School Function- CRAZY Schedule?

One night up late for something special shouldn't be a big deal... when she starts spending the night at friends house it might start happening more.

We have dinner around 6:30-7 and bed in around 8-8:30... but that doesn't mean we aren't telling them to go to bed at 10 even on school nights (preschool, 1st & 2nd). Most of the time they are up before 7... the last 2 nights the 19 mo old has been up for a mid-night well 4 am "snack" & diaper change.

She worked hard for this reward - let her have it.

It's a one time thing. Maybe she can take a nap the next day? My bigger concern would be what movie they are showing!

Most kids will pass out at the start of the movie.

The purpose of the movie is an enforced 'quiet time' / no talking that doesn't come off as 'big meanie'.

This way the kids all fall asleep around midnight, instead of giggling until 4am

I foresee the movie being played while they are in their sleeping bags. I bet that they are thinking kids will be falling asleep during the movie. It's a fun night out, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. If she is still tired, she can have a nap on Saturday.

i'm a little surprised by how shocked and horrified so many people are, wanting the superintendent called and the sleep police notified and all the outrage toward schools who are trying to plan a fun thing. yes, it might wrinkle up saturday plans. but for parents who are super-schedule oriented, you can always just say no.
i sure wouldn't. i love treats and surprises and the odd quirks and curveballs life throws sometimes, especially when they're fun ones like this. no way would i make my kid miss it. what's the worst that can happen? she falls asleep early and misses the movie? she stays up late and has to take a nap on saturday? she's cranky?
now i want to plan a grown up pizza movie sleepover night!
:) khairete
S.

It is a one time deal.. I bet they all fall asleep a lot sooner than is stated.
It is like a slumber party.. Some kids will try to stay up the whole time and others will sleep..

If you have some sort of plans for Sat and NEED your child to go to sleep early, pick her up that night at 10:00, but do not take the fun away for everyone else.

Let this be an experiment for her. She earned this opportunity..

Do not assume anything. If this is the way they have this event, it must be working for them.

I think that once in awhile it might not hurt, feed her dinner at home at your usual time so that she can have maybe a slice of pizza at the party? And just let her sleep on saturady if she is tired, also if she gets tired there, she can always go to sleep early (likely many of them will). And a night or too of staying up really late probably won't do anything major to her normal schedule so... maybe talk to some other parents from the school who's kids are going to this and see if you all have the same opinion, then you can make a decision to make a "change it mob" or not.

Sounds like a reward for the kids.
And a punishment for the parents who get to deal with them the rest of the weekend :(
Seriously though, I have two girls and a boy and have been a long time Girl/Cub Scout leader. When you get a bunch of kids together it doesn't really matter what time lights are *out* as many kids will stay up as long as they can.
Maybe the school is just being realistic?
You could always volunteer as a parent chaperon to help make sure the kids go to sleep when they are supposed to, LOL!!!

Do you think the whole point is to be "outside of the box" and allow the kids to stay up way later than they probably ever have before? That's what makes this fun and special aka a reward! Can she take a quick nap after school and eat a snack? If you truly have a problem with it, then either keep her home or pick her up early. If it were me, I would recognize that it's one day and let it go. She can sleep when she gets home or 1 night of 5 hours sleep will not affect her that much. We've all been there. Besides, they are probably counting on most of the kids zonking out well before the established bedtime.

It seems late to me but I would let her do it. It's a one time thing. Unless you have plans next day that requires her to not be tired and out and about, I think it sounds like fun. But then again, I'm one of those people who think that moderation is key in everything. I don't think it's that unhealthy to stay up late once in a while. Most likely half the kids will crash before midnite anyway or be sleeping thru the movie. My son does a sleepover every year for swim team and its an all night thing and he's 10 and out of the 100 kids who do it, maybe 10 make it to the 1 am movie and of those half of those are sleeping on the lounge chairs. LOL. This doesn't sound too outlandish to me though. My son plays sports and when they've had a late game, they've occassionally stayed and played on the baseball fields til 10-10:30. They are excited and he was a little bit tired next day so we let him nap or rest in the afternoon and just veg. Don't worry about it.

The movie is nothing more than transition time for each and everyone of these kids to pass out. I would probably have this evening starting a couple of hours earlier but truthfully, it's one night and she'll have a blast.

Wow, that's a crazy schedule! I imagine they are making it 8:00 drop-off for kids that have activities on Friday night. I know my daughter has gymnastics on Fridays until 8:00pm.

You could try to get someone to change the schedule, but if not I would let her go. I would feed her dinner at 5:30 like you usually do, she'll probably just snack on pizza at 8:30 anyway. I'll bet that's what they're planning on.

I'm sure the movie is to get kids into their sleeping bags, and I'm sure most of them will fall asleep anyway.

I'm NOT happy when I let my daughter sleep over anywhere because no matter what the "schedule" is, she will try to stay up all night. ugh. You basically have to "plan" on one crabby day with an early bedtime. However, your daughter earned it, and she will be SOOOO disappointed if she has to miss. I'd let her go, just this once. She will have a good memory from it, and that's worth one crabby day! It's not dangerous, just unrealistic.

Good luck!

Okay, it's a little crazy, I'll give you that, but I wouldn't say I'm shocked. Remember this is an event planned as a reward and although it's absolutely not what you would do at home, they are trying to make it "cool".

In all honesty, with a huge sleepover like this do you really expect them to be in bed much before midnight anyway? If I were planning it I probably would move the movie to around 10 or 11, but whatever.

Most likely they will encourage kids to be in their sleeping bags for the movie anyway and it's likely your daughter won't even stay awake through the movie much less until 2 am, even if there is noise going on around her!

Besides they are planning it for a Friday night so they will have all weekend to recover, regardless what time she goes to bed (anytime between 11-2 am really) she's going to need a nap and probably want to lay low on Saturday anyway b/c it will be an exciting change of schedule.

It won't hurt to mention your concerns but I don't know if you'll get anyone to officially change the schedule but I'm betting if the natives start to get restless they will put the movie in early! ;)

I was gonna call her out by name but for sure she'd sic the mamapedia police on me, so I won't.

But, REALLY calling the superintendent??? All of that??? Yeah right--punish the school and principal for trying to give you free babysitting!

Come on! Just keep your child at home!

Whoa!!! I'm a parent AND a teacher and it seems insane on both ends! I would totally ask about the time-frame on this one. It seems like a mistake it's so wacky! Truly, I would ask someone... You could start with her teacher, but she/he may have nothing to do with it. She'd be able to point you in the right direction, though. Good luck... Wow.

Yikes!
No way. I wouldn't allow my child to attend and I would be sure to tell the administration in charge of it IN ADVANCE exactly WHY. You aren't being over the top conservative or anything. Those are extreme hours for kids that age.
My kid participate annually in a New Year's Eve lock in with their martial arts school. Even on New Year's Eve they have the kids "lights out" before 2:00 am. And it is a bigger mix of kids. Pick up isn't until 9:00 or 10:00 the next morning either, and they provide juice and breakfast, too.
My daughter didn't go until she was 9 years old (4th grade).

I am GUESSING that they have this schedule partly due to having to plan around the chaperone/teachers having to prep dinner at home for their own families or something... but I would say it's too late. Drop off should be by 7:00 pm, pizza by 8:00 at the latest, and the movie should be started by 11:00 at the latest. No kids should still be awake past 1:00 a.m. And those (in my opinion) are generous hours.

i know my kids would be able to stay up that late and would have un but many kids can't stay awake that late. what do those kids do? if she's tired the next day just let her go back to bed when you get home or let her take a nap later if she wants. it's a possitive thing and it's only one night. i don't agree with their time schedual but only because it leaves out the kids that cant stay awake longer than normal and end up passing out and from what i remember giving you a bad name. no one wants to be the kid that fell asleep first. also think about what time kids go to bed at most sleepovers...they typically stay up as long as they can. and most youngsters get up at the same time every morning regardless of when they went to bed. taking all that into consideration i think any schedual they came up with would have had flaws. give her a light snack while ya'll have dinner so she still has room for pizza later that night.

wow, yeah, I am shocked too, I am just imagining a gym full of wired, tired cranky emotional kids running around.

Before you get to crazy i would ask to speak to someone that is running it and if htey ahve done it before ask if it worked but nicer.

and if this is the first time ask if the kids have an option of an earlier movie showing.

hmmm maybe they plan to keep them busy and once lights go out for movie every one falls asleep???

That's our public school system for you, complete idiots. You need to speak up. Tell them thanks but no thanks. What they are doing is inappropiate and you want no part of it.

Plan something special for your daughter. Does she have a friend or 2 that was invited to this school event? Talk to their parents and move the sleepover to your house.

Egad.

Anyway, keep in mind that the younger ones, probably can't even stay awake that long until that late.
So what then?
I would ask them... WHAT do they do, if and when a kid cannot stay up that late.... and who will watch them?

Having had sleepovers for my daughter (since my daughter was 8), at our home, a couple of her friends, can't even stay awake past 8:30pm. Because at home... that is when they go to bed and they are used to that bedtime and they get TIRED and zonked out by then. Even if a couple of other girls, are still awake.

So, I would ask the school, what the heck do they do with the kids that are tired by 8:30pm and will not be able to even stay awake, per their Itinerary of events at the school.
It seems this is for older kids.
But maybe they are trying to make it fun and a "reward" for them. But the late time frame, to me, is nutty.
Still it sounds like fun.
You can let your daughter go. It sounds fun.
See how it goes.
I am sure the school has your phone number if they need to call you.

Hi, M.:
Good grief. This sounds unusual for an 8 year old.
Maybe for a teenager.

Express your concern to the Superintendent of Schools.
There are rules about this activity. Find out where the
rule is for this activity and then address it to the Superintendent
of schools and PTA associaiton.

Good luck.
D.

Sounds like a sleepover to me, though if I were planning it, I'd start it earlier.

I'd feed her first, so the pizza isn't her dinner. I'd also expect that a child who is used to going to bed at 8:30 won't make it through the movie and will be asleep as soon as everything is quiet. I'd plan on a nap the next day or going back to bed once home.