The long Holiday break is great for families to get a chance to spend time together, travel, and to see family and friends. During breaks, parents are also much more lenient when it comes to keeping kids on a schedule, in particular when it comes to bed times. “We always let the kids stay up later than usual,” said Stapleton mom Barbara Halpin. “Let them have fun with siblings, cousins, friends, or whatever. They have friends, family, and new toys. I let them enjoy them.” The problem most parents end up having to deal with is kids start getting up later and later each morning. “We got into a pattern where our kids were not up until 10, and not out of their pajamas until one,” said Halpin. Halpin is not alone. “We basically ended up doing brunch for two and a half weeks because the kids weren’t even ready to eat until eleven,” said Kari Southall. “Probably because they weren’t eating dinner until nine o’clock.”
Many parents are significantly more lax in the holiday season, as they want to spend more time with the kids, and avoiding the stressful bedtime routine makes for a more fun holiday experience. But, the fun eventually must come to an end. Kids have to get back to school, and parents have to go back to the office where their bosses will be back to expecting pre-holiday productivity. Some parents carefully ween the kids back into their bedtime schedule. Others don’t. And for those who don’t, that first week back at school can be a nightmare. “We had kids crying saying they hate school and don’t want to go back,” said resident Jen Chase. “The kids were so off-schedule, it caused emotional imbalances, and all sorts of issues. The first two weeks back at school were a nightmare.”
Other Stapleton residents sensing the challenge of acclimating their kids back to school, decided to go another direction. “We decided to put our kindergartner and third grader in night school,” said Stapleton mom Jennifer Seery. “We will eventually transition them back, but right now, that happens to be when they are most awake and attentive. It’s been great to fill the gap, and we at least get some time of our own. Besides, it’s nice not having to fight with them to get them to school in the morning.” Seery is not alone, as at least 50 Stapleton students have currently taken a break from their traditional daytime class setting to attend night school. “I think it has been great,” said Kelly Uker. “The kids are actually excited to go, almost like it’s camp. They condense things down, and there’s not as many extracurricular activities, but they are keeping up with the basics. Hopefully, we will have them back on schedule in a month, and they can get back to their regular day. But, until then, night school has been great.” The Stapleton Kids Night School is from 6PM until 9PM every week night, but they also offer some weekend classes. If your child still hasn’t adjusted to the regular school week, you can go to www.kidsnightschoool.com for more information. ]]>