by Deidra Romero posted in Parenting

School is out. It's officially summer break. And I am officially that mom.
That mom who puts her kids to sleep while the sun is still up. That mom who turns down invitations to parties. That mom who says "no" to movies in the park and catching lightening bugs. And I have zero regrets.
Just the other day we were at a cookout. It was getting dangerously close to 6:30 p.m. and I excused myself and our kids -- to sideways glances and smirks. I have a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old. Our sleep routine is the linchpin to our very existence. If my kids go to bed late, they tend to fight sleep. A slightly late bedtime becomes a crazy late bedtime before I know it. We all know little kids don't sleep in, so the next day we battle one meltdown after another. I guard my kids' sleep like a precious crowned jewel.
I?m not crying about the fact that my kids are both asleep by 7:30, so why does this bother other people" I don?t mind cutting out of a party or barbecue early because my kids really need their sleep.
One summer, I thought I would let my son have an 8 p.m. bedtime -- just for the summer, I assured myself. When fall rolled around it took forever for him to course-correct. This year, I?m not willing to risk it.
Little kids need a lot of sleep, depending on their age. Studies have shown that a myriad of sleep problems can be cured by an earlier bedtime. Late bedtimes have also been linked to disruptive behavior and less sleep att...