Preschool concert 6:30-8?? WTH?

[hillview]

Ok so don't want to overreact but this is way late for us. DS is in a class with 3-5 year olds. DS goes to bed at 7 pm. Is this a typical time for holiday concerts? It means he goes to bed 2 hours late.

Appreciate your thoughts!

TIA!
/hillary

[mommylamb]

I think that's a strange time choice. It sounds like they wanted to make sure working parents could make it, but it probably would have been better to do it on a weekend. (I'm a WOHM, and I wouldn't want to have a change in DS's bedtime for a concert.)

[cdlamis]

I do think its rather late but our school usually has concerts/plays at 5pm which is a pain for working parents. DH had to leave work an hour early just to attend ours last night.
I wish they'd all figure out a good in between time like 6pm!

[rlu]

Our potluck/service started at 5:30. Luckily it was a day I work from home. Lots of parents trickled in between 6 and 6:30. We were home by 7:45pm.

[deborah_r]

Ours is always at 7pm. Have gone the last 3 years and never thought about it. I just figure it's a special occasion and we adjust.

ETA...it's always on a Friday, which is probably why it hasn't bothered me. If it was on a Monday-Thursday night, it would be a problem for me.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

It is a bit late, but probably so parents can attend after work. My DD 19, months has been going to be at 9-10, and wakes between 9-10:30. She is DEFINITELY not the norm!!!

[spunkybaby]

Our preschool's Christmas pageant starts at 7 pm on a Wednesday night, but only the preK classes are in the show (no 3-year-olds). My kids typically have a late bedtime anyway (8:30) and have no problems staying up later, so the time doesn't bother me. I haven't heard any complaints from other parents either.

[niccig]

We had ours last night. It started at 6pm and DS's class wasn't on until 6.30pm. Children were to be in their classroom 15 minutes before, and you could leave as soon as your class was over. The 2 year olds were finished by 6.30pm, DS was done by 7pm, but he wanted to stay and watch his friend in the Pre-K class, so we didn't leave until 7.30pm.

[Asianmommy]

Our holiday celebration is during preschool school hours--10:30 to 12. But I can see how that isn't do-able for many working parents.

[infocrazy]

Our holiday celebration is during preschool school hours--10:30 to 12. But I can see how that isn't do-able for many working parents.

This is how ours is too. I can adjust my hours enough to typically attend without taking off but DH will probably never get to go :( . I would LOVE for an evening celebration. But our kids do go to bed at 8:30 and get up about 8 so a slightly different bedtime.

[JamiMac]

Ours is 6-8 at this preschool. Our older DD's was 6:30 when she was in preschool. Sounds normal to me. They want to make sure all the working relatives can be there.

[galvjen]

Our holiday program is 4-6p on a Tuesday. Adding to the scheduling, it's a mandatory early release day so all students (3yrs to 3rd grade -- a Montessori school) are required to be picked up at noon.

[Melaine]

My girls are only two but they couldn't stay out that late. (I mean, they wouldn't tolerate that much of a shift to their schedule). It is really hard this time of year because we seem to miss so many events with a 7:00 pm bedtime. I wish they were a little more flexible but in general I'm just glad they are good sleepers I guess.

[DietCokeLover]

That time would definitely throw our schedule off. I'm sure it's for parents who work.
Little Ones' schedules rarely work out conveniently for anyone.

[g-mama]

That sounds pretty normal to me and I'm sure it's to allow working parents to come.

7pm is a rather early bedtime for a 5 year old, so I'm guessing that they wouldn't expect that to be an issue. Not saying I wouldn't mind if it were *my* 5 year old's bedtime - LOL - but most kids I know go to bed around 8:30 or 9 once they're past age 2 or so.

[SnuggleBuggles]

People could complain if it were too early and they couldn't make it b/c of work and people would complain about too late because of bedtime. There is no perfect solution. Personally, I don't think it is an awful thing to push bedtime back here and there so it doesn't bother me. Of course, that is why we have never gone for a very early bedtime in our family either (to avoid schedule conflicts and to be able to take advantage of evening activities w/o the kids turning into total beasties :)).

At 5yo my ds's bedtime wasn't till 8:30 and it was 9 when he was 4yo.

Beth

[jenmcadams]

That sounds pretty normal to me and I'm sure it's to allow working parents to come.

7pm is a rather early bedtime for a 5 year old, so I'm guessing that they wouldn't expect that to be an issue. Not saying I wouldn't mind if it were *my* 5 year old's bedtime - LOL - but most kids I know go to bed around 8:30 or 9 once they're past age 2 or so.

Wow...around here 8PM is a late bedtime for 5 year olds for sure and plenty of my DD's friends (she's 6 and in first grade) still have 7PM bedtimes. I don't have any friends (even those where both parents WOHM) where 4 and unders go to bed later than 7:30.

Our elementary school tries to start evening programs no later than 6PM which means bedtime for us (which is 7-7:30) isn't pushed too late. Our preschool doesn't do an evening program but occasionally they do have evening events and we generally don't attend b/c our kids go to sleep early. I'm surprised a preschool would have an event starting that late

[Corie]

Both of my kids have an 8pm bedtime. (My kids are 7 yrs. old
and 4 yrs. old.)

But I would expect an evening time for a holiday program.
If it were any earlier, then my DH wouldn't be able to attend.

I don't mind putting my kids to bed later on special events
like this. We adjust. :)

[Tinkerbell313]

That sounds pretty normal to me and I'm sure it's to allow working parents to come.

7pm is a rather early bedtime for a 5 year old, so I'm guessing that they wouldn't expect that to be an issue. Not saying I wouldn't mind if it were *my* 5 year old's bedtime - LOL - but most kids I know go to bed around 8:30 or 9 once they're past age 2 or so.

I agree...and, IMO, I think its more the normal routine and not the exception around ages 4 and beyond to have a later bed time. I don't think its late for a preschool program at all. A lot of church programs seem to start at that time as well.

[Octobermommy]

I think 6 is a better time but that is not much better than 6:30. My dd preschool program started at 6 and we barely got there on time b/c of dh work. I agree it is so most parents can make it.

The earliest bedtime of any of my kid's friends is 8, but we adjust when needed.

[egoldber]

This would bother me too, but I think it's just the way a lot of school things are. My kids both go to bed early. Amy is actually usually in bed by 6:15 (!!!) and Sarah still is in bed by 8. She needs a lot of sleep and does not sleep in.

FWIW, Sarah and Amy's preschool never had/has evening programs, only ones during the day. And the preschool also has a child care program so....

[mamicka]

Well, we have early bedtimes (start bedtime routine at 6:30-7pm, even for our 5 yr-old) but I can't imagine an evening program being any earlier. Our school does the program during the day & I prefer that (DH can't go, but its very lo-key & I record it) but I wouldn't mind delaying bedtime for it if I had to.

On paper, our bedtime is very early. But when sunset is just after 4pm, it doesn't feel so early.

[ellies mom]

The pre-school Ellie went to last year had all of their things at 5:30, so DH missed almost all of them. Her new school has them at 7pm and it works much better because now he can go as well. But our kids are night owls anyways.

[KrisM]

It'd cause problems here. DS is 4.5 and goes to bed at 7:15. He always gets up at 6, regardless of bedtime, so he goes to bed early.

[hillview]

It'd cause problems here. DS is 4.5 and goes to bed at 7:15. He always gets up at 6, regardless of bedtime, so he goes to bed early.
My DS #1 too! He is up at 6 no matter when he goes down.
/hillary

[hillview]

Thanks all! Appreciate the feedback. We will go ... see how he does. Imagine he will be ok and they a bit hard for him to get to sleep (all riled up) and then up at 6 am and tired the next day. Ah well -- tis the season :)
/hillary

[KrisM]

My DS #1 too! He is up at 6 no matter when he goes down.
/hillary

Glad it's not just us. We tried a later bedtime this summer, figuring since it's light until 9 or later, it would work out to be outside longer. Nope. We gave it 10 days and he was just cranky and tired from getting not enough sleep. Not worth it.

We're skipping our MOMS Club Christmas party on Monday as it's 6-8pm.