Kids and bedtime

When Bryce and I were engaged my Aunt Kerry and Uncle Matt invited us out to their house one evening for dinner and visiting. At the time their 3 kids were about 11, 7, and 4. When we all kneeled for family prayer Bryce and I both thought it was hysterical that one of the things my Uncle Matt said in the prayer was that he was grateful it was bedtime and the kids could go to sleep! I still think that is so funny.

However, when Brody was little and it was just the three of us I still had no clue about bedtimes and Brody was totally acclimated to our schedule of going to sleep for the night around 11pm. I remember sitting with my beloved pediatrician at Brody's 6 month checkup and him asking me, "So when is Brody's bedtime?" and I dumbly answered, "Oh about 11pm." He raised his eyebrow, kind of looked down his nose at me, and with the slightest smile playing around his lips, shook his head and said, "oh, no, no, no, no." Eeeek! I had just been reprimanded! However, he very nicely explained to me what was appropriate for a 6 month old baby (and it wasn't an 11 o'clock bedtime!)

It just cracks me up because I realized a lot of first time parents fit their kid into their bedtime schedule instead of fitting the evening to the kid's bedtime schedule. Now, maybe if I had only one child it wouldn't be so bad, but I have noticed with each additional child I get more and more strict with that bedtime and it tends to get progressively earlier!

Three kids later, I cannot imagine letting the them stay awake until 11pm. Bryce and I are the bedtime Nazis because when that clock hits the blessed hour of 7:30pm it is no holding us back to get the kids IN BED! Now, every once in awhile one of us prays in family prayer..."thank you that the kids can go to bed now..." Uncle Matt, you are so, so wise.