I had a debate recently with a couple other single parents about whether we think our children got LATER bedtimes because of our single parent status or EARLIER ones. I argued that when my children were younger, they probably had an earlier bedtime than their peers because I had to get up early for work and during the years I was going to college, I really needed those nights for my study time. As they got older, however, I know that the bedtime got a little more lax so that we could have time to spend together over dinner, homework, television or whatever. While it feels like our family bedtimes have been influenced by my single parent status, I don’t know if it would have gone the same or differently if I had been partnered.
Like so many realities of single parent family life, it can be tough to know how things would be different since I just know what our experience has actually been. One parent admitted that she had such long days, that by the time they had supper, did homework and had family time, she knew that her child was staying up later than the parenting magazines would recommend. I had to admit that I feel like my kids and I definitely sleep in more on weekends than we did before we were a single parent family and our weekends are incredibly easy and leisurely now compared to how they were in the “old days” so maybe that makes up for later bedtimes?
What do you think? Do you think that your children have an earlier or later bedtime (or is there any difference?) as children in a single parent led home? AND, do they have different bedtimes when they are staying with their other parent?
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