Could really use some help! For Mom's that have a schedule for kid(s)...

[myapronstrings]

How does your day look?

Since it is summer and light later, I have been having a hard time getting the boys to go to bed.

Along with the bedtime issue, they have not been the easiest bunch to deal with lately. (Not listening to me or my DH lately, being a bit wild) I know they all like to see what they can do to push the limits especially since they know I need to take care of their newborn sister.

I really need to do a schedule for them since kids tend to like routines/schedule.

Since I am up at night feeding, sleeping in during the mornings is nice, but they never seem to wake up at the same time...yesterday it was 8am and today it was 6:50am. I would like to keep the wake up time consistant to help them. Any tips?

Time outs don't seem to be working, someone suggested maybe having a chore type chart where I can take things away and reward them when they are good. I guess I could make a chart for each of them?

Thanks so much, it has been a tad chaotic around here lately and can use any help!

[emmasmommy]

i'm a mean mom. we keep the same schedule regardless.

mine wake up between 6-7 every day.
our days are a lot less scheduled now that we don't have school but they still go to bed at 8 pm every night (granted, we do make exceptions for special things like fireworks shows or carnivals or what not now that it's summer).

[Valgal]

Well, my kids are 12 and 9 and we have virtually no schedule at all, BUT when they were little I did stick to bedtimes and that seemed to set the pace for everything else. I would shut our doors and curtains so they were more blocked off from the neighbors and such outside and that seemed to help a lot. They were so busy from running around outside all day that they dozed off pretty quick.

[MommaTrish]

i'm a mean mom. we keep the same schedule regardless.

mine wake up between 6-7 every day.
our days are a lot less scheduled now that we don't have school but they still go to bed at 8 pm every night (granted, we do make exceptions for special things like fireworks shows or carnivals or what not now that it's summer).

^this
We keep the same schedule all year long. Plus when the boys are home they have to take a quiet time (either with books, a movie, or Zach with a game) while Belly naps so they don't throw off her schedule also. I always thought it was stupid to make different schedules for the weekends and school breaks because that makes getting back to those schedules all the harder.

[aggiefamily]

Another mean mom here! I don't get them up in the morning (unless we have something to do) but I don't let them sleep past 8. Youngest is up at 7:00 and oldest around 7:30.

Breakfast, make bed, change clothes, play.

I make sure we have something planned to do each day. It might be going to the grocery store, library, a craft, a board game. Just something I can write on the chalkboard so they have it to look forward to.

Even though they are 8 and 6, I still make them have rest time after lunch. This is when they do their reading for the summer library program. After rest time they play more until we go to the pool.

Swimming almost every day wears them out so they typically are asking to go to bed around 8ish. We let them read or listen to audiobooks in bed. Bedtime is sometimes later on the weekend since we often are out late doing family stuff.

I try to hold off on movies and Wii for rainy days or when it is too hot to play outside.

[aggiefamily]

My youngest would get up super early so I finally bought him a clock. He had to stay in his room (playing quietly or reading so he didn't wake his brother up) until the clock said 7:00. It helped! A few times I heard him up and moving around 5 am but since he couldn't get anyone else up he fell back asleep reading in his bed.

I learned during the summer to still do the same things at the same time- bedtime, meals, etc. I write a short list of chores each day and what we will be doing that day. They know that to do the activity the chores have to be done first. I thought about making a bored jar but instead I just threaten more chores if they tell me that they are bored. LOL! http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/06/09/mom-im-bored-jar-from-somewhat-simple/

[ColleenSwerb]

Amanda, my mom did that with my sister too! She was always up CRAZY early, and my mom just couldn't take it any more. She did it before she could even read/understand a clock, by saying she wasn't allowed out of her room until mommy came in to get her (we were lucky enough to have our own rooms at a young age, mostly because my sister and I got along like oil and water and it saved my mom's sanity :p). She was free to be awake and play quietly in her room or read books, but she couldn't leave the room.

I definitely remember having the same bedtime/routine year round. It sounds like that's really the best way to keep the schedule going and save your sanity.

[MamaBee]

I'm another mean mom... my kiddo has the same schedule winter/summer... in bed by 7:30... and he gets up around 6:30/7:00 or so...

ETA: I found with my kiddo that if he started to act up it was because he was bored... so I keep him busy doing something or helping me... and if he helps me with things around the house, then we do something he likes in teh afternoon like going to the park.

[myapronstrings]

Thanks everyone for the responses!

It is hard because my oldest DS wants to stay up later, then the little ones complain that he doesn't have to go to bed.

Maybe I can have them play outside for a bit before bed, buy some blackout shades and while they are in a bath pull them and say look it is dark outside...lol.

I like the clock idea too! Also, chores not done...no fun activity!

[ColleenSwerb]

The "it's no fair that he gets to stay up" thing totally wouldn't fly with me, lol. He's a fair bit older than they are, it only makes sense.

[Stacey42]

My kids get up at around 6am regardless of when they go to bed. Always have. It was so annoying when they were toddlers but at 7 & 8 they can get their own breakfast & keep themselves occupied until I get up at 7:30.

We push their bedtime back 30 minutes in the summer, from 8 to 8:30 and from 8:30 to 9. My older son gets to stay up 30 minutes longer than the younger one, which is a privilege of age. Every 2 years they get a later bedtime. But the price of age is more chores. I have no patience with the "but he get to do X" nonsense. He's older/younger. The end. :)

We have a general daily routine, out of the house with errands, the gym, the park etc by 9am, home for lunch, an hour of tv, two-three hours of whatever non screen play, another hour of screen time, supper, then 2 hours of Daddy led activities which can be anything from cutting down dead trees to vegging on the sofa watching Top Gear. Then baths & bedtime. The only thing set in stone time wise is bedtime. I make slight exceptions when on vacation or July 4th of pushing bedtime back to as late as 10pm.

As for punishments both boys have a button jar. You get so many buttons for doing extra chores & other good things & lose buttons for not listening or doing bad things. Every two weeks the buttons are added up and a value is assigned. You need so many buttons for a trip for ice cream, so many buttons for a cash amount, so many buttons for game cash, so many buttons for more time on the computer or Wii. The rewards have varied over the years with their interest.

[MommaTrish]

My older son gets to stay up 30 minutes longer than the younger one, which is a privilege of age. Every 2 years they get a later bedtime. But the price of age is more chores. I have no patience with the "but he get to do X" nonsense. He's older/younger. The end. :)
Yup, until Ryan started school he went to bed 30 minutes earlier than Zach, and Belly still goes to bed 30 minutes before the boys. When Zach turns 10 he'll go back to going to bed 30 minutes after Ryan.

[nun69]

my oldest is 18 so she does her own thing but the other 3 are 10, 5 and almost 4. The 4 and 5 y/o go to bed at the same time, but they know that their older brother is allowed to stay up so they don't really have any issues with it. As longs as the 2 little ones go to bed at the same time they seem to be ok with it. But they have always gone to bed at the same time, so I guess that helps. But the 10 y/o does get up early and the rule is he can't play his computer, any video games or turn the TV on in the loft until we are all awake. So usually if he gets up he goes to pee and then goes back to bed! I don't really have a schedule, and I think my kids are getting bored this summer. So starting next week I am going to try to do something with them everyday to keep them busy~