Ask me anything about babies, toddlers and school-aged children and I am your expert. We’ve pretty much encountered it all with those age groups.
My oldest continues to be my test child. This week, she starts high school.
She is the most awesome of teenagers. I am constantly awed by how she lives her life. She is the perfect mixture of laid back and driven by her goals.
The week before school I often become more and more rigid about when the kids should get to bed. I don’t want them shocked by the schedule of a new year. As I started laying down the bedtime law this week, Kristyn asked me if, given that she is now in high school, if she still has a bedtime.
Good question.
As a Mom, I’m stuck between wanting her to figure this out on her own. Is she old enough to gauge and determine when she should go to sleep? Will it be trial and error with some very tired days if she goes to bed to late? Or, should I maintain my rigid Mom hat and insist she still be in bed be a certain hour?
I would love to hear from anyone who has gone through this. I’m learning as I go with this child. Lucky her!
Teach her to masterbate. She’ll get tired and want to fall asleep on her own 😉
Well, I have been strict with bed time since they were babies and believe it or not I get my high schooler in bed at 9 and my University kid in at 10 and my SK in at 8. I think if we are strict with bed time in the beginning then it makes it easier later on. I used to get the argument that they would miss shows, but I have to say, “All Hail the PVR”. With these bed times I make it so Friday and Saturday bedtimes are unlimited.
I am not there yet but I have friends who go to bed before their teenagers so bed time can be a challenge. I would say for her as she is still a young teen maybe set a maximum time. You could say something like, “I am trusting that you will go to bed when you are tired but I think it is reasonable to have lights out no later than 11pm.” or something. Again, not an expert here but that gives her the message that you trust her judgment and are giving her the freedom but that you are still her mother.
I have to say that when I look back at my years in high school and my parents very lax atitude to bedtime they were not doing me any favors. Same goes for when as a 16th birthday gift they bought me a television for my room. It was meant to be a reward for being a good girl, but instead I stayed up too late and was cranky the next day. Between the too easy going bedtime and the tv in my room my grades suffered. I believe an appropriate bedtime for high schoolers during the school week is 10pm. No later. Even if they spend 30 mins winding down (no cell phones, no computer, no i-pod) reading in their bed at 10pm – it is what the mind needs after being stimulated all day.