It's summer do your older teens have a bedtime?

[bekkiz]

I think most people have an internal clock about going to bed and waking up. I have always been someone who gets up early and goes to bed early...it's just my nature

DH, on the other hand, could easily say up until 3 or 4 in the morning and then sleep until 1. That's how his body functions. Luckily he has a job where he gets to work from home, but he still tries to be at his desk around 10 am or so.

At this point, esp. for your older one, maybe remind her that she is able to go to bed when she wants, but she also has to deal with the concequences of staying up all night. Don't go and wake her up. If she's late for work, it's her problem. Maybe get her this alarm clock:
http://www.latestbuy.com.au/kuku_clock_gadget.html

But as someone mentioned before, kids eventually figure this stuff out. You just can't make it easy for them

 

[ckay87]

I'm torn about this. My 14 yo is home alone in the day, so if he sleeps away half of it, I'm perfectly happy. What else is there to do? But I'm afraid of him resetting his internal clock. I'm afraid that he'll have a hard time breaking this pattern by the end of Aug when he starts high school and has a ridiculously early wake up time.

But it's nice to see I'm not the only one with a night owl teen. We actually built our WDW vacation around this. Did all the late EMHs and let everyone (other than me, of course) sleep in. Kept everyone happy.

 

[mamacatnv]

The no bed time has always been one of the biggest treats in the summer since DS was old enough to be at home and not at a day camp.

He is 17 and self regulates, as long as he doesn't wake me up I don't care. He does have a computer in his room but no TV.

He is a lifeguard at a water park and lately has had the 7 a.m. pool cleaning shift, gets off at 2, comes home and eats and then goes to summer football practice from 4:45-8. He puts himself to bed around 10 which is when DH and I turn in. On the weekends or his days off he does whatever he wants. I tend to stay up til 1 or 2 a.m on the weekends also. I guess it is an inherited trait!

They have to become responsible for themselves at some point and if he doesn't get up for work he pays the consequences (he is Mr. On Time so this has never really been an issue) This morning he had his toothbrush and toothpaste in his hand as he headed out the door, he got a little bit of a late start and was going to finish his hygiene at work, he gets there a little early to avoid the morning traffic.

 

[Independent]

Our teen (17) does not have a bedtime. However, our router shuts down internet access to the kids computer between midnight and 5am, so no chatting after midnight.

However, he is a competitive swimmer and has to be in the pool by 6am 5x per week, so he rarely stays up past 11 anyway.

 

[Tiggeroo]

pick your battles. There are so many important things that you have to insist on your kids that you don't want to draw lines about things like bed times. Besides if somebody told you to sleep at a certain time how would you feel? Would you be able to fall asleep on demand?
I can see saying being in your room watching tv or reading by a certain time, or in the family room.

 

[Narnian_Princess]

I'm 18, and my mom wants me in bed at 10:30. Sorry, ain't happening. But she doesn't really enforce a bedtime so I usually shut off the computer and lights at midnight then read with a book light if I'm not sleepy or just go to sleep if I am.

 

[slo]

I don't have an older teen, but I know when I do, I won't care if they stay up, as long as they don't keep me up.

When I was that age, I didn't have a bed time
I used to stay up until all hours on the night
There's no way I could do that now

 

[disykat]

My 14 year old doesn't really have a bedtime any more, but I usually require him to be out of bed by 10:00. Earlier if we have plans. This summer, I'm not really worrying about it since most of the summer he'll have summer school or we'll be on vacation.

This is only my kids first few days out of school, so we haven't really set a schedule yet - we're enjoying a few days to just vege.

I'm a night owl too, so unsupervised internet use isn't a problem. I would have a HUGE issue with that.

 

[MagicalMom]

DD15 stays up late & it's really driving us nuts. She's quiet & really not doing anything wrong, just catching up on the shows that she tivo'd or watching a movie.

Our master bedroom is right next to the livingroom ( we have a small home, only 1500 sq. feet) & it's more of a she hears us not a we hear her kind of thing, if ya know what I mean. She confronted me on it recently so now we just set the4 alarm for 4am. It was so much easier to get alone time when the kids were younger.

 

[ElizK]

My DD15 and DD12 don't have a bedtime, exactly. I usually have them get ready for bed by 10pm. They can read (or whatever) as late as they want (last night DD12 was up well past 11pm, DD15 was asleep just after 10pm), but I don't want them on the computer or watching TV after that time. And I get them both up by 9am. No night owls in this house!

 

[janet715]

I don't have any older teens but my kids go to bed when I go to bed in the summertime, usually around 10 or 11... unless they are especially driving me crazy, then I ship them off sooner.

 

[Pungodingy]

I must be a meanie...mine are 13 and 16, and Sunday-Thursday are in bed by 8...sometimes they read for a bit, but ? Friday and Saturday they can stay up, but are still usually in bed by 10 or 11

 

[Hannathy]

I must be a meanie...mine are 13 and 16, and Sunday-Thursday are in bed by 8...sometimes they read for a bit, but ? Friday and Saturday they can stay up, but are still usually in bed by 10 or 11

Aren't they in any activities? My 8 yr old has baseball games that start at 7:15 and my DD's softball games start at 7:45-8 and go till 9:30 at least! Church youth group goes till 8:30. I can't imagine a 16 yr old in bed at 8!!!!

 

[funhouse8]

I think most people have an internal clock about going to bed and waking up. I have always been someone who gets up early and goes to bed early...it's just my nature

DH, on the other hand, could easily say up until 3 or 4 in the morning and then sleep until 1. That's how his body functions. Luckily he has a job where he gets to work from home, but he still tries to be at his desk around 10 am or so.

At this point, esp. for your older one, maybe remind her that she is able to go to bed when she wants, but she also has to deal with the concequences of staying up all night. Don't go and wake her up. If she's late for work, it's her problem. Maybe get her this alarm clock:
http://www.latestbuy.com.au/kuku_clock_gadget.html

But as someone mentioned before, kids eventually figure this stuff out. You just can't make it easy for them

OMG that is too funny . It's sold out . Maybe I'll look for it on Ebay. Thanks for the laugh!

 

[cathydisneynut]

I love that clock! Thanks for the laugh!

As regards bedtimes, all my kids have to be in their rooms by 10pm, and hopefully asleep by 11. DH starts work at 4am, he needs his beauty sleep!

 

[bamajill]

I must be a meanie...mine are 13 and 16, and Sunday-Thursday are in bed by 8...sometimes they read for a bit, but ? Friday and Saturday they can stay up, but are still usually in bed by 10 or 11

Wow...seriously? I can't imagine teenagers going to bed that early. Heck, in the summer the sun doesn't even set until almost 8:30!

Back to the original post....
Summer is very relaxed around here. This week, the kids have been going to an evening camp from 6:00 until 8:30pm so they are wound up when they get home. The past few nights it has been after 11:00, even for my six year old, lol. I like it when they are in bed by ten but it isn't something I worry about in the summer. My kids are 6, 8 and 11.

 

[ThunderMTexpert]

as long as their bedtimes are keeping YOU awake at night. personally, it's THEIR summer, and they aren't asking for $ to go out with friends, or the car to drive around. they are just wanted to stay awake a little while longer to talk to their friends. hey, though, the first time it starts to get loud, bed by 11p, you know what i'm saying? ultimately, though, it IS their summer. Keep the peace, keep the noise down, and keep your ZZzzzs..

 

[ugadog99]

No bedtime here for the 13 year old and 16 year old. They are very quiet and do not disturb me at all. The 13 year old is on ADD meds during the school year and has a very difficult time with them. So, I allow her to pretty much do what she wants during the summer. She is one that could stay up until 3 and sleep till noon. That is just the way her internal clock works, so for the two months of summer, it's okay with me. The 16 year old is usually in bed a little after midnight and up 9:30-10:00. I'm a teacher, so I like the late hours and late mornings.

 

[DVC-Don]

Our 'puters here are shut down at 10PM.

 

[Kimmie5870]

I must be a meanie...mine are 13 and 16, and Sunday-Thursday are in bed by 8...sometimes they read for a bit, but ? Friday and Saturday they can stay up, but are still usually in bed by 10 or 11

I hope you don't mind me asking ,but why so early?

My DD15 is in bed by 8 on most nights but thats only because she isn't healthy and is totally wiped out by then.

When DS was a teen he was allowed to stay up as late as he wanted ,but the computer was shut down before I went to bed and he had to stay reasonably quiet.