Bedtime issue - "but the sun is still out..."

[Mom-of-boys]

The past few days my son has put up a fight before bedtime (even though I know he's tired) related to daylight savings time.  As soon as we say it's time for bed, he looks out the window at how light it is outside still and thinks it's still time to play.  After dinner I turn the lights off and shut the blinds, but we face the west so the sun always beats in our windows in the evenings.  I know it's only going to get worse in the summer.  In his room we have blinds, dark curtains, and we add an extra blanket on top to make it dark enough.  We live in a condo and unfortunately we've got two windows and a big patio door letting a lot of light in (which is wonderful any other time of day  ).  What do you tell your LOs when they complain about going to bed when it's still light out?  Any other tricks I might try?

[Shiv52]

I don't use dark/light to distinguish when it's time for bed as I've known loads of kids who get confused and upset come brighter days!  I would concentrate on it doesn't matter what it is like outside, that it's brighter in summer etc. I've talked to my kids about it since day dot way before they understood it.  Then just be consistent with your routine and if he questions things just say 'it doesn't matter about outside, our rules are it's supper then 10 minutes more play then bed or whatever your routine is. I always give mine a 10 minute warning to bed and it helps stop any nonsense.

[zeri]

I second that, since in Canada (depending on where) it can stay light until 11:00pm in the summer! We have always used blackout curtains to help darken the room, andwe always tell them that the light or dark is not what determines bedtime, it is the clock. When the clock had points at the eight, it is lights out and bed!

[koe2moe]

What pps said.  It might also help to put a drawing of the clock face of the time for bed next to the clock, when it matches, then it is bedtime.  He will get it very soon.  Fx