Why I Let My Kids Sleep in (Everyday)

Kids don't get enough sleep.

There I said it. Their little lives are so overly scheduled and managed in my opinion that they not only don't have enough time to be kids, but they don't have enough sleep.  I'm all for kids getting out and having fun, playing sports and participating in other activities but honestly...I think with all that they do their bodies don't get enough time to rest.

Case in point. I have a friend who had two adorable little girls and this is their daily schedule:

• Up at 6:30 am for breakfast and getting ready for school
• Leave for school at 7:45 am
• Attend school 8:15 to 2:15pm
• Go to after school care from 2:15 to 5pm (dinner is on the go or quick bite at home)
• Two days they go to dance 6pm-7pm, one day is girl scouts 6:30pm to 7:30 pm, yet another day is soccer practice 6:30pm to 7:30pm
• Homework and dinner about 7:30 (depending on the day)
• Bed at 9pm or 10pm (depending on homework that has to be done)

I can't imagine being a kid and being that busy. I mean I am a full grown adult and the idea of it makes my head spin. This is why when we decided to homeschool, the hubs and I decided that kids sleep until they wake up. If today you sleep till 10am then you must have needed it.

Our kids are in bed between 8:30 pm and 9:30pm and generally are asleep rather quickly. Most of the time they sleep until 8:00am to 9:00am but there have been occasions (like after a soccer game the afternoon before) that they have slept till noon.

In this recent article the lack of sleep that is occurring in high school students is actually being called a health crisis. I have to agree. Although I know that many parents need to get out the door to work just as early as their kids do but you wonder if the days started even an hour later to many kids-would they have more productive school days?

Although not every family are homeschoolers so they cannot decide what time school starts but it seems that if schools chose to start a little later they would see more kids engaged in learning instead of fighting off sleep.

No most parents are going to say that this type of schedule is not preparing them for life because when you have a job you have to get up and get on with your day and you don't have the option of sleeping in.

I totally disagree. These are little kids (ages 8, 6 and 4) they won't need to get up for work for a really long time and there is plenty of time for them to learn to work on a schedule.

Although I don't have the luxury of sleeping in myself, I'm not a growing 8 year old.  Too me at this point, the amount of sleep they get is directly tied to their health, ability to learn and ability to function during the day.

When do your kids go to sleep?  Do you have a set bedtime?