Sleeping In With Kids
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Some people really love to sleep in. Kids don't really make that an easy option. However, you can make it happen with a little planning and prep.
Sleeping in is one of those things that I did a lot more of in my younger years. When you don't have kids, sleeping in is usually pretty easy to do, especially on days you're not working early. However, once you have little ones in the house, sleeping in is usually something for your former years.
That doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in sleeping in on occasion, but it’s likely not going to be a regular occurrence. Young kids are simply going to need your help and attention in the mornings. This means that you won’t be sleeping in until noon like you may have done before having kids.
There are several ways that you can sleep in while being a parent, but none of them are going to be perfect.
Put your kids to bed later
This is by far the most dubious suggestion on this list. As most any parent will tell you, keeping your kids up later than they normally go to bed doesn’t mean that they will sleep in later in the morning, In fact, this usually means that they’ll just wake up at normal time in the morning and be very cranky for the day.
Of course, you may get lucky, and your kids may sleep in for the morning. If this is the case, then you’ve scored and you should absolutely take advantage of it by sleeping in as much as you can when this is the case. It likely won’t happen often.
Get your partner to watch the kids in the morning
Having your partner take the kids in the morning is probably the easiest way to sleep in on any given morning. What this implies is that your partner probably went to bed earlier, or at a normal time, compared to you. So this really only works if you and your partner are on the same page as to who is going to bed, and when.
This method for sleeping in actually works really well in our home. I am a big morning person, and my wife is a real night owl. It’s very uncommon for me to sleep in, but my wife would sleep in every morning if she had that choice. Usually on the weekends she gets that opportunity when she wants it.
Of course, you may need to have earplugs or something else if it’s hard to keep your kids quiet enough in the morning. My wife likes to use some headphones to keep the noise out if the kids are being too loud, but she usually doesn’t have to use them.
Have someone else come and watch your kids
The way for both your partner and you to sleep in, and actually make it happen, is to have someone else watch your kids in the morning. If you have a parent or other family member that can stay with you, this can be a great way for you to stay up late and sleep in until whenever you want the next morning.
If you have a parent that stays with you regularly, or another relative, perhaps you can make a deal with them where they will watch the kids on some type of consistent schedule in mornings so you can sleep in. My mother will do this for us when we ask and she’s able.
Of course, the same rules apply in terms of the kids being quiet as when you’re letting your partner sleep in - you may need something to keep the sound out. However, an even better method is for you and your partner to spend the night somewhere else while the kids are at home - this is the ultimate way to sleep in as there are no kids to accidentally be too loud.
Conclusion
In order to sleep in in the morning, you’re going to need some help or some very good luck to make it happen. However, if you’re a person that really needs to sleep in in the morning, you should try to make it happen when you can.
