Parenting columnist Ian Munro has some strategies to help get that morning lie-in.
"I’m awake! I’m awake!" Our young grandson’s early morning greeting as sunlight seeps into his room.
Now we’re past the delaying effects of daylight saving, a chirpy and cheerful junior "rise-with-sun" wants to get on with his day at increasingly earlier hours.
Trouble is, you might not want to get up as early of a weekend or when you’re on holiday. Or maybe you just want one more hour’s sleep before you head off to work.
Teaching them how to turn on the telly is an easy answer for some. But more and more parents don’t like using television as a baby-sitter.
For others, the answer is also easy: get up and get on with your day, too, and catch that extra sleep at the other end with some early nights.
Attaching some heavy-duty blackout lining to the curtains can help block the light but not necessarily the early morning sounds.
You could also try delaying bedtime a little in no more than 15-minute increments to delay that morning call until closer to at least 7am.
However, if you really want the luxury of a morning lie-in, consider some of these strategies.
FOR TODDLERS
• Make sure they’ll be warm, as the early morning chill can wake them.
• Have favourite soft toys in their bed.
• Don’t let them get into bed with you when they wake early. Let them know Mum and Dad are still "off-duty" when it comes to playing and chatting.
• If you need to put them back to bed, do it in a neutral way. Let them know that it’s still sleep time and do the minimum required to get them tucked back under with no conversation beyond your standard "goodnight, sweet dreams" comment as you leave. Try to always do it exactly the same way so that it becomes almost robotic rather than interactive.
FOR AN OLDER CHILD
• Leave out some snack food and a mug of water or have suitable breakfast supplies at an easily reached level in the kitchen.
• Set up a CD or DVD player that just requires the button to be pushed to play favourite music or stories or a favourite movie.
• If your late rising is an exception, perhaps after a night out, leave out something new or special they can read or play with.
• Have plenty of books or quiet activities available in their room.
• Have some rules about leaving their room, such as "not until you hear Mummy and Daddy’s radio", or set an alarm radio in their room that will signal the same.
Alternatively, wait for your lie-ins until they become teenagers. You won’t hear a peep out of them until noon at the earliest.
