We haven't tried a "set time." But he does play for long periods on his own. I'm blessed in that. Once he gets a project going or he gets involved in his imaginative play, he's gone for good-sized blocks of time. I think what gets me is that I'm not really in control of it. I never know when it's going to happen, or whether I will be ready. Setting a specific time does sound good.
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As for why he's up so late....he is a night owl, as we all are. I'd go to bed earlier, but I don't get my quiet time until late, so night is the only time DH and I can enjoy grownup time, so I get particularly testy when DS doesn't stay in his room after he's supposed to have done "lights out." He gets very fired-up and creative at night.
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Getting up early doesn't work for me because if I don't get my sleep, I'm dumb as a tree stump all day and I really need to be able to function.
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 Thanks for your suggestion.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
sunnygir1Â
Wow, that must be hard at 8. Can you institute a daily quiet time for him, where he may read or work or play quietly in his room (audio books can be a life-saver here)? You could set a timer and work up to an hour -- it will take some practice and some patience, but you should be able to get so you can have some time to yourself every day. He's old enough.
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I do it (although not consistently) with my 4yo. Thankfully she has always been a sporadically independent player -- I can't count on a specific time, but there are always times during the day where she is engaged for 15 minutes to an hour on her own (or with her baby brother) especially now that it's warm enough to play outside. We live in a tiny village and have a fenced back yard and a dog, so I don't worry when she's out without me (I do look in on her, but I can still grab a cup of tea and a muffin and SIT DOWN!).
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