How usual is your 'usual time'?

The day Aidan was 5 days old he was brought home from Monash Hospital, I feared the worst leaving the comfort and convenience of the hospital. After all, I spent all my time there, with a routine I stuck to, with Aidan beside my bed, and I did not have to worry about anything else. Except painfully expressing milk.

I was lucky Wilkin was there to give me 100% support. He woke when I woke, he brought warm water in a small tub for washing Aidan's bum in the middle of the night, even if it was only a wee change. He cooked my meals! He's no chef, but he grated those gingers and made fried rice for me :)

We got into a routine again, thankfully. It was end of September and daylight savings wasn't on yet, meaning it got dark pretty early, like now. I made it a point to darken the room, and put Aidan to bed at 7.30pm, not coming out from the room no matter what. I had this little gadget that has a few sound options, such as the ocean, birds or stream flowing. Everynight I will switch it on to the ocean waves note, as it sounded closest to what I think the blood and fluid inside my body gushes along the veins and guts and whatnots. I think it did it's job kuuaaa....

Daytime, I will try to let Aidan sleep in the rocker, or my bed, but never his cot. Made as much noise as possible with the radio on, or his baby classicals. I presevered and it worked. After a couple of weeks, he never quite kicked up a fuss at night not wanting to sleep. I wanted him to differentiate day and night time, and I guess he got my drift.

When summer came along, he was already about 4 months old. More alert than before, and realized it wasn't dark yet, and wanted to play at 8.30pm. So from 7.30pm, I slowly lengthened the hours to 9.00 as the years go by. Today he sleeps latest at 9.30pm if he takes his arvo naps, or 8.30pm if he doesn't. And Saturdays it will be as late as 10.30pm.

I find it funny when I talk to some mums here commenting that Aidan sleeps so late. I was kind of 'shocked' that they put their kids to bed at 7.30pm! Maybe they are early risers, lucky thing Aidan's not! Hahaha, or I will be really zong-ed out! Geesshhh..... 7.30pm... not even enough time to bond with their daddies if they are working the normal 9-5 jobs. Then again, I see some kids who never sleep, still out and about at 11pm at night, wide awake as anything!

My mum used to kick me into the room at 9pm, no matter what. Now I do that to Aidan. He may not sleep, yadda-yadda to himself, singing, I can hear him doing that an hour later, but at least he stays in bed and never tries to run out. I guess I did a pretty good job at this.

What's your normal hours for your child/ren?