Would you/will you put your young children (under ten) to bed early on New Year's Eve and then ...?

Question

... get them up again so that they can "see the New Year in" even though they may be tired and there will be alcohol around.
I always put my boys to bed at their usual time and told them that they would wake up to a New Year so they needed to sleep well in order to get ready for it! I always crept up and gave them a New Year kiss at midnight though while they were sleeping.
What do you do as regards young children at New Year?
When all of mine got to be teenagers they were allowed to stay up just for that one night if they wanted to but normally their routine meant that they went off to bed anyhow as they were healthily tired!

I agree "pretty woman" - there is more noise these days and less consideration.
A bit of singing is fine but it is all of these new types of extra loud fireworks that are the problem as regards disturbing children (and adults) - and it starts around September and goes on into February!

Answer 1

We always had family get-togethers at New Year's Eve and so we were allowed to stay up.

Nobody was drunk though as me and my cousins were all so young at the time!

We had gatherings at my nan's mostly for New Year-she had a four bedroom house and had put beds in them for us to sleep in when we went to stay. I used to love going over. The thing is, where I was so used to going to bed early, I'd jump around with my cousins and then fall asleep somewhere-most of the time I was carried up to bed by 10:30pm out cold!!

We never went to bed though and got woken up again to see new year in. If we were still awake, then we saw it in. If we were asleep (and we mostly were!!) then we said happy new year the following morning.

I'll not be getting my son up though for New Year when he's a little older. If he's awake then he can see it in. If not, then I'll just let the little man sleep-it's only once a year! A very happy and prosperous new year to you and yours Joan, from Loulla and co.! XXX

Answer 2

My child goes to bed as normal and stays there until the morning. I go up and sit with her for 10 minutes at midnight. But actually I think the whole thing is just nonsense. New year doesn't mean a thing to me. It's a time, a date. In another place it happened an hour ago. In another culture it's not even recognised. It's just an exuse for a party and bad behaviour.
This year I had to call the police as I had teens breaking into my garden and threatening to stab both me and my child when I told them to leave. every year it's unpleasant because I live in a rough town and get drunk/high people screaming and shouting and fighting in the street, and fireworks are going off until 2am, so i can't sleep. It's very loud.
I don't like it at all. My daughter is better off in bed.

Answer 3

My kids are still young (6, 4 and 3). My 4 and 3 year old will go to bed as they normally do. My 6 year old we're letting stay up a little later and spend time with us. But I won't be waking him up at midnight - don't see the point of it.

Happy New Year everyone!

Answer 4

I always allowed our son to stay up if he wanted to. He usually went to bed at his usual time and wandered down to see the New Year in, then went off back to bed. I don't think it does any harm,it's only one night and a traditional night at that. I think that this is the one night when everything goes on till the early hours, bl**dy fireworks and all, I remember in my younger days, doing the hokey cokey all around the streets accompanied by all the neighbours. It's Tradition.

Answer 5

Nope, my two are totally out of their usual routine just now anyway, they've been allowed to stay up really late playing with all their new toys, tommorow it'll just be me and them, their dads going to a party, Oh the joys of pregnancy! LOL, anyway I've bought some party food and some Irn Bru, and we can all sit and watch the bells on the TV, after that bed!

Saying that from Tuesday it's back to bed at 7.30 and 8pm, they get to read for half an hour, so it'll give them a chance to read some of the new books they got at Christmas before they go back to school!

Happy new year to you and yours Joan!

Answer 6

well my daughter who is 3 1/2 will be able to be awake on new year eve. she will get a nap in the afternoon so she will be up pn new year eve to see the new year .

since its going to be a family thing and her her cousins her age and older are going to be there. so she will be playing most of the time.

there will be alcohol but not everyone drinks so my daughter will be safe around familymembers.

just like last year she was dancing and playing having fun besides its only 2 nights a year she gets to be up at that time christmas eve and new years eve.

happy new year

Answer 7

S'all very well and good putting them to bed at the normal time... but then you get the local yobs and drunks coming up the road making all sorts of noise and hullaballooo and of course, then there's the bl@@dy fireworks going off until well after 1 and 2 a.m. so they will be lucky if they get any sleep when its all going on anyway.

I sometimes feel my age, you know... and I often wonder if we ever made the same sort of noise that people do nowadays... I dont remember that we ever did.

Answer 8

Our boys now aged 4 and 21 months always see the New Year in with us. They sleep in the afternoon and we have a lazy day New Years. I think its just as important for them. A family thing.

Answer 9

my two are 13 and 16 now so stay up, when little they were tired and wanted their beds, as they got older if they were up to it they were allowed to stay up, we had the family party at our house so there was no need for a sitter and the girls were excited about the party, when they got tired they went to bed, we never forced them to stay up though, the odd late night does no harm and doesn't spoil any bed time routine, holidays and high days, let them stay up

Answer 10

I have a 7 and 9 year old and for the past couple of years they do see the new year in, but when there were toddlers i did put them to bed their normal time.