OK, Would You Send Your Kids To Their Rooms At 7 Every Night So You Can Be Alone?

A family maintains a flexible bedtime routine to ensure parents get uninterrupted evening downtime. As children grow, bedtime can run later, prompting questions about whether it is acceptable to send children to their rooms earlier even if they are not sleepy. One parent proposes feeding and showering, taking phones for the night, and allowing children to stay in their rooms to read, do homework, or play quietly, with permission to leave only for bathroom or serious needs. The parent frames this as a reasonable way to secure time for caregivers after meeting everyone’s needs. Responses emphasize that whether this is okay depends on the children’s circumstances and how the rule is implemented.

"OP shared that even though their child is still a baby, they've been wondering how nighttime relaxation will go as their kid grows. "Is it possible to send your kids to their bedrooms at like 7 p.m. once they're fed and showered, take their phones for the night, and then just say you don't have to sleep, but can hang out in your room, do your homework, read, play whatever you want, and go to sleep when you want, but can only come out to use the bathroom or something serious because it's now 'parent time'?""

"OP explained that this is how their own parents handled them when they were kids, and that they and their siblings "never questioned it." It was just the norm. "I kind of feel like, if I'm the one who is doing everything to meet every person's needs and wants and cooking and cleaning for everyone and my partner is at work all day to provide, then surely it's OK to map out some time for them to leave you alone, too?" OP asked. "So is it OK to do? Is it cruel? Isolating?""

"We need them to all be in their rooms, settled for the night, so that we can fully unwind and be off duty. As they've gotten older, it's been a little tougher. Sometimes they're up until 9:00 or 9:30, and we've had to change our expectations. But one mom on Reddit wants to know if it's totally out of pocket to just send your kids to their room at night anyway... even if they aren't ready for bed."

"I vote yes. But the rest of it can really depend on your kids. As my girls have grown, we still continue to put them all t"

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