Older children need the responsibility of deciding when to go to sleep
but parent's responsibility is getting them to bed and teaching them
how to go to sleep. My three children all did this at their own pace.
They are all in bed by 7.30 but go to sleep at different times without
the need for me or their dad, my youngest is usually asleep by 7.45 if
not before while the eldest is asleep by 9pm at the latest.

from Katie
Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Sue wrote:
For the parents of older children, when did you stop telling your kids when
to go to bed and letting them decide when to go to sleep? This can be during
the school year and summer please.

When they can make responsible decisions? Personally,
I don't change things much for the summer. I think it just
drives everyone nuts and makes it difficult to get back to
things when school starts again. I'll make allowances for
special occasions, but not on a regular basis.
My oldest is 11, and we're nowhere near where I'd
say he could go to bed whenever he pleased. He clearly
needs to go to bed on time to have a successful day. On
the other hand, he doesn't give me much grief about it, as
he knows quite well he needs the sleep.
I think my parents relaxed things a little bit
when I got to high school in that I didn't have a specific
bedtime, but there certainly was an expectation I'd head
up to bed around 9:30-10pm and be heading for sleep shortly
thereafter. I'm sure if I started staying up too late and
having trouble functioning the next day, I'd have found a
limit real quick. I knew my ability to have some choice
in when I went to bed was dependent on my exercising that
choice responsibly.

Best wishes,
Ericka