Having experienced jet lag for myself I can say first hand how detrimental sleep deprivation can be on a body. Due to lack of sleep I was much more susceptible to illness and sure enough caught a nasty flu bug.
Children actually need more sleep than the average adult and without it they cannot function at their best, which for growing children is about 10-11 hours for 7-12 years of age and 8.5-9.5 hours for ages 12-18.
While it may be a bit difficult to control the amount of sleep your older teen may get, you do have a bit more of a say when it comes to the younger ones. The most important thing is to try to remain on a schedule. Children thrive on consistency. If they know they will have their bath at a for instance 8 PM or they have a bedtime snack at 8:30 PM and then pajamas are on and teeth brushed by eight thirty they will develop a routine that they can look forward to. The story you read before lights are out will be something that will be most anticipated and you may find that you enjoy it just as much as your children. Once they are all tucked into bed it will give you a needed break and perhaps make it possible for you to get to bed so you get the recommended amount of sleep for adults which is approximately 7-8 hours a night.
Please look for upcoming issues of the Kidsgoals newsletter for tips on making your child love to read.
Cheers, Monicka
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment