Do you save money by having early bedtimes for your children?

Idiophreak

fannyanna wrote: »

Another non parent (so basically I have no idea ) but surely the earlier they go to bed the earlier they wake up in the morning. The number of hours "awake" is likely to be the same whatever time they actually go to bed.

Therefore they'll still have plenty of hours in the day to do the activities you've listed above.

No, doesn't work that way, sadly. Children don't just sleep for 8 hours then get up. A lot of children wake up with the light, a lot of children have to get up for school, etc

I used to live with a toddler and you could put him to bed at any point in a 3 hour period and he'd still get up at the same time the next day...

sueeve

Regular sleep patterns, and a good nighht, may encourage calm children, with better concentration, and a child who will sit at lego for an hour, or finish the colouring, or play calmely with sibling, could save money. But that doesn't always work.

lostinrates

I quite like the idea of going to bed early myself to save money!

sadly, someone has to take the dogs out before bed and do a late check outside on the other creatures !

make_me_wise

Idiophreak wrote: »

I'm not a parent, but off the top of my head:

If they were painting before they went to bed, they'd stop painting. So you'd need to buy less paper and less paints.

If they were colouring before bed they'd stop colouring, so you'd need to by less colouring pencils/crayons and fewer colouring books.

If they were baking before bed, you may need to buy fewer ingredients.

If they were modelling before bed, you may need to buy less clay or materials.

If they were building AirFix before they went to bed, they'd stop making AirFix, so you'd need to buy fewer kits.

Of course, if you just plonk your child in front of the TV from when they get in from school til when they sleep - and then plonk yourself in front of the TV from when they go to bed til you do - there aren't great savings to be made.

Nice ideas but I bet if they go to bed early, the little beggars will get up early as well. So over a 24 hour period they would use the same amount of all the above, regardless of what time bedtime is. If they have slept well they may be more alert than just before bed and be more productive. Therefore possibly ending up using more materials

Oh dear, didn't mean to blow your theory out the water, but really not sure bedtimes make much of a cost saving.

Threebabes

I dont think it makes much difference money wise. Mine go to bed the girls 8.30, son 9.30/10.00. I suppose we save a bit electricity because they turn tv's off. Wouldnt be saving on craft/art stuff because its not something thats done before bedtime.

domestic_goddess

I'm sorry but how ridiculous would it be to send your children to bed early to save money.... If you want to save money on paints/baking materials etc then do some other activities like reading together or playing board games.

Children aren't children for long - we should enjoy them while they're young.

Lotus-eater

domestic_goddess wrote: »

Children aren't children for long - we should enjoy them while they're young.

Exactly.

Cook them before they get too tough

shellsuit

Idiophreak wrote: »

I'm not a parent, but off the top of my head:

If they were painting before they went to bed, they'd stop painting. So you'd need to buy less paper and less paints.

If they were colouring before bed they'd stop colouring, so you'd need to by less colouring pencils/crayons and fewer colouring books.

If they were baking before bed, you may need to buy fewer ingredients.

If they were modelling before bed, you may need to buy less clay or materials.

If they were building AirFix before they went to bed, they'd stop making AirFix, so you'd need to buy fewer kits.

Of course, if you just plonk your child in front of the TV from when they get in from school til when they sleep - and then plonk yourself in front of the TV from when they go to bed til you do - there aren't great savings to be made.

They all have nothing to do with bed time and saving money though.

Someone might let their child do one of those above, for 3 hours in the afternoon.

Someone might let theirs do it for 2 hours in the morning.

So by your theory, the 2nd parent would be saving money, yet that has nothing to do with the child/ren going to bed earlier.

looby75

if I had sent my children to bed earilier than they needed to go it would probably have cost me money. They would have been constantly up and down turning the bedroom and hallway lights on with excuses like they need a wee/drink, running up and down the stairs (wearing the carpets down lol) because they were bored but not tired enough to sleep.

As it is we don't do crafty kind of stuff right before bed, anything like that is done after school/weekend/holidays. Time before bed is bath and wind down time/reading which costs nothing anyway.

Rockporkchop

Yes I definitely save money by having early bedtimes for my children because the longer they are awake, the more alcohol I will need to consume afterwards to calm my nerves.

Last week I closed the curtains at 5.45pm, played a pre-recorded In the Night Garden and convinced them it was 7.30 and time for bed. No wine was consumed so total saving that night was an impressive £8.99.