Lately I’ve been feeling guilty for having my 1.5 year old up far past her bedtime lately. It seems like more often than not she’s out and about hours after her usual bedtime.
At our 49th parallel home, the sun sets fairly late in the summer, about 10 o’clock on the longest day of the year. Combine that with the fact that there is so much more to do during the warm and dry summer days and nights, than when we settle in for the rainy season, and you have a recipe for wakefulness.
So then, I started to wonder.
With all of these positive experiences to offer our little one, are we really losing that much when she misses her 8 o’clock bed time (PDT – when it’s not daylight saving time, we aim for bed at 7 o’clock). Should we all miss out on a summer of enjoyment and spending quality time together in order to enforce a 7 o’clock bedtime?
The things we’ve been enjoying together have led to some welcome moments of laughter, learning and our love and bond with eachother has grown. We’ve enjoyed the company of friends new and old, experienced new situations, and explored outside. We’ve watched the sun set in all it’s colourful glory as we picnicked on the beach and splashed in the shallows. We’ve seen the stars and the bats fluttering through the sky. We’ve grown closer together as a family. I think that’s worth something.
Even on nights that we do settle the little down in her bed when we planned to, it can be quite hard to convince her to sleep when the sunshine is bright, the birds are singing loudly, and the air is still so warm in our house. Wouldn’t a more natural rhythm depend more on the sun than the sand in the hour glass?
This is why I’m not going to worry so much about what the clock says. Instead, I’ll look to my daughter for cues. If it’s going to be a later night, I’ll try to coax her off to slee for her nap a bit beyond when she usually goes down. So long as she’s not consistently overtired, I think the benefits outweigh the upset to her schedule.
Summer is always over so quickly, anyways, and not every night is a stay-up-late-for-the-fireworks night. But some nights are. Like last night.
Last Canada Day we brought our little out on the dock at the marina to watch the fireworks. As tradition for us has been, we headed out to see them again from the same spot.
Little miss was delighted to see the water and boats, and the big, full moon beaming overhead. We’ve read Goodnight Moon about a million and five times, but she didn’t really have many actual experiences with seeing the real moon to draw from. After we brought her attention to the glowing orb and introduced her to it, she excited pointed it out, saying “Moon! Moon!” and signing the sign. She was building connections in her brain. Expanding her concept of the moon. Of the world.
We snuggled as she watched the fireworks show, dazzled by the lights and the popping (don’t worry, she was fully equipt with protective ear covers). When we walked back up from the docks, Z turned to wave and say “night night” to the moon.
I know every child is different. This amount of flexibility to her schedule doesn’t seem to bother her at all. If she goes to sleep late, she will usually sleep in the next day to make up for it. She doesn’t turn into baby Hulk and start tantrumming when she’s past her normal bed time. We’ve been lucky with our even-tempered toddler, and I recognize that what works for us doesn’t work for every family.
Do what works for you.
And if you find that the Summer’s festivities are sending your little ones off later than usual, but they are still happy and energetic and taking in the world in a way they would have missed if they could fall sound asleep right after dinner, roll with it. Enjoy your time together.