Call it lucky…or not… My kids are late risers. As babies, I was lucky if my oldest slept past 7 a.m. That changed when the twins were born. Maybe it was because we were all so exhausted, but everyone in the family slowly started to sleep past 8 a.m. As they got older, they slept past 9am and sometimes even past 10 a.m. During the weekend, we are lucky if we get out of the house by 11 a.m. for our plans. Otherwise, on lazy days, lunchtime is our breakfast time. Maybe this is why I love brunch so much?
Some days I love it because after a long week of work I just want to sleep in past 8am. Other days, I get frustrated because I want to be more productive and I feel like the day is over too soon. Granted, the kids have a later bedtime, closer to 9-10pm now that it’s summer, but there is only so much you can do with little ones after dinnertime.
So what are the pros and cons of having a late vs. early riser?
Pro – Mama gets a full night sleep!
Con – I have less time at night to unwind with kids going to bed later.
Pro – Brunch is my favorite meal.
Con – We miss out on breakfast spots that close by noon. There is one breakfast spot I have always wanted to try but we never make it on time!
Pro – Fewer hours in the day to keep three boys occupied.
Con – Fewer hours to do fun things with them since there’s a lot of kid events earlier in the day.
Pro – I get more things in the morning done around the house.
Con – I’m always scared I will wake up a crabby boy while cleaning.
Pro – There’s no need to worry about planning things around nap time.
Con – They keep going and going and going…
I can find a pro for every con when it comes to this but in the end, we always have plenty to do. We just have a later start to our day. As a mom, you adjust to your kids’ sleep schedules. You may sneak in a nap with your kiddos (if they still nap). Or you may get your to-do list done before they wake up or after they are in bed for the night.
I think the best part for me, is that I no longer have to schedule the day around their nap times. There is light at the end of the tunnel, mamas! No more having to make sure we are home in time for their naps or staying in the car so they get their rest. It’s tough when they just go, go, go all day…every day! However, you know it was a good day when the first thing they do when you get into the car or get home is fall asleep, without fussing.
There are some days where they get up earlier than usual. The best is when they come into our room and I get a cuddle for an hour or two. I know this won’t last much longer so I’m going to milk it as much as possible on these days. I’ve gotten used to our later weekends and have just planned differently. If we have something we want to get to earlier, it’s do-able. Normally the kids are excited enough to get up earlier, with lots of help and prodding, to enjoy the day. But I’ve come to really enjoy our later mornings and later evenings. I’ve learned to just let it go and not worry so much. I have accepted that they love their sleep (sometimes 12+ hours!) because no matter what, there are enough hours in the day to make memories with them. You just make it happen.
