Suggestions needed: kids up early

bigbird ↓

Sun, Jun 08 2014, 1:52 pm

My kids wake up any time from 6. The first thing they do is come straight to my room and hang around there until I get up. I always get annoyed that my room is inundated so early in the morning while I'm waking up, feeding the baby, trying to enjoy my cozy bed for a bit longer(!)

So what do I do with them? They don't like going downstairs to play by themselves. I've tried convincing them to go and read quietly in their beds but more often than not, if they do it of course, they'll end up waking up their roommate who might still be sleeping. I can't really think of what else to get them to do.

How do I get a bit of peace so early in the morning? Or maybe I don't and it's just part and parcel of being a mother?? But then what the heck am I supposed to be doing with them so early in the morning?!?

Suggestions??

(Kids are 8, 6, 4 but issue is really with the 6 and 4 year old)

Shopmiami49 ↓

Sun, Jun 08 2014, 1:55 pm

I set up cereal for my kids (6, 5, 4) and cups of milk in the fridge. After they eat, they are usually a bit more settled and can entertain themselves for a little longer, coloring, playing, etc. until I get up.

chocolate moose

Sun, Jun 08 2014, 2:15 pm

What time do they go to sleep?

6 isn't bad. It's already light out.

I always got up with the kids. We had a bath, did homework, made a special breakfast, etc.

oliveoil

Sun, Jun 08 2014, 7:12 pm

6 is not that early.

I've been known to take my kids to the park for an hour before school in the mornings... sets them up for a better day. (this can be accomplished by playing outside if u have a good backyard, of course)

bookworm10

Sun, Jun 08 2014, 7:36 pm

I have trained my 2 and 4 year old to play in the mornings. I have yogurts and straws in easy reach for them, and their toys are in full access. They come to me to fix things or open etc, but then they leave to go play.

Maybe you can buy a special toy just for the mornings that they can play with quietly?

↑ bigbird ↓

Sun, Jun 08 2014, 9:33 pm

The cereal in the morning sounds good, I might try that. For those who take their kids out before school…good for you but that's not happening around here! Oh and it's winter where I am btw…

I'd love to train them to play on their own. How do I do that? Charts, reward system?

↑ Shopmiami49

Sun, Jun 08 2014, 11:05 pm

bigbird wrote:

Usually a chart with rewards are your best bet. But it's also a very good idea to get some special "morning" toys - it will be a great incentive. We recently just got the kids a Bop It XT and they are loving it Smile

ray family

Mon, Jun 09 2014, 2:34 am

I opened this up to get ideas for my friend whose kids wake up at 5. I'm sure she'd be thrilled if her kids woke up at 6!
as for what to do… what if you went to bed a bit earlier so that you could wake up w/ them at 6?
or like others suggested set up food for them as well as some reward chart to keep them motivated to play on their own.

lfab ↓

Mon, Jun 09 2014, 6:32 am

We use this clock for my 5 and 4 year old
http://www.amazon.com/Stopligh.....clock

You turn on the red light at night and set what time you want it to change to green. My kids know they can't come out of their room until it's green. We also started leaving some books in their room so they have something to do while they wait. It doesn't work 100% of the time but often enough that it was worth the purchase. Even on the days that it doesn't get them to stay in bed until 7:00 (which is when ideally I want them to get up) it gives me at least an extra 1/2 hour or so.

You can also try room darkeners.

↑ lfab

Mon, Jun 09 2014, 6:54 am

amother wrote:

This may sound naive, but the kids can't go to sleep later?

Maybe the kids are already going to bed at a "later" time and still waking up early. Besides this doesn't always work. I have found that when my kids go to bed too late they don't sleep as well and tend to wake up even earlier. This means that they get even less sleep and are that much crankier all day!

Scrabble123

Mon, Jun 09 2014, 6:57 am

I use to wake up at all different times. Always early in the morning, but often in the middle of the night. My parents were always up before 6, but they taught me to keep myself busy in my room until breakfast was ready. I didn't run around the house, but played games and read in my room.

You could buy coloring books, games (since you have more than 1 kid awake), legos, blocks, etc. Designate them only for the mornings, and teach your kids to play quietly. I know that with some kids it would be impossible, so if that is your case, then try something else.

Sanguine

Mon, Jun 09 2014, 7:48 am

My daughter's first word was Abba (Eema's always later to learn), She'd get up early and call "Abbaaaa" I'd nudge DH and say "she's calling you" - He was too groggy to realize that that was the only word she knew so he got up and started the day with the kids while I went back to sleep Very Happy

When my kids were little (gan - 7 yo) Lego was the Shabbat morning toy. I'd leave it in the living room when I went to sleep and they'd get up and build, build, build while we slept till a normal Shabbat wake up time.

mom92

Mon, Jun 09 2014, 8:01 am

I also keep toys in their room - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I also find that if I say good morning to them and come into their room for a few minutes, ( give them some attention) they play nicely after that and I can lie down for a little longer.

Fox ↓

Mon, Jun 09 2014, 9:10 am

amother wrote:

This may sound naive, but the kids can't go to sleep later?

I'm with you, amother! I never, ever put my kids to bed before 7:30 p.m., and I was pretty quick to move it to 8 p.m. and then 9 p.m. as they got older. I always used to hear mothers complaining about getting kids to bed when it was still light out or when the household was still active . . . and then complain when they were up at 4 or 5 a.m.

With all the hoopla over "sleep training," my first priority would be to "train" the kids to sleep to an hour when I could stand to see them! If they're naturally waking up at an inhuman hour, it's a pretty sure bet that they could have their body clocks moved back a little without suffering.

However, I also like GP2.0's idea of room-darkening shades or curtains. If the sun is awakening them before they would awaken on their own devices, this is definitely the way to go!

Mon, Jun 09 2014, 9:16 am

my 3 year old can go to sleep at 9 and still wake up at 5. WITH room darkeners Sad

(But I have taught him about "sleeping time" and that mommy and tatty and his brother are sleeping and he has to lie down and be quiet and do NOT come into my bedroom again!! He usually ends up playing nicely by himself for a while (until he wakes up his brother who plays nicely with him too!)