Hellobee Boards Topic: What kind of parent are you?

Hellobee Boards Topic: What kind of parent are you? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:21:26 +0000 rachiecakes on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106614 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 21:41:58 +0000 rachiecakes 1106614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I'm that parent. We've never sleep trained, we let him sleep when he's tired. It falls into a pattern of one 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon, bed around 9:30 but he never sleeps past 8am no matter what. We do what works for us. I think I'll be more strict about schedule when he's in school. HLK208 on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106603 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 21:32:39 +0000 HLK208 1106603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Kimberlybee: love that quote! mrsjazz on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106537 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 20:46:42 +0000 mrsjazz 1106537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ LO goes to bed at 8/8:30 but used to go to bed at 10/10:30 because that's what time she went to sleep no matter what we did. We let her stay up rather than fight for 2 hours when she just wanted to play. I have a friend who's 2-year-old goes to bed at 11 and it works for them. I used to judge back in my know-it-all "when I'm a parent" days. I don't now. Kimberlybee on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106524 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 20:39:45 +0000 Kimberlybee 1106524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @rahlyrah: Whatever works right?! :happy: I like this quote a lot "Whatever road you choose to travel, remember to travel with love." I always try to enjoy the present moment and let the little things go. HLK208 on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106372 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:53:15 +0000 HLK208 1106372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I guess I stick to a schedule of 7:30 bed time and I try to do naps at home. I see a lot of kids out late at night and yes, some might have bad parents but I never know if their kids took a late nap or what's gone on through their day. If my kids are ever out past 8pm they are CRANKY so I rarely do that for my own sanity lol. Andrea on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106368 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:46:58 +0000 Andrea 1106368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I went to the mall for the first time at night a few days ago and thought the same thing. I was amazed that so many babies and kids were out with their parents. I didn't judge them at all, thoughh. Who knows what kind of schedule they have going. We have an early to bed, early to rise schedule going. sarac on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106360 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:37:30 +0000 sarac 1106360@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mediagirl: oh no, you were just the last post when I read it. Raindrop on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106224 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:51:33 +0000 Raindrop 1106224@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We are one of *those* parents. Yeah I think we just work late and want family time so it turned out that way. Maybe later we can put him to bed at a more reasonable time. :) Ra on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106217 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:47:38 +0000 Ra 1106217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Kimberlybee: Us too! Kimberlybee on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106209 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:37:55 +0000 Kimberlybee 1106209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We are those parents with the relaxed, easy going schedules. LOL!!!! Our daughter makes it easy though, she sleeps anywhere! We can transfer her from the car seat, to the house, to the crib and she is still asleep the entire time. We went to get groceries last night as a family at 9pm since the weather was so nice out! She was already asleep and stayed asleep the entire time. When we got home, we put her back in the crib without even a peep. We're finally saying goodbye to 100+ degree weather so we took the opportunity to be outdoors as much as possible. Having a summer baby in Texas was rough, I would have to run errands early in the morning or after 7pm to avoid the sun rays and heat. lindseykaye on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you/page/2#post-1106116 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 15:52:12 +0000 lindseykaye 1106116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We're strict schedule people, too. When LO was really little, her bedtime was about 10pm because that's when she slept the longest stretch and had frequent naps all day. And when she was a bit younger we would occasionally take her out to a later dinner and just try to plan things so that she took her first stretch of sleep at the restaurant, then when we came home she would nurse and sleep the rest of the night like normal in her crib. Now, she would NEVER sleep like that if we are out (too distracting) but she's pretty flexible and could stretch a bedtime if we needed or wanted to. The thing is, I try my hardest to stick to our schedule because she is the one who needs the sleep. Sure I want to have fun and go to the outdoor concert/dinner/event but it would be at the expense of her comfort. She has no say in this, so I think it's unfair of me to put my social desires over her need for sleep. If I didn't WOH or had a later start to my day, and she could sleep in after a later night, things might be different and she might be on a later schedule in general. But that's not the case, so we stick to our bedtime almost every night. banana on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1106077 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 15:34:36 +0000 banana 1106077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I see kids out really late (10/11p) all the time in our area. It seems really late to me but those kids aren't cranky or anything so I guess it works for them. My son is 3 and he goes to bed between 9-9:30. Sometimes we'll take him to the supermarket down the street at 9 but nobody has ever given me the stink eye or anything. We used to be way more strict about his schedule when he was younger. But he'd be more than happy to stay up until 11 or 12 if we let him. So we just go with the flow. My DD is 14 months and she goes down at around 8:00. She'd be a cranky mess if we kept her up any longer. yoursilverlining on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105592 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 12:48:25 +0000 yoursilverlining 1105592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We are totally *those* parents who have their kid out late! :p At home LO goes to bed around 8-9pm (depending on how tired she is; sometimes she's asleep by 7 - rarely!), but if we are going out, we go and she just gets to bed later. We try to get earlier reservations now, but yeah, we're always out past 9pm for sure! We're not fans of a rigid schedule and our LO is flexible and social so she enjoys going out too! Sapphiresun on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105559 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 12:39:25 +0000 Sapphiresun 1105559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Umm... we have a 7 week old that's nowhere near any kind of schedule, so we just kind of do whatever. Her biggest stretch of sleep tends to be from 1am-6am, so anytime prior to 1am, I'm find to be out and about and she just sleeps in her carseat/stroller/pack n play/someone's arms if she's not at home. littlek on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105508 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 12:28:03 +0000 littlek 1105508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ During the week, LO goes to bed every night by 8 p.m. On the weekend, it's a different story, we let him stay up and play at our neighbors house until later. We watch him for crankiness/exhaustion/etc, and when he gets tired we take him home. I don't personally like judging parents on bedtime because you don't know their cirumstances. Adira on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105393 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 12:03:42 +0000 Adira 1105393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Xander's in bed every day by 7:30! We're strict schedule people, but I'm of the mindset, if it's working, don't mess with it! I actually have no idea how he would do if we took him out past bedtime - he might be fine! But I'm too scared to try it, haha. And he has to get up at 7:00 every day to go to daycare. Some people have different schedules, so maybe a 10:00 bedtime works for them because they don't have to be up and about for their day until later in the morning. Who knows! pinkcupcake on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105381 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 11:59:08 +0000 pinkcupcake 1105381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @lemondrop: "I'm also not going to break my neck living up to a strangers standards- my kid is loved, well fed, and as behaved as a toddler gets, beyond that people can judge away" - word! :) CupQuakeWalk on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105380 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 11:59:07 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 1105380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I am a very,very schedule, rigid, schedule type-person. I am very busy and I just don't have the luxury of the 'shoot from the hip' type of lifestyle. So, our LO goes to bed at 8pm because that's how we sleep trained him and that what works for us. I def don't care what time another child sleeps or doesn't. I do care when they are clearly overtired and WAILING in the restaurant at 9:15PM though. Then its like, "OK...ya'll need to leave and take your kid with ya" pinkcupcake on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105377 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 11:57:40 +0000 pinkcupcake 1105377@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My toddler has an early bedtime of 730PM. That's what works for us. Unless it's an absolute necessity, we try to always be home by 7PM so we can put her down by then, but this is just bc she's an absolute wreck if she stays up and it's no fun for anyone involved. But if she was fine w/ going to bed at 8, 9, 10, whatever, I have no problem with being out w/her. All kids are different. Whereas one kid needs to be in bed by 6, another may not until 10pm. I don't think it's fair to judge a parent based on whether a kid is up at a certain hour. GrapeCrush on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105371 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 11:56:51 +0000 GrapeCrush 1105371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DS doesn't go to bed until 8pm, and until he was 13ish months he didn't go to bed until 9pm. DH used to work until 7, get home at 7:30, eat dinner, if DS went to bed before 9pm, DH would never see him. DH work schedule changed and DS naturally upped his bed time an hour...which we are fine with. Last night DH was going to go grocery shopping at 8pm with DD(7 weeks old), i told him no, because i didn't want people to look at him and think he was a bad parent, because i know people judge other parents who have their kids out late. i personally don't see an issue with kids out too late...my nephew doesn't go to bed till 10-11pm...whats the difference of him being up at home until then vs. going grocery shopping with his mom...which may be the only chance she gets? indi on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105304 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 11:29:36 +0000 indi 1105304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @lovehoneybee: Depending on when DH goes into work, he could have a standing "lunch date" with E. Usually the school will let you have a "special" date with LO if you call head and say you'd like to come in and eat school lunch, too. I know that kids always thought that was sooooo cool when I was in elementary. :-) lemondrop on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105165 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:50:31 +0000 lemondrop 1105165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yeah, some nights I'm one of *those* people, oh well! We go with a relatively vague schedule, and naps and sleep happen around the same time most days. We'll adjust his sleep if we have a special event, but if he doesn't go down normally, I'm not going to have a war. I'm also not going to break my neck living up to a strangers standards- my kid is loved, well fed, and as behaved as a toddler gets, beyond that people can judge away- he's not in school, so I see no problem with him being up late if he's not melting down or giving us tired signals. I'm not a fan of labels, but if I have to have one I'd prefer easy going or goes with the flow. lovehoneybee on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105114 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:39:49 +0000 lovehoneybee 1105114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don't think bedtime is linked with the type of parent you are. We're on a later schedule. E usually goes to bed between 9:30-10, but depending on the day he's had it can be as late as 11. DH works afternoon-night shift, and if I tried to put E on a more "normal" schedule with an early bedtime they would never see each other, and I would never be able to spend time with DH. I don't often go out with him that late but I have and do sometimes, and I get a lot of looks from people, and have gotten comments about how I'm ruining my kid because I let him stay up late. I brush them off because they don't know our situation. @Anagram: I'm actually dreading this, because I know once he's in school I'll have to pull his bedtime back. He barely sees DH during the week as is, and almost always between like 10a and whenever DH has to go to work. Once he's in school and having to get up/go to bed earlier they'll almost never see each other :( Cherrybee on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105106 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:38:18 +0000 Cherrybee 1105106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I buy any old kind of food, I've never tried yoga, I use disposable nappies and formula feed - but bedtime is bedtime!!! We start the bedtime routine at 8pm and will move it earlier and earlier as she grows (she's currently 8.5 weeks). I therefore need to have LO at home, relaxed at 7.30 at the latest. I'm that kind of parent - whatever that is!!! mediagirl on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105083 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:34:04 +0000 mediagirl 1105083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @sarac: Okay....I do see your point, too as I do everyone else's. I feel like you are singling me out when others wrote the same type of comments I did. Is there a reason for that? sarac on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1105053 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:29:13 +0000 sarac 1105053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mediagirl: When your daughter is in bed at 6:30, mine is just winding up for the night. Lots of children don't enjoy an early bedtime, and it doesn't reflect poorly on their parents. My daughter is a short sleeping night owl, exactly like her father. Like others, we see no reason to try to fight her nature, and we go on with our lives in the evening. mediagirl on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1104967 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:14:14 +0000 mediagirl 1104967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @blackbird: haha right!?! We are parents who stick to a regimented schedule. We have done this since she was 3 months old and since it works, we're not changing it. She has a STRICT 6:30pm bedtime. The only time you will see us out of the house at or just before that time is if you see us at the airport or in car on the way home. I too look at parents who are out with their kids at 8, 9, 10 (or later!!) and wonder just what is going on there. We went to an outdoor movie a few weekends ago and there were some babies, toddlers and preschoolers there. It was an R rated movie, which made it even worse. Freckles on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1104947 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:09:38 +0000 Freckles 1104947@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don't really give it a second thought when i see super young babies. I'm more surprised when i see toddler aged kids. DH and i were leaving the mall at 11:30pm on Saturday and there was a toddler playing like it was no big deal. Although i am surprised, not all babies are on the same schedule. Some of these parents may have different work schedules so their kids can sleep in until 8-9am, which means their bedtimes are probably much later. DillonLion on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1104942 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 10:07:56 +0000 DillonLion 1104942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ We were out for our anniversary this weekend at a dive bar/grill. And we spent the entire meal out on the patio (with smokers) and a couple who had their three month old there....whole the parents smoked and drank and then drove home. We thought it was very weird (and dangerous)!! Anagram on "What kind of parent are you?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-parent-are-you#post-1104913 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 09:59:25 +0000 Anagram 1104913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I get more judgey when I see kids of school age out and about with their parents on school nights.....because working in education, there are always those kids who are so sleepy all day (on a regular basis) and when you talk to them about why, there are so many stories along the vein of "mom took us to her boyfriend's house last night and didnt take us home until their tv shows were over", or "dad took us to whatever-r-rated-action-movie is out last night and we got home at 11", or saddest....."mom works her second job until late at night and we have to stay at Aunts house, and her 5 kids are too loud for us to sleep or do homework." Yup...then I start getting judgey/concerned. It's different if its a one-off because of one bad night at home.....but parents who routinely have their kids out and about late when they still have to wake up at 6:30 for school are just cruel. Kids tell all!