Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Something to read later... advice on bedtimes

Dear Future Mama Maze,

Here is one of many articles to come that I'm posting for future reference.

No matter how much they beg and plead, no matter how much easier it would be to give in... remember, kids need stability and structure. They need rules. They might yell and scream that they want to stay up later and maybe I'll feel sorry for them and want to spend more time with them. It doesn't matter. I have to do what's best for them. No matter what, it is my duty to keep them safe and secure. I have to start early and I have to be consistent.

I don't'want to go to bed? Seriously? I love to go to bed.
Funny how things change.

Here's an article from NPR explaining the importance of keeping an early, regular bedtime.

As always, comments, suggestions, opinions, and science, welcomed in the comments.

3 comments:

  1. For what it is worth, here is what we did. Note that we homeschooled because we did not want kids to have to sleep on someone else's schedule.

    We had set bedtimes for the kids after they turned 2. Prior to that, we had a target bedtime, but the rhythm of the day with naps and nursing dictated what really happened.

    After that, we had what we called "room time". That was the time of day that you were in your room and done with the public portion of your day. The kids could play quietly, read, do artwork etc. Just no loud, boisterous activities. Turn the light of and go to sleep when you are ready.

    Everything else that would happen prior to room time was the normal stuff: brush the teeth, put on pajamas, get some parent cuddle time in, get read to etc. After that, no more parent stuff and no coming out of the room except in an emergency.

    Basically, WE needed to know as parents when we were done for the day. It's the relentless interactions with the kids that wore me out. So room time was parent-off-duty time.

    After the age of 12, it's up to them.

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  2. Thank you. I think that is excellent advice.

    I remember when I was an early teen at some point it was my bed time, 9 pm, and my dad said I had to go to bed and I said I wasn't tired and he told me, (probably joking??) something like, 'I don't care when you actually go to sleep, but after 9 pm I don't want to see any kids anymore. That's grown up time.'. lol. that sounds harsh when I write it down but I totally get what he meant. Everyone needs winding down time at night so 'room time' is good. I still have room time almost everyday. :P Just like when I was a kids. At some point Noah puts me into bed and closes the door and has grown up time at the computer, just like my dad did. :P

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  3. As long as room time doesn't involve a TV, computer or cellphone, I'm down.

    We started a bedtime routine with my daughter when she was months old and we tweak when we have to but we try to do the parts we can. It's helped.

    But I was consistent with a time window based on what was considered best as far as total hours in a 24hr rotation that a baby should get.

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