How long to adjust to waking up early?

I was wondering how long it might take to get my kids used to waking up
early to go to preschool. They start in just over a month, and it'll be 4
days a week. Their class will be 8:00 or 8:30 (I better find out) until
noon. Right now they wake up anywhere from 8:00am until 10:00am. With it
staying light out until late, it's hard to go to bed early. They're still
up now at 10:30pm. FWIW, they rarely take naps--maybe once every week or
two. I just want to give them enough time to get used to an actual schedule
which has always been hard. I don't want them being totally exhausted every
day at school. I can imagine getting calls from school to come pick them up
because they're crashed out on the floor snoring! :-)

Leslie
Alex and Jordan, 06 May 2000

I would start now. Alexis starts school on August 18, 12-3 PM, I have already
begun to do away with nap time and replace it with rest time a little later in
the after noon about twice a week. I have done this over the whole summer and
she is still a little cranky in the evening on those days that we skip the nap.
My goal is by next week to have the later rest time every day so she has a few
weeks to totally adjust.

~Kimberly
Mommy to Alexis Iliana 07/17/99 and
Emma Elidia & Aislyn Gabriela 10/01/02
come see us...
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aislynemma/

Leslie --

Wow! Don't let your 3-yo's tell my 6-yo's how late they stay up!

C&E are currently going to bed at 9PM, reading until 9:30, then C, who
needs less sleep, is up by 7 or 7:30. E sleeps until 8:30 or so. I do
not plan to start transitioning them to schoolday time (up at 6:45
initially, then 7AM as it stays dark later in the AM and their routine
is more, ummm, routine) until a week or so before school starts. BUT,
in your shoes, where you have more of an adjustment, I would start
trying to shift them back at least to 9:30 or so now, then 9PM by
mid-August, and whatever the ultimate target time is for the last week.

We're also in a northern area (not too far from the 45th parallel, but
in the eastern side of the time zone, which helps compensate), but of
course the days are shortening.

Julie
Mom to Erica (still sleeping) and Chris (awake) 07/97

Leslie wrote:

I was wondering how long it might take to get my kids used to waking up
early to go to preschool. They start in just over a month, and it'll be 4
days a week. Their class will be 8:00 or 8:30 (I better find out) until
noon. Right now they wake up anywhere from 8:00am until 10:00am. With it
staying light out until late, it's hard to go to bed early. They're still
up now at 10:30pm. FWIW, they rarely take naps--maybe once every week or
two. I just want to give them enough time to get used to an actual schedule
which has always been hard. I don't want them being totally exhausted every
day at school. I can imagine getting calls from school to come pick them up
because they're crashed out on the floor snoring! :-)

Leslie
Alex and Jordan, 06 May 2000

Same here for my 8.5 year olds! It's 8 PM bath time by 8:30 in bed and 9PM
lights out. During school it's 7:45 bath, 8:15 bed, 8:30 lights out. They
don't have to be to school until 8:45 AM and get out at 3:15 but it's a
long, tiring and hard day for them. We generally keep their bedtimes the
same even during the summer as Chris has to have the regular sleep time
because of his seizures.

Shirley
Chris and Kathleen 1/95

"Julie Seely" wrote in message
...
Leslie --

Wow! Don't let your 3-yo's tell my 6-yo's how late they stay up!

C&E are currently going to bed at 9PM, reading until 9:30, then C, who
needs less sleep, is up by 7 or 7:30. E sleeps until 8:30 or so. I do
not plan to start transitioning them to schoolday time (up at 6:45
initially, then 7AM as it stays dark later in the AM and their routine
is more, ummm, routine) until a week or so before school starts. BUT,
in your shoes, where you have more of an adjustment, I would start
trying to shift them back at least to 9:30 or so now, then 9PM by
mid-August, and whatever the ultimate target time is for the last week.

We're also in a northern area (not too far from the 45th parallel, but
in the eastern side of the time zone, which helps compensate), but of
course the days are shortening.

Julie
Mom to Erica (still sleeping) and Chris (awake) 07/97

Leslie wrote:

I was wondering how long it might take to get my kids used to waking up
early to go to preschool. They start in just over a month, and it'll be
4
days a week. Their class will be 8:00 or 8:30 (I better find out) until
noon. Right now they wake up anywhere from 8:00am until 10:00am. With it
staying light out until late, it's hard to go to bed early. They're
still
up now at 10:30pm. FWIW, they rarely take naps--maybe once every week
or
two. I just want to give them enough time to get used to an actual
schedule
which has always been hard. I don't want them being totally exhausted
every
day at school. I can imagine getting calls from school to come pick
them up
because they're crashed out on the floor snoring! :-)

Leslie
Alex and Jordan, 06 May 2000

Just put them to bed earlier and wake them up earlier! its pretty easy to
do. My first always went to bed late and woke up late as well, until
Preschool....you just have to start enforcing a bedtime. You've got a little
while yet so you can just start having them go to bed 15 mins earlier than
the night before until you hit your desired bedtime.
The twins have always gone to bed promptly at 7 and despite dh giving James
a summer break on bedtime (upping it to 9), I announced the other week that
it was now back at 8...and it so much nicer!

--
Gwen, Designer Wraps
SAHM to James (9-98) Austin and Amber (5-02)


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"Leslie" wrote in message
...
I was wondering how long it might take to get my kids used to waking up
early to go to preschool. They start in just over a month, and it'll be 4
days a week. Their class will be 8:00 or 8:30 (I better find out) until
noon. Right now they wake up anywhere from 8:00am until 10:00am. With it
staying light out until late, it's hard to go to bed early. They're still
up now at 10:30pm. FWIW, they rarely take naps--maybe once every week or
two. I just want to give them enough time to get used to an actual
schedule
which has always been hard. I don't want them being totally exhausted
every
day at school. I can imagine getting calls from school to come pick them
up
because they're crashed out on the floor snoring! :-)

Leslie
Alex and Jordan, 06 May 2000

Shirley --

Do you mind if I ask about Chris' seizures? I'm curious because one of
my nephews was recently diagnosed w/seizures -- the "complex partial"
variety that are not particularly noticeable. Medication isn't working.

Julie

"Shirley M...have a goodaa \\;-)" wrote:

Same here for my 8.5 year olds! It's 8 PM bath time by 8:30 in bed and 9PM
lights out. During school it's 7:45 bath, 8:15 bed, 8:30 lights out. They
don't have to be to school until 8:45 AM and get out at 3:15 but it's a
long, tiring and hard day for them. We generally keep their bedtimes the
same even during the summer as Chris has to have the regular sleep time
because of his seizures.

Shirley
Chris and Kathleen 1/95

"Julie Seely" wrote in message
...
Leslie --

Wow! Don't let your 3-yo's tell my 6-yo's how late they stay up!

C&E are currently going to bed at 9PM, reading until 9:30, then C, who
needs less sleep, is up by 7 or 7:30. E sleeps until 8:30 or so. I do
not plan to start transitioning them to schoolday time (up at 6:45
initially, then 7AM as it stays dark later in the AM and their routine
is more, ummm, routine) until a week or so before school starts. BUT,
in your shoes, where you have more of an adjustment, I would start
trying to shift them back at least to 9:30 or so now, then 9PM by
mid-August, and whatever the ultimate target time is for the last week.

We're also in a northern area (not too far from the 45th parallel, but
in the eastern side of the time zone, which helps compensate), but of
course the days are shortening.

Julie
Mom to Erica (still sleeping) and Chris (awake) 07/97

Leslie wrote:

I was wondering how long it might take to get my kids used to waking up
early to go to preschool. They start in just over a month, and it'll be
4
days a week. Their class will be 8:00 or 8:30 (I better find out) until
noon. Right now they wake up anywhere from 8:00am until 10:00am. With it
staying light out until late, it's hard to go to bed early. They're
still
up now at 10:30pm. FWIW, they rarely take naps--maybe once every week
or
two. I just want to give them enough time to get used to an actual
schedule
which has always been hard. I don't want them being totally exhausted
every
day at school. I can imagine getting calls from school to come pick
them up
because they're crashed out on the floor snoring! :-)

Leslie
Alex and Jordan, 06 May 2000

Thanks everyone. I guess I better start getting tough about a bedtime.
They've never been good sleepers, so when we got to this point I was kind of
happy, although it would be nice if they went to bed earlier. Maybe going
to school will kind of help force the schedule better than just me saying
when they have to go to sleep.

Leslie
Alex and Jordan, who I can't believe are old enough to be in preschool
already! Where did 3 years go?

If you are like me, you'll just spring it on them at the last minute. ;-)
Surely they'd adjust after a week.

I understand, it's almost impossible to get them to bed when it's broad
daylight outside! "mommy, it's still light outside" "yes dear, but it really
is night, it's bedtime" "can I go swimming?" "maybe tomorrow, uh, when it's
light, uh mumble mumble..."

Good luck! Keep us posted on what happens!

Stephanie
Jake and Ryan 9/3/99

I understand, it's almost impossible to get them to bed when it's broad
daylight outside! "mommy, it's still light outside" "yes dear, but it
really
is night, it's bedtime" "can I go swimming?" "maybe tomorrow, uh, when it's
light, uh mumble mumble..."

LOL! I've had this same conversation many times over the past few
months.

Andrea
twin girls-Jordan & Madison
3 yrs. old

"GandSBrock" wrote in message
...
If you are like me, you'll just spring it on them at the last minute. ;-)
Surely they'd adjust after a week.

I understand, it's almost impossible to get them to bed when it's broad
daylight outside! "mommy, it's still light outside" "yes dear, but it
really
is night, it's bedtime" "can I go swimming?" "maybe tomorrow, uh, when
it's
light, uh mumble mumble..."


My sister has been complaining about this more than I do. Where she lives in
Northern BC the sun doesn't totally set this time of year. She took some
pictures the other night after midnight and sent which still show a fairly
light sky, like what we have at 8:30 or 9:00pm. I still prefer this to
wintertime. When I worked normal 8-5 hours I'd go to work in the dark and
come home in the dark. It made the work day seem soooo long and off time so
short.

I hope I don't wait until the last minute to help them adjust, but I very
well might since I'm the biggest procrastinator in the world.



--
Leslie
Alex and Jordan, 06 May 2000