Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Caught reading past bedtime

We do exactly this at our home. I used to read in bed well past bedtime in my youth and have ruined eyesight as a result. So, I am very particular about not reading in bed - something is wrong about the posture and the lighting when reading in bed.

DS9
Bedtime (meaning shower and teeth done and in bed) at one time, lights out 1/2 hour later. Maybe it isn't such a big deal with our house but I just walk by the door if I have to and turn the light out. Most of the time though he comes out to the kitchen and hugs me after the half hour is up, drinks a sip of water, pees one last time and then is asleep when his head hits the pillow.

DS14
Bedtime is later and he draws it out with his own routine and has given up reading before bed mostly.

Although this is relaxed in the summer, I have a time set when one must be ready for bed, and then a time after that which is for reading, then a lights-out time.

When I find DC reading late, I typically have a talk about how important getting enough sleep is, and my expectations that one takes care of oneself and of good and cheerful behavior. If I don't see the good and cheerful behavior, the natural consequence is a much earlier bedtime that night.

Typically, I don't have a long term problem. If it goes on another night, I probably would just take the book away. I am known for staying up a bit too late for an "exciting part" of a book from time to time too.

I must have the only morning reader! We enforce a firm bedtime for DS 8 because he gets up so darn early and reads then. We tried pushing back bedtime and letting him read but he just got up at 6am anyway - on the weekends we had institute weekend rules - has to stay in his room until 7!!! So we have a firm bedtime because otherwise he is exhausted!

DeHe

I was an after-bedtime reader, and I know that a good few kids in my class were, too.

My kids also read after they go to bed. We don't really mind it, unless it gets late. I agree with Dude that it can be a good way to relax before going to sleep.

Yeah-- we're ALL bedtime readers here, so I guess we've not really done a lot to limit it in DD, either. {sigh} I do know that she was a bit more problematic about self-regulation when she was little, though. We didn't really know what her reading level had turned into over just a few months, actually-- until we CAUGHT her reading HP1 in bed at night. I had wondered why it wasn't on the shelf anymore. She began to self-regulate much better about 9yo, I think-- those years from 5-9 were a little hard though. It always felt wrong to punish her for reading, YK?

Both my older two like to read after climbing into bed. After a few weeks of this Nathan realised one early morning during a soccer game that he was too tired and he asked if his bedtime could be shifted 40 minutes earlier to allow him to still read at night.

Aiden likes to read for at least 20 - 60 minutes per night and also hates to get into bed early. We are waiting for the same reaction as Nathan had - but since here he doesn't have to be up early he can sleep later.

I have solar reading lights for Nathan (he sleeps on the top bunk) and Aiden has a proper desk lamp. He likes to sleep with it on - so he just turns it away from himself when he is ready to sleep.

I'd rather give them a good light as they are likely to read anyways (I read by torchlight or half hanging out of bed by the passage light as a child and destroyed my eyesight by age 10)

Like HK, I don't want to punish the desire to read.

LOL - we do Maths (LOF) as bedtime reading and then they get in and do their own reading... haha how do you complain about either of those habits?

Thank you - it's nice to read all your experiences. Sounds like a bed light is in order. She does not self regulate well at all, but I don't think I'm going to be able to stop her from reading by the constellation nightlight.
She reads in the morning too, and reads when brushing teeth, in the bath, walking in the grocery store, pretty much all the time when she isn't doing something with family. She wasn't a particulary early reader so at first we let her read whenever but it's getting ridiculous. It takes her an hour to eat her meal, and she can't hear me when she's engrossed but boy it's nice to get a respite from the constant talking and needing interaction/stimulation!
And yes, I used to read under the covers too!

I've been known to remove the books at lights out time. Some kids need this help turning it off. Some kids need the reading to wind down. It's a matter of knowing your kid and doing what needs to be done.

We have been known to remove all lamps from the room if need be. I think we only had to do that twice; it provoked tears, but the lesson was learned.....