It's time for a Mom Confession -- because, let's face it, we're real mothers and
sometimes it doesn't work the way the parenting books say it should.
This Week's
Confession:
I have three kids under three, and we all go to bed after midnight and wake up at 11 a.m. the next day.
Do you believe in traditional sleep hours for toddlers? Is there any harm in letting a toddler keep teenager hours? Is there any reason you could think of that would make this wrong?
We all have secrets and opinions -- so thanks to these brave moms for sharing their honest thoughts, and thank you for keeping this conversation non-judgemental!
Past Confessions:
I Let My Toddlers Go Naked in Public
I Paid $22 for My Son's Haircut
My Toddlers Eat Pizza for Breakfast
I
Leave My Toddler Alone in the Bath
Our Children Aren't Invited to Our Wedding
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
This Hot Dad Wants to Cook You Dinner
This Hot Dad Cooks AND Does the Dishes
Kanye West is Gay?! 
Comments 66
Our schedule keeps us awake pretty late and it works great for us.
We typically get to bed around midnight or even 1:00am and we wake up around 10:00 or 11:00 the following day. My 3 year old naps about 2-3 hours daily and my 9 month old takes two naps--1 about an hour long and one for 2-3 hours so they are still getting plenty of sleep.
My husband doesn't get home until 7:00pm and that's on the days when he works early. He also works until 9:00pm two nights a week and it's just not possible for us to get into bed early and for him to still have time with the children, which he loves. We also have a family bed so going to bed together is what works for us.
I am very lucky, my 19 month old made her own schedule, if she is not in bed every night by 7, she has a meltdown. Our 7 month old usually passes out by 11. Both of them sleep til about 8am. I like the idea that that sleep the way they do, it gives my husband and i a lil down time to ourselves.
I think it is up to the parents, as long as they get enough sleep, but i think routine is very important.
We start our toddler's bedtime around at 9 PM. He's asleep by around 10 PM. I don't want him to be up with us until we sleep at around midnight because I want some time to ourselves.
And of course you can't MAKE a tot go to sleep, but you can PUT THEM TO BED! Trust me, their little bodies will get adjusted to going to bed earlier if you take the time to work with them.
Yeah... tell that to my (almost) 2 year old, who goes to bed at 9:00 and decides it's time to play at 3 am... like he did 2 nights ago. I try to coax him back to bed, I've tried not talking to him and making him lie down, I've tried ignoring him... no such luck. He will get into trouble, he will kick you in the face or jump on you, he will scream etc. After 1-2 hours of trying to get him to sleep (and no one else getting sleep right along with him), I give in and head to the living room because really.. what are you supposed to do at that point? He will consistantly RESET his own schedule no matter how many times I've tried to set it for him.. he always does. We've been having this same battle since he was a baby. Honestly, I think some parents take for granted that their kids sleep at all.. mine can totally live on 6 hours of sleep and a 2 hour nap in the afternoon ... IF I'M LUCKY. There is no 12 hours of sleep here... there never was.
must be nice lol I'm jealous! :)
IMO younger kids need structure. unless there is something special going on bedtime is always between 9-10. nap timea(quiet time now since my son dosen't usually nap anymore) is always after lunch and lesson time, betwen 1-1:30.
if you child gets enough sleep and they are well taken care of them that is all that matters!
Even when my children were not in school we had a routine down and a normal schedule. It sure made it easier when we had appointments and playdates,I never wondered if they were rested or not. Things come up in life where they need to get up early....I think they need all the rest they can get. Besides, as a SAHM,after they went to bed - that was my unwind time...and much needed!
What about when a parent works the night shift and the SAHP adjusts the kids schedules to that? Nothing wrong with it. This is what we did with our DD and when I started working at 7 am and she had to be in daycare it wasn't that hard to flip her. When I'm done with school she'll probably go back to the late night schedule. I'll be homeschooling her so no need to worry about her not being able to go to school.
I think it depends on the parents my niece don't go to bed till 3 am so she can spend time with her daddy he leaves early in the am for work
MY 20 MONTH OLD GOes to sleep at 8:30 every night. I do have to admit that two weekends ago he stayed up with mom and dad until 2 am. I know, I know but he took a late nap and wasn't tired so we watched a movie. it was adorable