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From: dwl10@amdahl.UUCP (Dave Lowrey)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Sending kids to bed
Message-ID: <2027@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Sep-85 08:42:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.2027
Posted: Mon Sep 16 08:42:39 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Sep-85 03:24:39 EDT
References: <5883@cbscc.UUCP>
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Columbia MD
Lines: 38

> Why make the kid go to bed if he's not tired.  When he's tired he'll fall
> asleep anyway.
> 
Well, I have tried to keep my mouth shut on this, but I keep getting
more upset with every reply, so here goes...............

This subject falls under the "If we don't let the kid do whatever s/he wants,
s/he will be emotionally scarred for life!" catagory. I am not going to
play armchair psychologist here, but time and time again, the "specialists"
state that kids need discipline in the home. This makes them feel that
the parents care about them. Part of this discipline is a basic
schedule of when things are done. Part of this schedule is bedtime.

Our four year old son goes to bed at 8:00 PM. If there is a compelling
reason to stay up, such as a special TV show, then the rules are bent.
There are times that it becomes a bit of a fight to make him stay, but
that is usually solved by allowing him to "read" a book in bed.

Our 10 week old son is beginning to stay on a schedule also, and
he is usually passed out by 9:00.

I am not going to pretend that this is all for the child's
benefit. My wife and I do appreciate the couple of childless hours
this gives us each day.

To sum it up. I feel that the children do not have an equal vote
in what goes on in our house. We listen to him when he disagrees, but
the household isn't a Democracy, more like a Benevolent Dictatorship :-)
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
                               Dave Lowrey

"To vacillate or not to vacillate, that is the question....
 ....or is it?"
                                ...!( be those of the author and not necessarily
  those of his most eminent employer. ]