Stay
Up Late TogetherWHEN CHILDREN ARE SMALL, it’s a good idea to establish a regular bedtime routine. But once in a while, it can be a great change of pace to stay up a little later, particularly as kids get older. The world looks different at night, and children want to see what’s going on; they don’t want to miss out. Perhaps they’re simply not tired—some kids have too much energy to always go to bed as scheduled. This can be a problem for parents who are eager for the kids to get to bed so that they can have some time alone. But forcing kids to go to bed when they’re not tired soon backfires with endless requests for drinks of water and trips to the bathroom.If bedtime is becoming a hassle, perhaps you might want to try a new approach. Consider letting them stay up a little later and see what happens. Some parents avoid the battle-of-bedtime blues by saying, “So long as you don’t disturb us, you can stay up, but we’re going to bed.” Seven-year-old Meg lasted until 11:05 P.M. once and was back in bed at her regular time the next night. Jim and Patty avoid bedtime tears by letting their three and four year olds sleep on the floor in sleeping bags. Now, instead of resisting going to bed, they look forward to “camping out.”
Try a slumber party with your children. Let them invite a friend over, make a bed in the closet, sleep under their beds, or read stories quietly in the hall. Elizabeth bought a nightlight for three-year-old Clementine to read books by on those nights when she wasn’t quite ready to go to sleep at bedtime. You’ll be surprised at how such a simple compromise can turn bedtime drudgery into a pleasant change of pace.
By staying up later children begin to understand their natural sleep rhythms and discover how to unwind. They will fall asleep when they are sleepy and will begin to establish their own bedtimes. When they know they can have some control, bedtime struggles decrease. Of course, as teenagers they will probably always be up later than you. Don’t worry, that’s natural too.
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