Can I stay up?

Can I stay up?

This is a question every parent hears at bedtime. I would tend to say no most of the time because our children function best with copious amounts of sleep and a solid daily routine. I struggle however when my older son is in the midst of a good book and wants to stay up to read. I am a voracious reader and have spent many a night up diligently working to get to the end of a book. I don't want to limit this need but don't want to open a door to all night reading as he gets older. Thus far I have said that he can read in his room for 30 minutes past bedtime and I will then come up and check on him. So far he has been fast asleep each time I have gone upstairs. I would like to think that he is able to make an appropriate choice for himself thus far as to when he really "needs" to go to sleep. I am wondering how this will play out as he get more mature.