldn't go to sleep unless music was on. My hubby used to sit in the dining room with her and rock her to sleep while listening to George Michael. She always fell asleep when it got to a certain song.

On her 1st birthday we put the tape on while we were doing the party bit and when that song came on she screamed, she must have thought it was bed time

No problem

PMSL

Kids - dont you just love 'em

My 10 year old goes to bed about 10.00. Its a bit late i know & she will also read for about 20 mins. Gets up ok for school though but likes a lay in at the weekend.

Nicky

I couldn't eat a whole one....

Our 5 & 7 year olds go to bed at 7.30 during the week. They are asleep within 10 mins most nights and wake up around 7.00am. Obviously need the sleep.

iPom's right about tired kids in the classroom, it's a nightmare for teachers. Kids can't learn when they're tired.

Ipom & TraceyW, bless you for your comments about the teachers dealing with them - as a teacher, I can tell you that it is often obvious which kids got a decent night's sleep and which didn't. After a short while, and chatting to them, you can also pick out the ones who have a bloody media-centre in their bedroom and spend half the night on msn/playing games/watching tv/surfing the net. They are a nightmare to deal with, and there is nothing the teacher can do about it! Ringing home to question their parenting skills does not go down very well....

Regards later and later bedtimes - obviously younger children go to bed earlier than teenagers, but teenagers don't need to keep having an extra hour as they get older until they are up til 12 or 1am - certainly not whilst they are still at school. Blimey, I'm sure we all know plenty of adults who are going to bed at ten and asleep by eleven? I know I do! If I'm working hard then I even make sure I'm in bed with eyes shut by 10pm, otherwise I can't operate properly the next day.
I used to be absolutely flabbergasted at some of the programmes that my 13 year old tutor group members watched last year- things that I thought looked interesting but went on too late! Also things that were utterly unsuitable for 13 year olds.
All you parents who worry about being too strict - stop worrying! You are doing the best thing for your kids. It's the parents who don't impose any rules or structure who need the slap on the wrists and to look at whether they could be doing better for their children. Stay firm!

Nor could I - they tend to stick in your throat like a hairball

When mine were that age, that's about the time they went to bed too.

I used to be amazed in the UK when I'd see small children who were usually from an Indian family, late night shopping with their parents at 11pm! How on earth do they cope going to bed that late? Must have been some sort of cultural thing... Hell, esperanza, I couldn't do your job.

I'm usually in bed before 11pm and if not, I really feel crap the next day.

My sis is a teacher in the UK. She tells me the stuff they watch... Freaky some of it..

Thanks esperanza... definitely staying firm but willing to give a little.

Lounge Invader's kids:

School nights at 8pm, usually asleep around 8:30ish
They're 9 and 6 and share a room so its either very easy or imposssible to get them into bed sometimes.