My dh is from a Mediterranean country where they also have (by American standards) a late supper. However, what they do is have 5 o'clock tea and while the adults take some small snack, it's more robust for the kids. Then at the supper, the kids are not extremely hungry, but eat a little bit. Dh's family's kids are in bed by 9:30 without being overly full, but satisfied and able to rest easily.
So, if supper is at 9:00, I don't see any reason why the kids can't be in bed by 9:30. They have a small meal with the parents' supper , then the au pair whisks them off to get ready for bed. I don't understand the lag time between a meal at 9:00pm and bedtime at 10:30. Dad has the half hour before dinner to spend with the kids and then he needs to utilize the weekends to spend time with them. It's just something they have to do because of their lifestyle. I realize the father probably can't adjust his schedule (SIL's hubby leaves work at 10am), but a lack of sleep for children is absolutely UNHEALTHY and even affects how their brains develop.
So, if supper is at 9:00, I don't see any reason why the kids can't be in bed by 9:30. They have a small meal with the parents' supper , then the au pair whisks them off to get ready for bed. I don't understand the lag time between a meal at 9:00pm and bedtime at 10:30. Dad has the half hour before dinner to spend with the kids and then he needs to utilize the weekends to spend time with them. It's just something they have to do because of their lifestyle. I realize the father probably can't adjust his schedule (SIL's hubby leaves work at 10am), but a lack of sleep for children is absolutely UNHEALTHY and even affects how their brains develop.