How would you enforce a Bedtime,for your children,especially the older ones ?

Answer 1

just do it!

there are some things that should be almost non negotiable. negotiating bedtimes every night is taxing at a time when everyone is tired. rather than all the drama set a time for bed when u know the homework is done, the baths and meals are over and the kids have had turns telling u about everything. my 8 yr old goes to bed at 8 but i will be flexible on Friday nights and holidays- he still goes to bed but can read or play on his hand held for half an hour. if there is a movie on tv that i know he'd really want to watch i can allow him on such nights. no ifs and buts- mum needs to relax too.

i have an added incentive- the bedtime story only gets told on the nights he is in bed at 8, so any extra tv cancels out. usually he prefers my stories coz he gets to snuggle with me in his bed!

Answer 2

What you mean by "older ones" - are we talking 8 years? 12? 17? The sleep patterns you set up with toddlers should last until about puberty (with a gradually later bed-time), then you need to re-negotiate. I think 12 year olds and over can be responsible for their own bedtimes but you still need to supervise.
It helps to know how much sleep they need at each stage. Small children (say up to 5) need about 13 hours sleep per day, counting naps and night sleep. This gradually lessens, until by 11 or 12 they need only about 9 hours, then it goes up again through adolescence to 13 hours (because their bodies need lots of down time to make all the changes). Adults need between 7 and 9 hours. If anyone needs an alarm to wake up, they are not getting enough sleep. Sufficient sleep keeps you younger, happier and more alert.
I agree with most of the answers except the dude saying let them stay up until 1 am, but I suspect he's an adolescent!
I only have one child (7 yrs), and he currently has an 8pm bedtime which means from 7:30 it's - tv off, pyjamas on, teeth cleaned, book read to him, tucked in, lights off. And nothing too stimulating in the evening - no caffeine (cola, chocolate, coffee milk) and not too much sweet food (sugar is a stimulant, too).

Answer 3

You must be very consistent with your bedtime routine. About 15 minutes before bedtime, the tv, computers and games are turned off, brush teeth etc and then get into bed for a bedtime story or just a brief conversation about their day. You are not doing kids any favors by letting them stay up let, you are better preparing them for the next day. And long term, it is healthier for them to have the sleep they need.

Answer 4

If you're having a hard time getting kids to go to bed, then you need to work harder at getting them up and active in the morning. Their bodies will demand the right amt of sleep. I never had much trouble with bedtimes because I'm a morning person and expect everyone else to be,too.
Start a bedtime routine so going to bed comes naturally after the other activites leading up to it.

Answer 5

I don't enforce a bedtime. The rule is they have to be upstairs by 9:00; quite by 9:30; and in their rooms by 10:15.

Answer 6

If you are consistent with the bedtime rule you shouldn't have a hard time even as they grow older. Wake them up and put them to bed at the same time every night. Eventually they will develop a sleep habit and even if they want to stay up later it will be hard because their body will began to shut down.

Answer 7

Be consistent no matter what they do. Wake them up at the same time every day. I highly recommend a book called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy child. If they are old enough teach them to tell time. That way they know it is bed time and feel more in control.

Answer 8

Older children understand their parents very well. In my opinion it is not a hard thing to do, it just takes discipline, on the parents part.
At bed time, It is bed time.
That's all there is to it. TV off, PC powered down, toys put away, telephone disconnected cell phone in mama's room recharging, no ifs, ands, or buts
Lights off.

Answer 9

Give them a 15 minute warning, then start guiding them to bed, no tv, video games, any stimulants, turn off lights and make sure there are consequences if they don't follow the rules.

Answer 10

"You can get in bed with a white tush, or a red tush, it's up to you" JK, well maybe not - I'd ask them nicely, then I'd TELL them. For us it always ends here!

OK, maybe with our 4 year old, we use a little more leniency. But our girls know what happens if they directly defy our requests. Even something as simple as bedtime.