Singapore Expats

I've noticed when popping out to do stuff later in the day that the children here are still up and about at 9 and 10pm. During the holidays and jet lag adjustment our youngest was too but it seems term time makes no difference here.
Looking at the local community club's list of activities for younger children (age 5 ish) they don't even start until 7.30pm and finish at 9pm. I assumed from that that children must start school later than I am used to but no, they start at 7.30am. So, what are they doing? Are they all knackered? Do they nap? Is this yet another uptight Brit thing?

Hannieroo wrote:I've noticed when popping out to do stuff later in the day that the children here are still up and about at 9 and 10pm. During the holidays and jet lag adjustment our youngest was too but it seems term time makes no difference here.
Looking at the local community club's list of activities for younger children (age 5 ish) they don't even start until 7.30pm and finish at 9pm. I assumed from that that children must start school later than I am used to but no, they start at 7.30am. So, what are they doing? Are they all knackered? Do they nap? Is this yet another uptight Brit thing?

This drives me nuts as well; the reasons are;

1. Cooler temperatures at night.
2. The kids DO nap (often for an hour or so straight after school).
3. Their parents are idiots.

I used to go to sleep by 8pm when still in primary school, but I was in the generation before tuition became compulsory.

Surely compulsory school makes bedtimes more important.

I wondered if I was missing something like compulsory naps at school like Texas. Can't help thinking if the govt wants to raise the birth rate passing a compulsory bedtime for small children might help.

Hannieroo wrote:Surely compulsory school makes bedtimes more important.

I wondered if I was missing something like compulsory naps at school like Texas. Can't help thinking if the govt wants to raise the birth rate passing a compulsory bedtime for small children might help.

The school my son goes to has been hammering this home to no avail. TV/Computers etc all conspire to distract younger kids.

The TFR is not really related to Singaporeans not having time to do it but rather their desire not to want to do it IME.

Well, I only have two so in position to judge, really.

Hannieroo wrote:Well, I only have two so in position to judge, really.

You 1 in front of the average here.

We have 2 kids & we thought the exact same thing when we used to visit here from Australia. Now that we live here, we tried to stick to our normal sleep patterns from home but have found that the kids are going to sleep later & later each night! We can't pinpoint exactly why this is happening. Both kids go to school each day & they have full on days. We also often go swimming after school & so a further reason to make them more tired. It's also hot so that should be adding to their tiredness factor, yet they are going to sleep later & later!

The younger one (3.5) does often sleep during the day.. she doesn't usually nap at kindy so sometimes she has a late nap, not that we want her to, but sometimes she just does, so that does account for her going to sleep at night later. But the older one (close to 8) does not nap, has full on days, has to wake up earlier for school & is going to bed later.

Must be something in the Singapore air or a conspiracy against parents here!

Really? Man, we've been here a month and I have noticed that the 5 year old is not settling as fast as he usually would but I put that down to delayed jet lag. It might get worse?

colio wrote:We have 2 kids & we thought the exact same thing when we used to visit here from Australia. Now that we live here, we tried to stick to our normal sleep patterns from home but have found that the kids are going to sleep later & later each night! We can't pinpoint exactly why this is happening. Both kids go to school each day & they have full on days. We also often go swimming after school & so a further reason to make them more tired. It's also hot so that should be adding to their tiredness factor, yet they are going to sleep later & later!

The younger one (3.5) does often sleep during the day.. she doesn't usually nap at kindy so sometimes she has a late nap, not that we want her to, but sometimes she just does, so that does account for her going to sleep at night later. But the older one (close to 8) does not nap, has full on days, has to wake up earlier for school & is going to bed later.

Must be something in the Singapore air or a conspiracy against parents here!

I suspect it is the weather, in the evenings the humidity and temperature drop and it simply feels more pleasant.

offshoreoildude wrote:

colio wrote:We have 2 kids & we thought the exact same thing when we used to visit here from Australia. Now that we live here, we tried to stick to our normal sleep patterns from home but have found that the kids are going to sleep later & later each night! We can't pinpoint exactly why this is happening. Both kids go to school each day & they have full on days. We also often go swimming after school & so a further reason to make them more tired. It's also hot so that should be adding to their tiredness factor, yet they are going to sleep later & later!

The younger one (3.5) does often sleep during the day.. she doesn't usually nap at kindy so sometimes she has a late nap, not that we want her to, but sometimes she just does, so that does account for her going to sleep at night later. But the older one (close to 8) does not nap, has full on days, has to wake up earlier for school & is going to bed later.

Must be something in the Singapore air or a conspiracy against parents here!

I suspect it is the weather, in the evenings the humidity and temperature drop and it simply feels more pleasant.

That's a good observation.. I think there may be a lot of truth in that...

In this house it would feel far more pleasant if I was sat outside with a beer rather than on the stairs shouting "Bed!" every 5 minutes.

colio wrote:The younger one (3.5) does often sleep during the day.. she doesn't usually nap at kindy so sometimes she has a late nap, not that we want her to, but sometimes she just does, so that does account for her going to sleep at night later. But the older one (close to 8) does not nap, has full on days, has to wake up earlier for school & is going to bed later.

Must be something in the Singapore air or a conspiracy against parents here!

Try some activities that would interest but dull the mind about an hour before you'd like them to sleep. Reading some LOTR maybe?

Avoid TV or computers.

iamsen wrote: Reading some LOTR maybe?

LOTR to a 3.5 and 8 yr old???

I jest. Try potter.