Is this a boy thing ? | ExpatWoman.com
 

Is this a boy thing ?

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 19:52

So I have a 4yr old DD and have never had a night up with her (I know very lucky) but I also have a 16 month DS who has been completely different from day one to his sister. The main thing is although I have followed the exact same routine with them and my husband and myself are not early risers he seems to be completely the opposite he goes to bed at 7 every evening,you can never guarantee that he won't cry out or wake up during the evening where we have to go in be it not every night but .......... He also has this internal alarm clock from anytime from 5.30am onwards where he wakes up now we can stall him for about 20mins with a bottle of milk but come 6 ish that's him ready to start his day, if he wakes at 6.30/6.45 he has had a lie in.
This all started when he was about 3 months old and he went from getting up at 8 ish to 7 ish and we have never been able to go back,I have tried the cry out,blackout curtains,music, stopping with him in his room till 7 in the hope it gets it but no joy.
Is this a boy thing ,second child syndrome or just my fate for the next 10 years !!!!!
Appreciate any suggestions, from a very tired working mom.

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 15 January 2013 - 11:19
Oh, I did smile inside reading this. It takes me back to when my strapping 11 yo was a babe...he didn't sleep more than 3 hours until 13 months, funnily enough when I became pregnant with my second son! He has always been an early waker - he has infinite energy and his younger 2 brothers are different again. It's not gender related, just the way they are - my second son likes his sleep, doesn't sleep late though, but takes forever to 'wake up' once he's up, and my third sleeps well, and is the only one who will truly lie-in, but bounds out of bed with pent up energy ready to go! Once my eldest was 3 or so, after years of taking turns with mornings, DH and I showed him how to turn the TV on. I don't condone use of the TV as a babysitter, but it got me (no a morning person) through the years! Good luck.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 21:36
After reading this thread I'm grateful I have two boys who likes to sleep in till 9 am or sometimes longer. Only problem is they also like to go to bed at 9pm and after a busy day I,m knackered by 9pm but I think its a small price to pay. School mornings are a pain though but nothing can be done about that. Lol! :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 14 January 2013 - 19:46
So I have a 4yr old DD and have never had a night up with her (I know very lucky) but I also have a 16 month DS who has been completely different from day one to his sister. The main thing is although I have followed the exact same routine with them and my husband and myself are not early risers he seems to be completely the opposite he goes to bed at 7 every evening,you can never guarantee that he won't cry out or wake up during the evening where we have to go in be it not every night but .......... He also has this internal alarm clock from anytime from 5.30am onwards where he wakes up now we can stall him for about 20mins with a bottle of milk but come 6 ish that's him ready to start his day, if he wakes at 6.30/6.45 he has had a lie in. This all started when he was about 3 months old and he went from getting up at 8 ish to 7 ish and we have never been able to go back,I have tried the cry out,blackout curtains,music, stopping with him in his room till 7 in the hope it gets it but no joy. Is this a boy thing ,second child syndrome or just my fate for the next 10 years !!!!! Appreciate any suggestions, from a very tired working mom. sounds just like my DS1, he slept through the night finally at 4 years old, after going through all the growth spurts, teething, getting up in the night to pee (toilet training), I do hope yours settles sooner, it wiped me out, and by the time he settled I had DS2 at 2 years old and a baby...so was not getting much kip at all! Mine is still an early riser, we got up at 5,30am for almost every day of these 4 years...saw many a sunrise in the kids playroom, lol
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 22:06
I as just about to go off to sleep when I read this thread and it made me titter. 11 yr old ds until very recently no matter what time he went to bed would be up around 6:15 every morning and he would proceed to lift my eyelid and ask me if I was awake yet! Most mornings after telling yes I was now awake we would have some quality time together especially at weekends before everyone else woke. Now he's finding his own way downstairs in the last few weeks without having to lift my eyelid but the annoying thing is I'm still waking at 6:15 ish even at weekends :)
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 22:05
sorry, I think it's more a case of you having been lucky with your daughter !! in my experience it's common for children to wake early and be ready to start their day ages before their parents !! lol Don't worry, by the time he hits his teens he'll happily sleep til lunchtime :D Totally agree!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 21:55
I actually feel exhausted typing this. Am so sorry for your trouble really, but that last bit made me smile. I get you! My DS is 16 months and has never slept through the night. Since my DH is working, it usually falls to me to put him back to sleep when he wakes up at night. And the only way I can do that is by giving him a feed. But DH (bless him) helps out by bringing baby to our bed and when he's done feeding, burping him and putting him back.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 21:17
I think it is a boys thing. DD has never had sleep issues, at all. DS never slept a night through until he was 4 yrs old. Now he is a teen and causes us no end of issues. He just cannot go to bed normally and get up at a decent time. His own natural body clock wants to sleep from 4 am - 9 am. This does not work in my life. He also sleep talks, shouts, calls out etc....it is exhausting even now. The best sleep he gets is when he shares a bed with me, but I get none as he moves around so much. I actually feel exhausted typing this.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 21:09
Thanks ladies, it's strange isn't it that never 2 children are the same and I do have 2 brothers we older children and it is true that you spend the first 10 years trying to get them to bed and to stop there and the next 10 trying to get them out, roll on that day !
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 20:27
sorry, I think it's more a case of you having been lucky with your daughter !! in my experience it's common for children to wake early and be ready to start their day ages before their parents !! lol Don't worry, by the time he hits his teens he'll happily sleep til lunchtime :D
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 20:25
i would have been sooo happy if our DS has slept from even midnight til 5.30am, let alone 7pm! even with one or two wake ups. that would have been a good stretch!! ;)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 20:24
I have 3 kids: 2 boys and a girl. The oldest (a boy) likes to sleep in, but the other two (2 years old and 9 months) are early risers. I NEVER sleep past 6:30am and that's on a good day!! If you find a solution please let me know!! I don't think I've had a good night's sleep in 2 years as they both are only happy with Mommy in the morning. The only saving grace is that they are both happy in the morning so we have nice snuggles and play time.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 20:20
It has nothing to do with gender. Every child is different and you just have to find what works for them.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 13 January 2013 - 20:18
I'm not sure it's a boy thing, as we usually wake our DS up after 9. Maybe it's a second child thing? Or maybe all children are just different. I feel for you. My friend is in the same situation with a 3 yr old girl that sleeps in, and a 21month old boy that's up at 5.30am. I send sympathy and don't know how you guys cope.
 
 

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