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I always get so frustrated with my kids for not sleeping later in the summer. They want to stay up later in the summer, but they have to sleep in or they are GRUMPY! Here’s what works in my house and it may work in your too. My kids are 5, 7, and 9.
Set a new bedtime The first thing is to set up a bedtime for your kids. Even though it’s summer my husband and I still like to set a bedtime to shoot for. We let the kids know what the new bedtime will be, but we definitely let them know we can always move it back down if we feel it’s too late. This summer we’ve got them scheduled going to bed about 45 minutes to an hour after their school year bedtime. Realistically, they only get to bed at this time about half the time. They are usually staying up later.
Set a new routine The first days of summer are always busy. When the kids are thrown off their regular routine that helps set a new one. We stay up later at the neighborhood pool or go to ice cream after dinner or maybe even the grocery store. This year we went to visit my mother-in-law a few days after school let out.
Keep them active and busy If your kids are sitting around all day they won’t be needing more sleep. When my kids are at the pool or playing with the neighborhood kids outside, they will always sleep better than if they are sitting around watching movies or playing video games.
Feed them before bed Many times my kids wake up and head straight to the food pantry because they are hungry. I’ve really been trying to make sure their stomachs are full before bed. My kids love having apples at night and I know that’s a good healthy snack. I don’t want them waking up early just because they didn’t get enough to eat.
Keep the room dark I have one son who wakes up as soon as the sun comes out. Before he goes to bed I close his blinds and close his curtains. I got black out curtains for him to keep his room as dark as possible. This also helps when school starts back and they have to get to bed earlier. Here’s an example of some really cute ones.
Hope these tips help. Let me know what works in your house.
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