I have a 6 year old and a 9 year old. We shoot for lights out at 7:30 on school nights.

I agree. 7:30 or 8:00 (for the 9 year-old).

My six year old has lights out at 7:30 too. I am shocked by how many school functions are held til 8 pm on school nights!

My kids have activities in the evenings and sometimes don't get home until 7-7:30. There is no way my 10 y/o or even my 8 y/o could be in bed by 7:30. I have older kids in addition to the 8 y/o, so she doesn't get to bed as earlier as the older ones did at her age. I shoot for 8-8:30 for her, but it's hard b/c the other ones don't get in bed until at least 8:30, and once daylight savings time started (ended?), it's hard to get them to bed when it's still light out. I'm not as strict in summer - I shoot for 9pm for the 8 y/o but the others stay up until 9:30-10 some nights unless we have an early morning.

I think it also depends on the child as well as what time school starts in the morning. My boys need more sleep than my girls. They all have to leave for school at 7:30 am. My 10 y/o wakes up early no matter what time he goes to bed so I try to get him in bed by 8:30 (hard when sports end at 7:30). 12 y/o sleeps like a log and falls asleep the minute his head hits the pillow but is a PITA to get out of bed in the morning. The girls (8 y/o and 14 y/o) have trouble going to bed early - can't fall asleep but b/c they need to get up early, I have to enforce a bedtime. Not so much now for the 14 y/o but definitely for my 8 y/o. Sometimes I have her in bed with a book at 8pm, then forgot to check on her, and she's still up reading at 9pm! UGH!

I guess really the answer is...it depends on your child as well as what time she/he needs to be up in the morning. I try to make sure my kids get at least 10 hrs of sleep.

My 11-1/2 year old goes to bed at 8:30 pm. It has been harder the last few months with baseball games that ended at 8pm and scouts at 8:30pm. He does not sleep in, so we have to make sure he goes to bed on time.

Oddly, I still remember those days! 8:00 on the dot.

I was a teacher and I could tell a child's approximate bed time by their performance and behavior. Those who got 10 to 11 hours per night did much better than those who did not. So If your child awakes at 6 I think 8 is the latest one should go to sleep.... My 6 year old is a 7:30 bed time because she strives on 11.5 hours of sleep and wakes a around 7am but in a few years I think we will be able to push it to 8pm.

I always wonder how moms of younger children who go to bed after 8pm keep their sanity. I am so done after a 12hour day with children as a stay at home mom, that by 8pm I am enjoying my first hot cup of tea(or often glass of vino) and watching anything other than disney channel:). The 7:30 bed time is actually more for me than them but it important for schoolage children to get at least 10 hours too.

I think at that age they need 10-12 hours in a day. So however best you can accomplish that and for it to work with your schedule.

I work outside of the home and don't even get in until about 5:45. By the time we have dinner, clean up, do some homework and get the kids showered it's already 8:00.

My kids (8 and 7) go to bed around 8:30, probably fall asleep around 8:45. It is what it is. I cherish what little time I have with my guys, as I don't usually get to be with them from 3:00 on. So I don't mind their later bedtime.

School starts at 8:25 and they usually wake up around 7:15, so they're getting a good ten hours. It *seems* to be enough. I hope it is!

During the school year, everyone in their beds at 8:30. If not tired, they can read. The younger ones have to switch their lights off at 9. If they do not want to read, they go to sleep. My 12-year-old and 15-year-old homeschool and can stay up later, but they have to be reading, otherwise, lights out.

i think we aimed for about a 9p bedtime when they were about that age... 3 kids with lots of activities, etc i don't think i could get our acts together any sooner than that!! but, i think we tried to shut out lights by about that time... we had a whole bedtime routine which always included reading at bedtime...

danielleg - My kids have already left by the time yours are just waking up! We're out the door between 7:05 and 7:10.

I think it depends on the kids, their activity level, what time school starts, and other factors I'm not thinking of. I so miss the days when my kids were all tucked in by 7:30 and DH could watch TV alone at 8! Now my 17 year old DS -- who has never been the kind of kid who required a lot of sleep -- is up til midnight (I think; he's up past my bedtime!) most nights and wakes at 6:30. My DH is the same way and his mother was also the same. My DD likes her sleep and at 12, is generally in bed at 8:30-9 on most school nights and wakes up around 6:30. School is over now for her, though, so last night she was allowed to watch the Bruins game until 10...and she slept til 10:30 this morning!

My oldest, who is now 21 and out of the house, needs more sleep than anyone I know! He can stay up late with friends, etc., but if he's tired, he can go to bed right after dinner and sleep til noon the next day.

Generally, when my kids were under 10, they were in bed by 7:30-8:00.

We've always set it at 8:00. He's up by 6:30 on the dot on weekends (lucky us) but we have to drag him out of bed at 6:30 during the week.

My kids are in their 20's now but they were 7-7 kids. I had a teacher ask me once what time they went to bed as they always seemed so well rested.

Thanks all for the feedback. I am trying to create a early morning habit, so I guess we will stick to 8:30 bedtime.

My boys will be 11 this summer. Their bedtime was 9 pm this past yr.

It was 8:30 the yr before.

That means lights out at that time.

Up around 6:45.

If they don't get enough sleep, you can't stand them.

Red, I've got one of those too! He was acting a bit moody and DH just asked what time he went to bed last night! School just let out, so he has stayed up later, but he doesn't sleep in so the sleep deficit shows up pretty quickly.

Wonder why they don't sleep in chispa. Wouldn't it be nice to have a little time for a cup of coffee before they get up. Go figure.

Just wait, it will change! I think many younger kids get up early as they look forward to their days, they don't want to miss anything by sleeping too much! DS1 is 15 and he used to be an early riser ... today I had to wake him up at 11:30 am as I had AC maintenance guys coming to the house.