Anyone else do early bedtimes?

laura1

My kiddos are 3 and almost 2, and I am already planning on putting them to bed by 6:30-6:45 tonight.  Most nights they are in bed by 7.  DD naps for almost 2 hours in the afternoon, is up by 3, and usually is instantly asleep when we put her down for bed...regardless of whether it is 6:30 or later.  DS has stopped napping, and as a result is exhausted by bedtime, and if I put him down at 6:30, he is usually asleep just after 7.

Now that it is spring, it is nowhere near being dark out, and some nights I hear the neighborhood kids out playing.  Meanwhile, I am putting my little ones to bed...I feel a little bad about it, but they are tired.

Am I the only one who puts their kids to bed that early?

cjsbdl

I have always been a fan of early bedtimes but I have to admit that ours has crept later since the time change. We were putting E down (14 months) around 630p and H (2.5 yrs) around 715p, but now it's more like 7 or 715 for E and 8pm for H. We didn't intend to move bedtime, it just sort of happened, with staying outside playing longer after dinner, etc. It seems to be working fine, so I'm fine with it. I have a feeling bedtime will creep earlier again in fall/winter.

I say stick with whatever is working. Sounds like yours need the early bedtime and it's working for them.

galway

My kids are 3 and almost 2 too!  And like you my older one has stopped napping.  If I could get us ready in time (like get dinner, bath, tv, etc) he should probably be in bed by 6!   But that never seems to happen.  Today neither has napped so my goal is for them both to be in their beds by 630.  I think if an eagerly bedtime works, then go for it.  More peace time for you in the evening!  I know I'll be sittin down with a glass of wine as soon as they're tucked in

CardsfanSM

Sophis is almost 2.5 Up until the last few weeks, she signed "bedtime" to me no later than 6:45. Recently though, she's easily awake until 8. I'm not going to fight it, lol, but it was nice to get a *bit* of time to myself;)

 

Mrs.Babbsy

you guys are going to laugh, but girls will not crash, they go to bed at 11:00! We tried earlier times and they just wake up at midnight or so ready to play.

mother of the year right here!

And I don't mind, I work all day, it's nice spending time with them.

 

togo

Gradually the bed time has moved later and later. Ideally I woul like them in bed by 7:15-7:30 but even then the don't fall asleep until 9:30 sometimes 10. They take really long naps though. I think once they drop their naps they will go to sleep earlier.  

togo

Mrs.Babbsy:

you guys are going to laugh, but girls will not crash, they go to bed at 11:00! We tried earlier times and they just wake up at midnight or so ready to play.

mother of the year right here!

And I don't mind, I work all day, it's nice spending time with them.

 

I wish I could stay up until 11! 

PrincessShay80

There would be no way we could have a life if the girls went to bed that early- during the week we don't even get home until 6 or 7pm, and on weekends we are always going out for dinner and other activities with friends in the evenings. Claire (whos 2) still takes a a good 2-3 hour nap during the day- she goes to be around 930 or 10pm, and the baby still sleeps a lot during the day- but she's down for the night around 930 too.

It works great for us, becasue we get to spend time with them after work, and on weekends they will sleep until 9am, which DH and I love!

tarahnpaul

It just wouldn't work for us.  DH gets home around 6, one of us usually goes for a run, we make dinner, eat together, do bath.  She's usually asleep around 9.  We go out a lot in the evenings too. 

MrsEnglishbride

I wish! It's a good night in our house if DS is asleep by 9:30. I think the ideal bedtime is 8PM, but it never happens! I do envy those that have early bedtimes because they can have an evening to themselves with their DHs, but I also like our family time at night. Something has to give either way.

queenbone

Ever since I first Ferberized DS1, bedtime has always been between 7:30- 8 pm.  It has been the same for DS2.  And mercifully they both sleep for nearly 12 hrs.

DS1 quit napping entirely at 2 though so it came with a bit of a price. hahaha

It seems to be working for you so I wouldn't worry about it.  If you are worried about the time change/ season interrupting the good thing you have going, you could put up blackout curtains/blinds in their bedroom.

sherryberry2

I am glad I'm not the only one with a late bedtime for kiddos. Our girls go down between 10 and 11. We are trying for 9-10 but haven't been consistent. 

sucredee

DD usually goes to bed around 645-7. The las tr?s days it has been more like 730 because I have her sit on the potty for about 5-10 minutes and read to her. I can't get her up to bed too much earlier because we need to eat dinner with the rest of the family. She only naps for an hour on day care days (3 mornings a week) and 1-1.5 hours on other days. I much prefer her taking shorter naps during the day and then sleep 12 hours at night because momma needs some downtime before bed and I usually go to bed around 9-10.

laura1

I do feel badly because DH doesn't get home until around 6:20-6:30.  He sometimes catches them in the middle of bath, but does usually do their story time and tucks them into bed.  We have tried keeping them up later, but often it is not a pleasant experience for anyone (they are so tired!).  

The kids eat together, then DH and I eat together after they go to bed, except on the nights that I work.  Those nights, I leave for work at 4pm, so they babysitter gets them ready for bed, and DH does bedtime when he gets home and eats alone after they go to sleep.  

It works for us, so we will keep on doing it.  I was just curious about what others did!