dgsyd1

Our 2 year old (see left) tends to not nap during the day, but will sleep for a 12 hour stretch from about 8pm-8am. he will sometimes nap at weekends, but will still only stay up until about 10pm. There have been times when he just won't sleep, and on more than one occasion i've ended up pushing him around the local Meijer's at 1 o'clock in the morning, or put Teletubbies or Bagpuss on for him to watch.

Serenity

My two year old is currently going to sleep between 8 and 9, tho it's stories and in bed by 8. We would prefer 7, which it was, but it stays light so late that I think that's the problem. This way he gets more time with dad as well and then sleeps in till past 7am instead of the 6am he was getting up, which we can frankly live without! He also naps 3-4 hours on an afternoon which I'm thinking of shortening to see if that helps, but I do love time for myself!

I don't know if it's a UK v. US thing with sleep specifically, though I have noticed that with kids US people revolve around them more whereas us Brits seem to like to get them off our hands for time for ourselves!

Sophia_S

My kids are both grown up now,but I always had a set bedtime for them,and stuck to it,luckily they were both really great as babies!(the eldest slept through the night from 10 weeks old and the youngest from 2 weeks old!my friends called me every kind of b-tch on Earth!!!lol),as they got older the bedtime was 7pm up until they were 10 years old,I'd read their story to them and they were garunteed to be out cold by 7.30,until 6 the next morning....then when they turned 10 it was 8.30 bed,12 it went to 9pm and stayed at 9pm on school nights until they were 16,after that it was their choice,but if they were home they usually took themselves to bed anyway at about 9/10pm to catch up with their sleep from the late nights!
The other thing I was a stickler for, was homework,they didn't get to go out to play until it was done,and I'd checked it!,otherwise they'd fall asleep before it was finished,so they used to get on with it while I was cooking dinner.
I could never understand it over here when people would have their kids staying up until they went to bed,it's no wonder the kids are falling asleep in school!.....Sophia

TimFountain

There's a law for children needing to have quite time, hmm I didn't know that?! I wonder if they legislated when they can take a dump?

blaze

Strict (well somewhat!) routine in my house for my 2 yr old. Bath at 7.30pm, drink and cuddle/wind down time/ book reading from 8-8.30pm then bed. The only time that this varies is if we aren't home at that time but that seldom ever happens.
He naps most every afternoon for a few hours, so like Partystar said, to bed any earlier would be a bit too early.

TruBrit

yep always had our rug rat in bed before 8pm ...imo gotta have some time to recharge ones batteries before the morning onslaught again

Yorkieabroad

There is, at least in the daycare / pre-K centres in Texas...or at least thats what we've been told at the ones we've been to, although I've never actually seen it written down anywhere more official than the school handbooks - maybe its just the teachers way of getting some quiet time!! Got to say, I love our 3 to bits, but the thought of spending every day locked in a classroom with them and 10 of their mates would drive me nuts - take my hat off to the teachers that manage it and still keep their sanity!!

Our eldest is going to Kindergarten in August, and someone was telling me the other day that they still make them have 1 hour nap/quiet-time once they get there - I haven't had chance to check that out yet, but certainly hope its not true!!

britvic

So I'm not alone then

britvic

I don't know if it's a UK v. US thing with sleep specifically, though I have noticed that with kids US people revolve around them more whereas us Brits seem to like to get them off our hands for time for ourselves![/QUOTE]So we are seen as being a bit more strict about the Kids bed time, I think I do enough revolving around my Child LOL, evening's are my time, so selfish I must be

Sophia_S

No,definately not!....I used to feel mean sometimes,but both my kids were really miserable on the rare occasions that I did go anywhere and they got to stay up later......they REALLY needed their sleep,I used to get the usual grumbling and moaning when they got older and they knew their friends stayed up later,but after a while they were glad I did stick to my guns,(so to speak!)...even now my 19 yr.old is miserable as sin if he goes too many days without his 12 hours of sleep a night!!......Sophia

Serenity

Too right!!

Sophia_S

So we are seen as being a bit more strict about the Kids bed time, I think I do enough revolving around my Child LOL, evening's are my time, so selfish I must be [/QUOTE]

I don't think it's a selfish thing at all,as much as we love our kids,all adults need some time to just unwind,after the stress of the day..the few hours after the kids are in bed,is our 'quiet time', isn't it?
I watch that 'Super Nanny' show occasionally,I just can't believe how some parents let their children behave!,....I didn't care what anyone thought...when I said 'No' my kids knew I meant 'No',and I ALWAYS gave them 3 warnings when they were 'acting out',the 4th time was the 'naughty corner',5th was a smack....(the 5th was VERY rare!),I could never believe how many times I heard my friends tell their kids 'You just wait til your Dad gets home,he'll sort you out!',I never said that to my kids,as far as I was concerned if they were playing me up I took care of them straightaway,and it was over and done with,there was no way they would remember what their dad was punishing them for by the time he got home!!(even I would've forgotten by then!)...I always got along great with my kids,still do,but I'm their mother,not their friend,they've got plenty of friends,they need me to be their MUM!!!!........Sophia

AmerLisa

About 4 years ago, when my younger daughter was around 1 (or not quite that) my MIL said "I guess things were different when my kids were younger, they were all in bed before their dad got home (somewhere around 7ish)" I replied back that if my daughter went to bed that early, she'd never see her dad, which of course is the whole idea between bonding with a parent." Our daughter was usually in bed by 8pm, and that was an ok time for all of us. Now, during school days (well she starts formal school this fall, but preschool before this) she is in bed between 8 and 8:30. During the summer, when its lighter and we have more of a chance to be out in the cooler evening times, we take advantage of a nice walk or bicycle ride, I'm not a stickler for times in the summer.

I really think it depends on the individual child and parent. We all need our downtime, me too! We have a neighbour that is very strict with her two young boys 4 and almost 2, they're in bed by 7:30, every night! But, she's the only one out of the 5 of us in our little circle, that is strict about bedtimes.

Just Jenney

It's a fairly new phenomenon in the States. I certainly remember always going to bed no later than 8.30pm, even when I was 13-14 years old. It was the same thing with all my friends. It's just the way things were.

Nowadays, kids seem to rule the castle and their parents coddle them and their every want. It amazes me when we go out late in the evening and see kids out. It wasn't like this 15-20 years ago. I'm not saying this isn't a US thing, just saying that it hasn't always been this way.

~ Jenney

snowbunny

When both parents work it is difficult to spend time with the kids.

When school is in session, homework help (not doing, but help) can take hours.... the homework load is enormous at my eldest daughter's school.

I agree that it would be nice to have more time to myself but then I'd never see the kids!

My daughters have always had low sleep needs, with or without naps, while I have a high sleep need, so this is always a problem. During the school year, when the eldest and I have to get up at 5 am, I want to be in bed no later than 9 pm. Trouble is it takes me a long time to unwind after work, chores, and kids, so I usually end up staying up later than 9 pm and being exhausted all the time.

I suspect my daughters are nightowls like their dad and me, and we're all fighting body clocks that make us want to stay up later. I really question school starting as early as it does (7.45 am for elementary school but my eldest has to be on a bus at 6 am! for her school).