Getting Kids to Sleep at a Decent Hour over Summer Break

I do not give mine the option. At 6 and 7 y.o. they are in bed at 8 unless we have a ball game. The 11 y.o. can stay up until 9. No if's and's or but's or else you go to bed earlier the next night. Everyone must also stay in bed until 7:00 at the earliest too! I believe in a good night's sleep and that when you have a good night's sleep you are a healthier person.

Push the bed time issue. Who cares if hubby is a night owl. Let him stay up and you and the kids go to bed. Since they are 13 and 14 I would maybe let them stay up until 10, but no later than that.

Maybe its just me, but we keep to the same schedule for summer as they have for school. My kids are 11 and 8 and they are in their rooms at 8pm every night. I tell them they don't "have" to go to sleep, but they HAVE to stay in their rooms. They read, write, color, play, etc. 90% of the time they are asleep by 9pm. But then of course they are up at 6-6:30am also! By having them in their rooms, hubby and I can have some time together and/or we can get some things done without having to be up all night ourselves. So I guess just because its summer doesn't mean they can stay up all night. Good luck!!!!

It's always harder for kids to go to bed in the summer time because it stays light later. Staying up until 4am is just ridiculous in my opinion.
Midnight for the oldest two seems like a fair cut off. They have to be mindful other others in the house.
If your husband likes staying up, let him wrangle the night owls and keep them quiet so you can sleep.
I don't know what else to tell you.

Sweet dreams!

Keeping to the school year bedtime schedule even in summer is important. Kids are still growing at 13 and 14 and need sleep to develop properly, more so for the younger ones. While you can't make them go to sleep, you can tell them they have to be in their room(s) with the door closed by a set time, and quiet. They can read in bed or play, as long as they're quiet, they'll fall asleep at some point. YOU have to be the one in charge, so when it's bed time they go to their rooms, period.

Talk to Grandma and ask that bedtime be the same at her place as well to make it easier...otherwise you may not be able to let them visit as often if the problems continue when they are home.

Remember, you're the parent so set an example and go to bed at a decent hour, no kids in your room. Make sure your husband's on board and doesn't let the kids out of their rooms (he simply needs to tell them, "it's quiet time, go back to your room.")

Hope you get some rest!

We do stay up later in the summer. DS is 5 and how else would he get to catch fireflies. Why don't you just go to bed yourself when you want? Let DH deal with the all the bedtimes if he is a night owl.

Bedtime for our kids are the same for the summer as it is during the school year.
Sometimes staying up later.
But not always... otherwise, that will create a 'habit' and then sleeping later, and not getting enough sleep, then NOT being able to then sleep at a decent hour once school starts. Again.
It is not their choice.
We have a bedtime for them.
That's it.

Teens have different sleep habits.
But your 2 year old, should not have the same sleep habits/hours as they do.
And the 2 year old, naps??? That is best.

And besides, I DO NOT WANT, over-tired FUSSY kids. Which my kids are, when they sleep late and do not get enough sleep.
No matter what hour they go to bed at night... they ALWAYS just wake up at the same time in the morning. Which is by 7:00am.
And my kids, nap.
My 4 year old, everyday.
He needs it.
My 8 year old will nap, when/if tired. Or she has a quiet time.
It is our routine. And thus, it is not a battle.

My youngest (7) needs lots of sleep, so he goes to bed at 7:00 during the school year. My 13 year old goes to bed at 9:00 on school nights. Even during the spring it's light outside when my youngest goes to sleep, so he's used to it. We did the same thing when my oldest was younger.

We relax things a bit during the summer, but not too much with my youngest because he will not sleep late no matter how late he stays up, and he NEEDS sleep. We may make bedtime 7:30, and if something special is going on he can stay up later, but generally we don't mess with the routine.

Our 13 year old is very good about going to bed when he's tired, so if it's not a school night he doesn't have a set bedtime. Usually he's tired by 10:00 and will head to bed. Other nights he will stay up later watching a movie with Dad. Some nights he will go to bed at 8:00 because he's worn out. I like that he listens to what his body needs. I go to bed early most nights.

We "relax" the bedtime but don't ditch it completely. I have an 8 yo and during school, he's in bed around 9 most nights. In summer, it may be 10-10:30 depending.

My kids aren't that old yet but I would try having 'quiet hours' where they can be awake but they must be in their rooms and quiet from say 10pm-7am or whatever hours work for you? This way they can be awake as much as they want but you can still have your sleep.

Well we always had the in your room by 11p but you can stay up with a book, tv etc until 12. That way they are safe in the room and you can go to sleep. Make sure there windows make noise though so if they try to sneak out it will squeek and wake you up

Just start enforcing the rules. The younger 2 need to be in their beds by 10pm. If they want to, they may read (no TV, etc. - only read) until 10:30, but that's it...and then lights out. The older 2 can probably stay up a little later, but otherwise same thing. I don't see what Grandma being a school bus driver has to do with it as far as having them over or not enforcing a bedtime. There is no reason for anyone to be up until 4 am doing whatever - you are the parent, so set a bedtime and expect them to adhere to it. If they don't, there are consequences - they get allowance taken away, or TV/screen time, or bedtime is that much earlier the next night...whatever it takes.

I schedule appointments for early in the morning and make my son go with me. So he has to go to sleep earlier or deal with the fall out of being grumpy to me in the morning.

I give him a little leeway for the first couple of weeks of summer...in fact this is his last week of "freedom". Next week he will start volunteering at our Vet's office a couple days per week, and I will put him on more of a schedule with summer reading and music practice. Oh, and chores, lots and lots of chores. So, his schedule will even out.

I don't stay up until he goes to bed. When I am tired, I just say good night and toddle off to sleep. When I get up, I don't try to be quiet either. If he wants to sleep in he has to do so around my noise.

Since it summer, divvy up the chores more - have the kids take on more responsibilities around the house - feed the dogs, sweep, take out the trash, etc. Explain to them that just because they are out of school, that you are not, and you need the household to maintain a decent schedule to facilitate your school work. Just like you facilitate their school work.

When you get tired, just go to bed. Then makes lots of noise in the morning - vacuuming is a great chore to complete at 7am outside their bedroom doors.

Good Luck
God Bless

My suggestion: go to sleep at what is normal for you, and let your night-owl husband deal with them (and if you can't sleep because they're too noisy, pretend that you're asleep). I bet he'll figure out a way to get them in bed before you do. :-D

we say go to bed. no if ands or buts about it. you have got to be in control. they get to play all day. you have to much to do to lay on the couch all day. tell them lightsout and if they can't go to sleep it won't hurt them to lay there and rest. it could also be a good time to day dream for them. good luck and good night. mom of 7, R.