Our kids operate well with a system of rewards and loss of privileges. They know that if they do something well, they will be rewarded with things like a special dessert, swimming at the gym, having a friend over, etc. They know that if they don't listen, they can lose privileges like watching TV before bed, picking their chair at dinner, going to dance lessons, etc. One reward they really like is getting to stay up late on weekends. Jayson and I are not a fan of that reward because after a long week, we really like to be able to sit back on the couch with each other, a bottle of wine, and America's Most Wanted.
So, when it gets close to bedtime on a Saturday, Lydia will often ask, "Can we stay up late tonight?" To which, we always reply, "Sure!" Huh? Didn't I just tell you we don't like letting them stay up late? Well, the thing is, the girls can't tell time. Not only can't they tell time, but even if they could, they probably couldn't tell you what their bedtime is. Bedtime for them is about 6:30. This is perfect because I'm home from work by 3:30 and prefer to go to bed by 9:00 so I can get eight hours of sleep. So, I spend three hours with the girls, get them to bed, and then have a couple hours for schoolwork.
So, when it's 6:00 on a Saturday, and Lydia asks if she can stay up late, we'll say, "Well, I guess, but it's already pretty late. We'll let you stay up for another half an hour since you were good today." She thinks she has just performed a major coup, and Jayson and I still get to keep our date with John Walsh. Everybody wins!
Now, the problem is that this only works in the winter, and in just a few short weeks, daylight savings time will end and the sun will set at about 7:00. Lydia may not be able to tell time, but the kid can see. I'm thinking we might need some good window shades.
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