MOMania

By JJ

August 6, 2008 7:42 AM | Link to this

‘Morning all….

I usually try the week before school to get my daughter back on a normal schedule. But that’s not happening so far this year. She’s 17 so as long as she can get herself up in the mornings, I’m not forcing the issue.

This summer I allowed her to stay out later, as she is now driving. Occassionally I will let her stay out until 1:00 on the weekends, and midnight during the week. She’s very good about coming home on time.

However, she prowls around the house until 2 or 3:00 in the a.m. Then she sleeps all day long, and is ready to leave the house when I get home. I don’t let her go out every night, just a couple of times a week. Her friends can come over and hang out downstairs.

We will have to start getting up at 5:30 starting Monday. I usually drive her to school, as we leave about the same time, and I go right past the high school. However, this year I think she will be catching a ride with friends. Once in a while, I will let her take my car, and I can hitch a ride to work.

By lakerat

August 6, 2008 7:57 AM | Link to this

Lady, what kind of parent are you - forcing your kids to sleep 12 hours is close to child abuse - quick, someone call DFACS! You are contributing to your children becoming “sleep slobs”, or, as you call it, “the perfect college students”. Yes, most school age children need more than 8 hours sleep, but not 12 hours, and, as the experts say, probably not much more than 8 hours. Part of the problem with getting the daughter to go to sleep centers upon the fact that she, obviously, does not require the 12 hours you want her to have, plus it is still daylight for another 1-2 hours AFTER you send her to bed - no wonder she stalls at bedtime! It will be very interesting to see how your children turn out since you are obviously more concerned with your “free time” than you are with the welfare of your children. I do, however, think that you think you are doing the right thing for them. Get help for YOU quick, before it is too late for them!

By JJ

August 6, 2008 8:06 AM | Link to this

Good Lord Lakerat My 17 year old sleeps 12 hours sometimes. I see NOTHING wrong with that. She’s not FORCING them to sleep for her own free time. And it certainly is not child abuse.

I can hear the call to DFACs now, “oh my god, my neighbor let’s her kids sleep 12 hours, come and get them quick!!! She obviously is a horrible parent.”

As a matter of fact, I when I was younger I would sleep 12 -14 hours. (I know some teenagers who can sleep like that too). I turned out just fine thank you. Hell, my own 17 year old sleep 12 hours on the weekends…….but then again, I must be selfish too, since I don’t go wake her up. Lighten up a bit, it’s too early for nastiness. You usually aren’t this nasty…..

By Jeff

August 6, 2008 8:07 AM | Link to this

No kids, but wife being a teacher I have to re-train her!

MY routine has stayed roughly even through the job change. Get up about 30 minutes later than I did for my previous job, but I’m STILL up 2.5 hrs before work, and I only have a 15 min drive now! My thing is that I like to actually give my brain a chance to slowly wake up rather than having to be fully operational the second I open my eyes. Bedtime has shifted to 10-11 or so though from the 9-9:30 that it was.

I say all this to point out something that has already become apparent in my marraige: DAD will be the one in our family making sure everyone is up and out the door on time.

T, in the summer, has been known to sleep until at least 8 or 9 or so. I’ve gotten up no later than 6a 7 days a week for at LEAST the past 10 months or so.

So she’s having to adjust, and I’m having to make sure she’s up no later than 6:15 or so.

This should get interesting in the next few years… :P

By JSP

August 6, 2008 8:17 AM | Link to this

I started the children on their “school” schedule one week prior to school starting. They returned to school this past Monday and we have had no issues.

During the summer months, they were allowed to stay up until 11:00 (later on Fri/Sat) because there was no set time for them to wake in the mornings.

My youngest, 9, is in bed at 9pm with lights out at 9:30. I wake him at 6:20.

My oldest, 12, is in bed at 9:30 with lights out at 10:00. I wake him around 6:45 but once he gets back in the swing of things, he will be waking on his own by 6:30 if history is any indicator.

My children know that if they put up ANY fuss in the AMs about waking and getting ready for school, bedtimes get moved to an earlier time slot. Period.

Children should be well rested for school and if they are fussy in the AM, more sleep is needed. At least in my house.

By ADL

August 6, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this

My kids are up by 6am every morning to pee in the ocean…

By JJ

August 6, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this

I am so conditioned to getting up early, I naturally wake up around 5 or 6:00 a.m. I hate it on the weekends.

But then again, I’ll make a pot of coffee and go sit out on the deck and watch the neighborhood wake up. Then I’ll go walk the doggies before it gets too hot……

I have always been a morning person. Staying up late just kills me…..I’m in bed by 10.

By Most of you people are LAME!!!!

August 6, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this

Nasty Award goes to Lakerat for being an oversleeper. Do you honestly sleep 12 hours a day Rip Van Winkle?

Sometimes I think people say stuff on a blog just so they can see what they wrote. Idiots.

By JSP

August 6, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this

ADL — thanks for the giggle!

By JJ

August 6, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this

I thought we agreed to wait until Friday to give out awards…….

By lovin life

August 6, 2008 8:38 AM | Link to this

I am dreading this. E has been sleeping late all summer, and going to bed really late. Baby B takes up so much of my time in the day that at night once he goes down Hubby and I have been spending a little fun time with E. (Snuggling for Enchanted for the 1,000th time, playing board games sometimes even a late night brusters run) Oh well, time to get back to work. The bus comes around 6:45 or 7 and she is sound alseep as I write this at 8:35. I am counting on the joy of school(she is still really young and not jaded on school yet) will help with the schedule change. ADL thanks for the first laugh of the morning.

By JJ

August 6, 2008 8:47 AM | Link to this

Um, excuse me lame but while Lakerat deserved the award, SHE is not the one sleeping 12 hours. She was blasting Theresa for allowing her kids to sleep 12 hours….

By Numbers Guy

August 6, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this

Happens every year. He’s about 1.5 hours off the schedule he needs to be on, but we have a week to correct it.

Of course, this will now be complicated by the fact that he got a stomach bug last night, and we did the whole “2 exits, no waiting” thing every 90 minutes or so alllll night. Last night was to be the night we started re-programming his body clock.

I need more coffee.

By A. Nony Mouse

August 6, 2008 9:21 AM | Link to this

I let the girl go to bed when she wants to during the summer. That is about 11pm. However she is up at 6:30 and off to my Dads most days.
I know at 13 she can stay alone but she has pals over at his house and a dog walking gig too.
I will enforce a 10pm bed time for school. I let her sleep as long as she want on weekends and I must say I like the ME time on those days.

By nurse&mother

August 6, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this

Numbers-you have my sympathy. I have been there and done that before. It’s awful. I hope your child gets better soon. Thankfully, those bugs are usually short lived. I bet he will go to bed very early tonight since he was up all night last night.

We usually try to reprogram my daughter about a week before school starts back. I am not doing a good job of it this year. My son’s post op recovery has our routine all messed up. The last two nights I have good intentions, but I’ve turned around and it it 10:00pm (and she still hasn’t had her bath). I would like her to get in the bed by 9:30. I must do better tonight.

Update on the boy-we had a rough night last night. This morning when we struggled with medicine, I noticed that he is starting to have some bleeding. I think a little bleeding is to be expected, but I will check with the doctor. We have a 1pm appt today. As far as fluids go-eh so-so so far.

By FCM

August 6, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this

The youngest has issues when it comes to new routines/changed scheduling…Therefore I have adopted an earlier to bed routine (8:00 for that child this week. Last night they caught on and pitched a fit, rather get those tantrums out now.

Oldest stayed up past her bedtime to see the Ashley Tisdale movie picture this….She will be going to bed early tonight and tomorrow (8:30- to read…9:00 lights out).

They have been very good about their morning routine. I will have to get them out the door 15 min earlier than we have since I went back to work, that was purposeful. I could have done a later rising but opted not too, so we got that out of the way in June.

Personally, even in summer I have kept their bedtime to 10:00 latest—rare treat to watch a specific even. I don’t think elementary school kids should be up beyond that. Stories and songs are done if there is time before 9:00 for the youngest. 9:30 lights out for the reader. However if you feel differently for your kids go for it.

Friday nights are the exception—they look forward to it. IF they have their ‘work’ done (rooms clean/pjs on etc) and have ‘earned’ it (no issues at camp that week)…they get to watch the Disney Channel until they konkout (usually by 11:00). It is a total PJ party in the livingroom. Mom stays in her PJs until everyone is asleep, then goes to her bed…I am too old for a floor. This is one we will keep through school unless early soccer makes change.

All in all look at it like this: they will get to school. They will adjust.

By Stacey

August 6, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this

LOL @ ADL.

My son went to a day camp this summer where they swam daily, had a basketball camp and a football camp. His drop off and pickup times were the same as for school so there was no change to his schedule. He was worn out most days when I picked him up so it wasn’t at all unusual for him to fall asleep before dark.

My county started school this past Monday and his bus comes 5 minutes earlier in the morning than it did last year. I have to stand over him like a Drill Sargent in the morning to make sure he eats breakfast, brushes his teeth & hair, washes his face and gets dressed. He ate breakfast at camp this summer and we can both feel the difference that the five minutes it takes him to wolf down a muffin and a glass of juice makes.

By JJ

August 6, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this

Nurse Bless your heart. I wish I could help you out….

By A. Nony Mouse

August 6, 2008 9:42 AM | Link to this

I think my schedule will need adjusting. LOL. I will be feeding breakfast at home (Instead of school)so that the teeth get brushed properly. Got braces this summer and I will neot have her going around with stuff in the metal works EWWW.

By Becky

August 6, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this

numbers guy, sorry your little one is feeling icky..lakerat, just about any teenager can sleep 10-12 hours a day, so lay off..one of mine is right on time for sleeping & getting up, but the 14 year old says that she can’t adjust to sleeping at night & had the nerve to ask me to buy her sleeping pills..After I was through laughing at her, she was told NO..After a week or so of getting up at 6:30 & having a full day at school, she’ll be sleeping just fine..

By Numbers Guy

August 6, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this

Nurse, I’m sure he’ll be fine. He was already down to using only one exit when I left this morning. His parents will probably show the effects more than he will today, I’m guessing.

Your issue would concern me more. Let us know how the appt .goes.

By ManOfTeal

August 6, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this

My little girl starts Pre-K on Monday. She is growing up so fast. She usually is in bed asleep sometime between 8 - 8:30 and I don’t think her bedtime will change much.

By CP

August 6, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this

@ Numbers Guy & nurse&mother: You both have my sympathy. I’ve not had the experience of surgery with one of my kids (although one was hospitalized before,) but the stomach virus ran through 3 of them in one night before. Not fun. Hopefully both your kids will feel better soon & be back to normal. It’s awful when your kids are sick.

As far as scheduling goes, bedtime has been around 8 for them. My son (oldest at 7 & turning 8 this month) has been allowed to stay up later, usually about 9. I’m excited about this year since my oldest 3 will be in school this year. One in 3rd, K, & Pre-K. That will leave me with just the baby.

We’ll be getting up about 6:45 to get breakfast, etc. before catching the bus. Ours is the first stop (at least it was last year & I don’t know if it will change or not.)

By Jesse's Girl

August 6, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this

Ahhh…bedtime. My present nemesis. We start on the 18th, so we are implementing a school schedule right now. It is so very hard to deny the outrage of The Boy when he argues that the sun is still up!!! Its difficult to explain that the sun has nothing to do with mommy and daddy’s new rule!

Alas…we let them know in no unceratin terms that they do not live in a democratic environment. Within our walls exists a Monarchy…and the King and Queen have decreed a new bed time. Period. Now if only the Queen can arise on time:)

By Theresa

August 6, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this

Michael made us get up at 7:30 this morning — we’re not happy — i’ve dozing in and out on the couch in the basement while the others play — the baby keeps trying to take my glasses and overall is harrasing me —

By Theresa

August 6, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this

Guys — I wanted to point out we have gotten more than 300 baby photos for submissions for that baby photo contest — check out the link — they are really, really cute!!!!

By JJ

August 6, 2008 10:47 AM | Link to this

OMG Theresa 7:30???? Wow, you must be exhuasted.

Just kidding.

Try getting up every day at 5, get your kid up, and be out the door at 6:45, drop the kid off at school, then go to your full time job, go home for 30 minutes, then head to the part time job. Home again at 9:30. Then get back in bed at 10, to start all over the next day.

See your kid for a whole hour a day. Then she has to fend for herself and is alone in the evenings……

Why can’t the state be stronger in enforcing child support? Why must I work two jobs, so he can go play and create more kids?

By Theresa

August 6, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this

that totally stinks JJ! I’ve been hearing from several people about financial arrangements after divorce and it just seems like it’s not financial viable for many couples to divorce — not enough to spread between two households — in your case. nothing coming from the other household — why doens’t the state enforce more??

By new mom

August 6, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

I’m a little late in reading this—little baby slept late, so she’s just now going down for her morning nap! Hope I can still get in some lameness before the award ceremony on Friday…

My lame post is this: baby isn’t in school yet, so we don’t have to do any adjusting. The only thing that changes, though, is those darn school busses. Why do they have to be as loud as a freight train? Back when school was in, last winter and spring, it seemed that the morning busses would wake her up much earlier than she (or I!) wanted to wake, then the afternoon busses would inevitably disrupt naptime.

Of course, in a perfect world, we would just plan her sleep schedule around the bus schedule, but babies seem to have a little mind of their own!

I’m dreading those darn busses. But oh well, life could be worse. I am thankful she’s healthy and does sleep through the night!

Speaking of healthy babies, Nurse & mother and Numbers Guy, sorry your kids are feeling puny. That’s the worst feeling in the world—knowing they are sick, but not being able to make them well.

By FCM

August 6, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this

smile——but babies seem to have a little mind of their own!

HA! I remember that. Those little stubborn wills that surface. Take the advice I didn’t: do what you can to make her come to your terms/schedule now. There really is only he^^ to pay later if you don’t.

Most of all just enjoy it. I miss the ‘baby smell’.

N & M thank you so much for asking about the job. I LOVE IT! It is actually much better than the one I lost. I miss talking to the folks on here, but enjoy knowing I can pay the bills each month. I am glad to hear the little one is doing better, I will keep praying.

I have an unrelated question: My eldest (female, age 9) has decided that not combing your hair is a ‘look’ and refuses to comb or brush her hair….It is nothing but a messy tangled rats nest and drives me crazy (see there is that stubborn will again)…I have tried letting it go a few days to see if it would snap her out of the phase but alas no. Any ideas? If I brush it for her she just messes it up as soon as I am done.

Any other girls going/gone through this? I always thought girls want their hair to look nice. She does shampoo it daily.

By Numbers Guy

August 6, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this

Thanks for the well-wishes, folks. Hopefully, he’s napping now.

By new mom

August 6, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

FCM—you wouldn’t miss the baby smell we had this morning!! Lately when I walk into her room, I question, “Am I in our sweet baby girl’s room, or a stable full of horses?” Uggggg so gross….But I won’t go into any more detail, no one wants to read that…

She’s on a really good schedule, at least I think so. She wakes somewhere between 7:30-8:30, we are up for 2 -2.5 hrs eating, playing, (pooping), etc., then she naps for a couple of hours…I get a shower! Then it’s an afternoon of playtime, with a shorter nap around 4. By the time my hubby comes home around 6, I’m exhausted from literally chasing her all over! And she’s so pooped by bedtime, she goes to sleep around 9:30 and sleeps straight through the night.

Our hair problem right now is that her hair is sooo long (I think, for 10 mths) it’s literally in her eyes, so I try to pull it back in a clip. But she will rip it out as soon as I put it in!

Have you tried some of that yummy-smelling detangling spray? I’m sure you have. I think I’d pull it up in a ponytail, at least if it’s a tangled mess, it could be hidden that way. Just an idea.

This is all reminding me of a book I’m reading, ‘ScreamFree Parenting’, and an interview I saw of the author. He made the comment that we, as parents, complain that are children are strong-willed, but in reality, we WANT them to be strong-willed as they become teenagers, so they can have the inner strength to stand up for what is right. I have reminded myself of that as I watch our daughter try something over and over again, or refuse to eat the yummy mushy food. Of course, this is all easier at 10 months then it will be at 9 years, I am sure of that!! :)

By JJ

August 6, 2008 12:37 PM | Link to this

FCM - take LOTS of pictures!! She is expressing her independance. It’s ok, let her do it, I mean it’s only her hair (for now). It will be over by next week. Once someone says something to her at school, that’s it.

Plus, if we say we like something, they do the opposite. Maybe you should tell her you really like that look, and that you were thinking about trying it out yourself. Then, mess up your hair, and take her out to the grocery store and see what her reaction is to your messy hair……

By new mom

August 6, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this

JJ—much better advice than mine!

You can tell who has survived that age and who hasn’t gotten anywhere close to it yet! ;)

By LM

August 6, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this

FMC, my daughter went through years of not doing her hair. My rule was if she was not going to brush it it had to be up in a bun, at least it look better and the tangles/snarles/rats nest was not somethign I had to look at. Every once in a while she would ask me to comb it out, so while she soaked in the tub, I douse it with conditioner and work out all the knots. It was her hair, I had more than enough other battles to fight with her, it did not effect me, and my Mother to this day still critizies my hair, too long, too short, needs to be put up, needs to be down. I remember wishing she would just love me for who I was and stop finding fault.

By JJ

August 6, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this

newMom Life lesson #101 - Pick your Battles….

My daughter has the most unmanagable hair. She got the worst of her parents hair. VERY thick, VERY curly, nappy if you will (Her father is black). I cannot tell you how much money, time and effort has gone into that child’s hair.

When she was a baby it was soft and curly, and now, well, it’s just nappy. I used to take her to get it professionally straightened, and that costs and arm and a leg - $150 twice a year. Then she got a job, and paid for it herself, twice. Now she has finally learned to manage it, and can do it herself with her straightener/flatirons……

By Most of you People are LAME!!!!

August 6, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this

Good grief I let my kids juggle knives compared to you overprotective whining women.

Go build a bubble around your house so the rest of us can get on with our lives and don’t have to deal with you.

By Judy

August 6, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this

Monday will be tough - my high schooler’s bus comes at 5:55 which means a 5:15 wake up call…haha we have been crawling out around 8 - 8:30. The rest of the week I am striving for 7 but regardless, it will still be REALLY EARLY on Monday.

By new mom

August 6, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this

JJ—sounds like your daughter’s hair is the exact opposite of ours! Little baby has fine, straight as a stick hair. It hangs in her eyes, gets stuck in her eyelids, and tickles her ears so much she swats at her ears to get it off! But of course, no clip…unless she is completely distracted when I put it in. Usually it will then only last 10-15 min, she will reach up and grab it, and smile like “guess what I found?” It’s frustrating, in an adorable way. :)

I agree with the ‘pick your battles’ idea. I’ve gotten over her finishing every sip of her bottle, if she’s done, she’s done.

To take that one step further, that book I talked about (ScreamFree Parenting) recommends we removed the try to stop even using phrases like ‘pick your battles’. This is from the book: “language has an amazing abilty to frame interactions. If I think of my interactions with my children as a series of battles, I cannot help but go into the situation expecting a fight” There is more I’d love to quote but it would take up too much space, and I don’t want to get sued or anything! ha ha

Seriously, this book is very eyeopening…Not that most of us moms are doing things wrong, but there are always ways we can improve. :) I highly recommend…

By new mom

August 6, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this

sorry all, I need to slow down and edit my posts more! I’m just hurrying, before baby wakes…

By Becky

August 6, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this

I have a 14 year old that wants to wear her hair half way across her face & her eye makeup that makes her look like Amy Winehouse..I don’t like it & yes I tell her this, but as long as she’s doing good in school & not drinking, doing drugs or having sex, this is something that I can live with..

By JJ

August 6, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this

Judy Why on earth does the school bus get there so early? School doesn’t start until after 7. The bus hits my ‘hood at 6:35. You must be further from the school. We are 5 miles.

By JustMe

August 6, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this

When she decides not brushing her teeth is a “look”, then you put your foot down. Otherwise, ignore it - it’ll go away.

By Becky

August 6, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this

I was wondering the same thing about the bus..I know my 2 were highly upset first day of school.We live less than a mile from the school & they are the last stop..Took them 1 1/2 hrs. to get home…

By nurse&mother

August 6, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this

Hey Lame-if everyone on the blog is so lame, why are you still hanging out??

FCM I had to laugh at your situation. My daughter (11yo) has and is still in that phase. I thought I was the only one whose daughter chose to do the grunge thing. I don’t have a simple answer. We don’t say a lot about it unless we are going somewhere like school, church etc. Then we stand our ground. It seems like it was/is mostly a power struggle. We try to not make it too much of an issue. I suspect when she starts school someone will talk about it. It does seem like it is a little bit better lately. We don’t say so much lately either.

The doctor says the boy’s throat is healing well. He gave us some steroids to give hime that will help out even more. Yippee!! More meds to try to get down the gullet. LOL! I’m sure that if we can get the full dose down, he will feel better.

Thanks again for all the prayers. There is light at the end of the tunnel!!

By JJ

August 6, 2008 2:28 PM | Link to this

Nurse Always an adventure huh?

Glad the little one is doing well. Tomorrow will be even better!!! Then this will all be behind you…..

By nurse&mother

August 6, 2008 2:52 PM | Link to this

Thanks JJ.

By Up and at 'em

August 6, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this

Theresa,

This blog gives me some insight into what parents are thinking and experiencing and can be very enlightening for me as a pediatrician. While usually just content to read and ponder, sleep issues are so important that I would like to add a few thoughts today.

Sleep and sleep hygiene are vastly underemphasized by most parents. In my practice, these topics get a good deal of proactive attention, hopefully to positive results. If you are able to develop consistent and appropriate sleep routines for your children, most aspects of child rearing become more enjoyable. While all kids have their own “style”, there are some general approaches that are helpful for most.

Most authorities in the field of sleep disorders in children recommend approximately 11 hours of sleep per day at age 6, 10 hours at age 10, and 9 hours at age 14. Naps, physical activity, and personal preference can all influence individual sleep needs by an hour or so. Given the right amount of sleep, concentration, behavior, and learning can all show improvement.

Keep your children’s sleep hours fairly constant, even on weekends. If you have an 8:00 bedtime during the week, but it shifts to 11:00 on Friday and Saturday nights, you are left with a situation not unlike jet lag. As this blog suggests, it is important to get into a pattern in advance of school starting, and, I would add, stay there. By the way, your plan of getting back into the routine a week ahead of time is probably about right.

I have found it helpful to establish a wake up time. Instead of sleeping in, even if the night before was a late one, kids get back on schedule more quickly if they get back into their usual daily routine promptly. A short night followed by a normal morning usually leads to a grumpy day followed by a self-initiated early bedtime and the subsequent return to normalcy.

Be good to your kids!

By carrie

August 6, 2008 4:38 PM | Link to this

We keep our schedule pretty much the same in the summer. Children are in bed usually by 8 pm, sometimes 8:30. Personally, it’s just easier for us to not have to try and readjust the schedule. Plus, they are still up before 7 am no matter what time they go to bed! I’m the one that’s struggling. This week is the first week back for me, and I’m exhausted! I don’t know what I’ll do next week when we have to be on the road before 7!

By A

August 6, 2008 4:55 PM | Link to this

My 5 1/2 year old son has been in camps most of the summer, so same schedule. To the people blasting parents for their kids sleeping 12 hours, each child is different. Our son needs 10-12, and that works for him and us. No need to get on your high horse. As long as your children are well-rested and happy, it doesn’t matter if it’s 8 hours or 12…it’s whatever they need that’s important.

By michael weaver

August 6, 2008 5:59 PM | Link to this

the school that I am going to this year starts at 7:45 but you parents do not hear me complaining.

By Stupified

August 7, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this

I read some of the earlier posts about being outraged at letting kids sleep 12 hours. Half the kids in this country could get off Ritalin if their parents had routines and a solid 10-12 hours of sleep or at least they are in their beds being quiet. And yes, parents do need mommy and daddy time or divorce is soon to follow. It ain’t all about the kids !

By KD

August 7, 2008 3:44 PM | Link to this

Having a 2-year-old and not having to adjust yet for school hours is a blessing. I’m a working mom whose job is 2-midnight, so my little one is on a later schedule, too. He’s usually in bed by 10 at the sitter, by 11 with Dad, and rises about 9 each morning. Not really sure how I’ll cope with school sleep schedule if my work schedule stays the same then!