Bedtime

My kids start school next week! I just can't believe the summer has flown by so fast considering we didn't really do much of anything except for enjoy some lazy days of summer.

In any case, the whole getting into a regular routine again is always a struggle. Tyler starts the school year not liking to be gone so much, because it doesn't leave him enough time to play. (I quite agree! :)

However, our biggest problem -- at least since moving to Utah -- has been to get them to go to sleep. How do other parents do it? My boys don't come out of their room with requests (water, snack, etc.), but they stay in their room and talk and play and whatever they can so that their eyes don't close. I know they need the sleep, because when they're up late they are CRANKY the next day. However, they don't seem to just be able to go to sleep on their own.

I give threats (no Game Cube the next day, etc.) that I follow through on, but they don't seem to make a difference. I have tried letting them read in bed before they go to sleep. I have tried telling them that if they stay quiet I'll come down and give them an extra kiss. All of these worked for a short time, but then they went back to staying up and playing. Anyone got any brilliant ideas there? The only things we've found that works are to 1) sit outside their door and tell them repeatedly to be quiet. (We've rarely used this option as neither of us want to go sit on the steps outside their door); or 2) Separate them. (This option makes Becca REALLY annoyed, because we have one of them go lay on her bed until Zachary is asleep since he's the first to fall asleep.)

In any case, I'm not looking forward to starting the whole process again in a couple of weeks, but my kids are all looking forward to going back to school!