I am not a fan of unsolicited advice, therefore I try really hard to not give it. I am not always the best at it, but I try. Well, today I am calling on all advice I can get. Consider it extremely solicited.
My girls wake up every morning at 6:00am, sometimes even earlier. Last week I was getting them to sleep in until 6:45 and I thought I was in heaven. But now it is back to 6:00am and I feel I want to die. It doesn't even get light outside until after 7:00am. I have never been an early riser, ever, ever, ever...and I feel like the meanest mom in the world until at least 9:00 when I can somehow get out of my sleepy tired slump.
I just want to wake up one morning AFTER the sun comes up. Is that too much to ask????
Here have been some of my tactics:
- Put the girls to bed later. (Doesn't work, they still wake up at 6:00)
- Put my girls to bed earlier. (They get more sleep at night, so that's good...but they still wake up at 6:00)
- Send them back to bed. (works long enough for Em to crawl back out of her crib time and time again, until I surrender and we all just stay up)
- Tell Gracey that she and Emily need to stay in their bedroom and play with toys (they can turn on the light) until the sun wakes up, then they can come get me. (it worked once, maybe twice)
- Lock Emily in the guest bedroom (literally lock) and listen to hr cry until it is somewhat light outside.
I have never, and would never slip nyquil into their milk...but sometimes it sure does seem tempting, right?
Someone please have an answer for me besides "go to bed earlier" for me. I try that too...it doesn't work.
26 comments:
I've got an early riser too... but he wakes up at 7. 6am is WAY too early! I have no advise for you.. sorry. But Im excited to read all the advice cause I could use it too.
But I have started to realize that he is just going to be an early riser forever so I've been putting him to bed early. If he wakes up at 7 i might as well put him to bed at 7. Maybe start putting them to bed at 6. or maybe you already have. I know that wouldnt help the morning thing though
So as you can see I have no advice and Im just rambling so I will stop.
GOODLUCK!!! I will be checking back soon to read the comments :)
I was putting them to bed at 6:00pm and they would sleep all through the night. Then I started feeling guilty because Corky doesn't even get home until after 6 sometimes. Then I had the internal battle of "maintaining a sleep schedule and being a control freak" vs. "keeping them up a little bit longer so they can hang-out with Corky and create fun evening memories!"
I wish I could have both.
I wish I had an answer for you! I am not an early riser either. I don't sleep well and mornings are terrible! I usually bring my pillow and a blanket in the living room so Matthew can play and I attempt to get as much more sleep as I can while he crawls all over me and screams with glee while playing with his toys. Oh, how I hope my children are like me (hate mornings) and not like their dad (loves mornings). Wouldn't it just seem to make sense though, that if you kept them up later they'd sleep later? I hate that!
maybe you could try cartoons or a movie in the morning, thats what i used to do when it was just kyle, he liked the noise. now they just do it so i can sleep a bit more :)
I don't have much advice. Andi is a early riser and it used to drive me crazy but I now I just give in to the fact. I actually like getting up earlier now, I feel like I'm way more productive now.
I too have this problem and no solution. All I can say is it does get easier as they get older. I make sure to have simple breakfast foods that they can get themselves and the tv turned to pbs before I go to bed. Now when Kamryn wakes up she grabs herself a banana and watches It's a Big Big World until I get up. Now that my kids are starting school it's actually nice that they are up and going instead of dragging them out of bed.
I've heard of parents getting their children an alarm clock and saying that they can't get out of bed until the clock says 7:00am. But then again that only works when they are older too.
Sounds like great advice,(the comments) I might try some of them, but I think the theme is until they are a bit older...they win. Both my boys wake up at 6 am and yell MAMA DADA!!!!really loud so I get them before they wake Grace. I've surrendered, but I AM a morning person. They go to bed at 7pm most nights. Anywho...sorry!!ps I'm a resentful grump with them some mornings too!
Jessica C.- I love the idea of the alarm clock. That might actually do the trick with Gracey. I mentioned that telling her to not leave her bedroom until the sun is awake helped for a day or two, so I know she gets that. Its just a matter of remembering the rule. If put an alarm clock right by the door, that might help her remember.
And yes, I know that I will be glad for my early risers when school starts. I kind of always wished I had an early bedtime when I was little. I was in really bad habits and they have definitely carried into my adulthood.
Welcome to Motherhood! Don't worry, it gets better. My advice is enjoy those mornings while you can - they will be gone before you know it and believe it or not, you will miss them. Remember, "the days are long but the years are short..." Love you momo.
I have had this problem with Zack before. We go through it every once in a while (like now).
I've done lots of things in the past. At one point I told him that he could wake up when the sun woke up. Worked like a charm.
I have also done the clock thing. You could use a digital clock and tell Gracey that she can't get up until 8 a.m. I bought Zack a $5 alarm clock at Wal-Mart for this purpose. You could set the alarm and tell her that she can't get up until the alarm goes off.
If you really don't want them up that early I wouldn't let them play with toys or turn on a light.
I would try again to put them to bed later. I would think the loss of sleep will eventually catch up with them.
One other thing I've done is to just put the kids in bed with me in the morning. Keep it dark and quiet (it's not play time). Mine would sleep an extra hour or two this way.
Can you tell that I like my sleep????? I've tried so many things over the years! Most of which have worked.
I feel lucky to be an early riser, but Nathan gets up early too. It was 5:00 AM and it has recently turned to 6:00 and I am loving life!
It is obviously habit... if they ALWAYS wake up at 6:00. So, my advise would make them be in different rooms and tell them if they are awake then it is still quiet time until the sun comes up and they can look at books. Something calming that they could possibly fall back asleep too. Maybe even watch a cartoon.
Yah...I sort of had the same advice as Janna. My kids are not allowed up until 7. But, you're right..Keller is the hard one. However, he has the lock on his door that he can't get out but Will can. So if he is up early then too bad for him (and us because it means he wakes up Will and Kyle). Will knows that he can't get up until 7 so he stays in there and plays until it's about 7. We actually don't even have a clock in their rooms though...just in mine. So sometimes I will hear Pammie sneak in and see that it is too early and then hear her run back to her room. It's actually entertaining to me because she tries to be so sneaky about it.
Gracey is old enough that you might be able to enlist her help. I have a friend who actually sets out a bowl of cereal the night before for her kid and a little cup of milk in the fridge that is low enough for them to reach so they can get themselves breakfast. Most people I know who are not early risers but have kids who are and are successful at the mornings do this or some version of it. Gracey might be old enough to help take care of Emily in the morning and you can tell her not to wake you before 7 unless it is an emergency. A little note: cover up the minutes on the clock so they don't get confused. She might think the extra responsibility is especially cool. Are there rooms still dark in the morning? We were surprised how light our kids rooms got before the sun woke up.
And definitely put them to bed early. At this house the kids are in bed at 8 and get up at 7 (though, yes, they have their especially early days still)
Lately, Mike's been going to bed kind of late, so that's way nice in the mornings. (not so much fun in the evenings) But he still wakes up at 5 or 6, then comes into my room to snuggle in bed with me until we're both ready to get up. I don't know if your girls would do that. If he wants to get up and play earlier than I want to get up, I'll go lay on the couch and let him play for a little while.
I love my sleep too, so good luck!
Wow what a hard situation. We have early risers also. My kids go to bed at 7 because I figured if they wake up at 6 no matter what time they go to bed then I want my extra time in the evenings. When they wake up they know that they can play quietly in the playroom or they can watch pbs. They love Its a Big Big World. I have sippy cups already filled with milk in the fridge before I go to bed so they can have a drink. They don't bother me until I get up unless there is a problem.
Thanks everyone!!
It's not like I am looking to sleep until noon, I just want at least until the sun is coming up!
I am definitely going to try a few things like the alarm clock. Hopefully it works.
I do the movie thing to. If I am to tired to get up with Sydney at her usual 5:30-6:00 wake up time I just get her some milk, her blanket and lay on the couch with her. I snooze, and cuddly with her while she watches the movie. Or you could maybe make up some type of morning picture schedule for Gracey that she could follow when she wakes up: Get up, go potty, get snack from fridge(by herself) for her and Emily, play a game/watch T.V. with Emily until you are ready to face the day. On the mornings that she follows through with the schedule she gets some type of reward. Good luck!
I would think that winter should help. Kyla has done a lot better since she has been moved to the store room (no windows--no light). Have you tried a darkening shade (or aluminum foil taped to the window if you're feeling more white trash)?
A clock has helped Damon, and he usually remembers not to come and get me before the specified time.
Wow, you've got some great advice already. That's good because I didn't have any. lol
I do wonder though, do they still take naps during the day? Would you be willing to sacrifice one to see if they would start to sleep in longer to get the extra sleep?
I've been fortunate to have really good sleepers. Their internal alarm clocks go off somewhere between 7 and 8am, usually. My mom said I was an early riser though, when I was a baby. She said she could set her clock to it; always up at 6:30am. I wish I was still like that, I would get a lot more done that way. :S
Good luck!
I don't have a lot of advice either. I remember seeing an alarm clock type thing for kids who couldn't read numbers yet. It was just a moon that would change to a sun when it was time to get up. Genius, right? Too bad I can't remember where I saw it!!
About Lincoln not waking up until 8:00...that was definitely an anomaly. He usually sleeps till 7:00 or 7:30. He doesn't take a nap everyday though, and sleeps nearly 12 hours at night.
6am?!!!!!! oh my...i would be a zombie. then again, i don't usually go to bed until 1 in the morning. brener slept until 10 or ll every day until he was about 2 and then he decided he would wake up around 8. dexton wakes up at 8 because brener wakes him up. i have no idea what you should do. i love the moon/sun clock idea from crystal. that's too cute. good luck.
Paul leaves for work at 5 am and my kids are up and at em...
it sucks.
so if you figure something out....Let. Me. Know.
GOOD LUCK! Just don't forget, it takes time to create a habit. Keep being consistent and they will get it right. Maybe bribe them with a surprise. Tell them if they wait until the sun comes up to get you, then you will give them a surprise and if they are successful make it something they won't forget. Maybe split them up into different rooms too? Again, GOOD LUCK!
I've been thinking more about this, and as hard as it may be, do you think it would be easier to adjust your schedule than theirs? Like say you just go to bed an hour earlier instead of trying to have them to sleep an hour later? I'm soooo not a morning person either so it doesn't sound fun, but may be less stressful on everyone.
Crystal, I have tried and I swear I try every single day! I tell myself it will take some time for me to just get used to it. I just can't get used to being up more than an hour before the sun comes up. The mentality of it all just kills me.
Mine get up at 5am no matter what, so i have no advice. Just Good Luck!
i know im no expert, but my kids are a little older and it seems that age helps this issue a lot. drake is now sleeping later and later. t is still up at the crack of dawn (or earlier) and we just kinda deal. i am NOT a morning person and i am not willing to cut my quiet alone time in the evenings with mike short so we just have a cup of cereal or a granola bar ready fro him in the morning and turn on cartoons. if you cut the daytime tv then the am tv keeps them entertained for a lONG time. (i sound so awful telling you to use tv as a babysitter.....but hey, its gotta be good for something, right?)
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