Bedtimes during school week

I know we've had this conversation before but I wanted to revisit it. The boys are now in second grade and I still make them go to bed between 7:30 & 8...does this seem early to anyone? They don't have any after school sports activities that they're in and I get them up at 7:30am to get ready for school (that gives them about an hour to eat, make their lunches...yes, they make their own lunches...and get dressed).

Oh, and since I mentioned it...do you make their lunches or do they make their lunches, if they take their lunches? The boys know my motto: "Mommy is not a maid or a waitress and this is NOT Burger King, you can't have it your way!" And, when asked, they will repeat Mommy's motto. LOL

 

Our mum lets us go to bed when we want too.
but usually before 10.

 

Well DD goes to bed at 830 (along with everyone else). She has to get up at 600 to get ready for school. Do your boys complain about having to go to bed so early? If it is working for you then that should be just fine. As for lunches, as long as you know what is going in them, it is great that they can put them together themselves. Mine buys everyday thanks to reduced lunch rate, so there is no lunch making going on here, but if there was, I am sure I would be doing that.

 

My older kids go to bed around 745-8 and then they read for 1/2 hour. They get up at 630, so I think that is plenty late! In 2nd grade mine were still going to bed at 7.

Lately for lunches, I have been having them get everything out that they want to take, and I make the sandwiches, and put everything in baggies. I think it's great that your 2 can make it themselves though!

 

My DS is 6 and in the first grade. His bedtime routine starts at 6:45. He showers, does his teeth, gets in jammies and then DH or I come in and read some Harry Potter to him (this generally takes 15-20 min give or take). He then has 30 min or so to look at books and read quietly before lights out at 7:30. He doesn't fight me b/c he has to get up at 6:20 in the morning (their start time is 7:30).


Lunches... I do pack his lunch, he's been helping me (he's very into doing everything for himself lately which I'm really encouraging!!!!) :winking0009:

 

My oldest DD is in first grade this year and she goes to bed at 8:30. That is in bed at 8:30pm, so she gets her PJ's on around 8, has a snack, and then reads a book, brush teeth etc, and in bed at 8:30. I get her up at 7:30am and we leave the house at 8:30am.

I pack her lunch. She likes to buy once a month though.

 

My boys started Kindergarten on Monday and we moved from a 9 pm bedtime to an 8 pm bedtime with no issues. The reason for the switch - no nap. In preschool and summer camp they would nap for 1.5 hours each day. I am a bit concerned about being able to make the 8 pm time on Tuesdays and Thursdays because soccer is getting ready to start, so on those nights, it might have to be a little later. I wake them up at 7 am.

Oh, I also pack their lunches. When they get older I'll have them do it, but not yet.

 

My boys get up at 7 for school. Actual in-bed time is usually about 8:15 for the 5 year olds and 8:45 for the 4th grader. I have to wake them in the morning, but everybody wakes up pretty easily, so it seems like a good amount of sleep for them.

I pack all the lunches. I let them each choose five hot meals each month off the menu, so I have to keep track of who's taking a lunch when. It's just easier for me to do it. My 4th grader would never remember anyway!

 

Mine are 10 and going into 5th grade. On nights that I read to them (their choice whether or not I do), they try to be in bed by 8:30-8:45, then I read until 9:15 or so. If I'm not reading, they go to bed at 9:00. Wake-up time around here is 6:45 or so, a bit early on the two days they have a before-school activity, which start at 7:30.

I still make their lunch, though they buy lunch two or three days/week. I keep thinking I should have them make their own lunches, but I haven't gotten there yet. They do make their own breakfast, which saves me effort in the AM.

 

When the kids were younger bedtime was at 8:00, and it was the beginning of 4th grade that we changed to 8:30, 6th grade we moved up to 9:00. At night time they would try to stay up later with all the "I need a kiss", or "I need a drink", "I have to go potty"...and that drove me about crazy every night. To put an end to that DH and I told the kids that as long as they were in bed and did not get up for anything at the correct time (8:00 at that time) they could read for as long as they wanted. DH and I were shocked at how well this worked! In the first week we only had to take away their books once, and they all got it. We eventually had to add that we would not put a time limit on books as long as they were not grumpy in the morning as well - after we found our oldest daughter staying up until 11 or 12 some nights when she was at a good spot in her book!

In the mornings they have always made their own breakfast and lunch. They are very self sufficient and it works well here.

My older kids are now in Jr high and high school so there is no bed time that we speak of, but normally by 9:30 or so everyone is retiring to read. DH and I really benefitted with the kids going to bed early, as that was our time to spend together.

 

Thanks for all the replies, ladies!! I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one sending my kids to bed at a decent time...it just seems that each place we live, there seems to be kids out and about after the boys are in bed and I just kept wondering if I was putting them to bed too early. Although, I do have to wake them up most mornings...occassionally they'll wake up by themselves and start getting ready for school. I am thinking of letting them read in bed before they go to sleep...they really like to do that before they go to sleep which I am VERY thankful of. I hated reading as a kid but give me a good book now and I can barely put it down until I'm done with it. Ant isn't much of a reader but that month or so that they spent with my Mom and step-dad...they always saw them reading, especially my Mom, she reads EVERY night before going to sleep.

 

We did bedtime at 8 last year (Kindergarten), but I think this year I will start around 8 and let them read for a while. I will have to see how that goes. They are not good waker-uppers, I have to use and alarm clock, or they won't get out of bed. It will be a 7:30-7:45 wake up this year (later then 7 of last year), so we will see.

I will make their lunch. I am lucky to have them out of bed in the morning, if I waited for them to make their lunch, I think they would miss the bus. And getting them to eat breakfast is a whole other story, lol.