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okay, a little late on the thread but i thought i would toss in that it is
hard to be counter cultural in the sleep arena. people put pressure on each
other w/out meaning to, and we all have to find out we are OK the way we are,
that there is nothing (or something depending on your opinion) intrinsically
wrong w/different sleep habits! personally i cannot expect a happy family
when they havent had enough sleep or food. and our habits happen to fall
into pretty normal range. (actually my kids go to bed earlier than most
(8pm), and my 10yodd doesnt even mind! she gets up early in the am and
reads...) plus, i like the control that i feel when everyone is in bed and i
can relax! haha! so we are regular (not scheduled necessarily, just aware
of who needs what) about sleep and meals. it seems to keep us healthy and
happy. oh-- i also agree with someone else's point about having younger kids
(some infant/toddler ages) affecting the household needs in this area!

ok, the old tv question, too. as my kids get older they have more say just
like in everything else about what they would like to see. so to me it is a
similar issue as other things: when they are little, we the parents have to
set the limits, then as they grow, they take over so that by the time they
are teens they are making decisions.
also, i think i have a personal distaste for tv watching in general because
for me it is such a passive escape thing. i think for others it is not
neccesarily this way, just my makeup. but i think it more likely that my
kids are like me and so i err on the side of encouraging productive activity
unless a veg-time need is evident... than we (or whoever needs it) all crash
and veg, but we are choosing it on purpose. rather than being controlling,
i just try to share with them what i have learned for myself about these
things....
erin