Waking up the kids

Read this article this morning about the difficulties of waking kids up for school. Here is the link:

Waking children up for school need not be a nightmare

For those of you who don't like to read, here is a bulleted summary:

• slowly adjust bedtime several weeks before school begins in 15 minutes increments. Don't wait until the night before school starts to try to get them to fall asleep at 8pm!
• have a regular bedtime routine that includes a book or story
• kids need 10-12 hours of sleep a night--teens need around 9 hours...ha!
• turn off the screens at least 1 hour before bedtime as the light from the screens signals our bodies to stay awake
• If children are going to bed at the right time and getting enough sleep, they will easily wake up
• Going to bed time does not always equal falling asleep time: adjust accordingly

Working Mom guilt:

I have heard mom's say they often let their children stay up later  because they don't get enough time with them since they work during the day. My thoughts: 2 hours together with a pleasant child is much better than 4 or 5 with a cranky toddler who hasn't got enough sleep. Quality vs. quantity.