4 Occasions for Kids to Stay Up Late

While having a routine is important for growing children, many parents find themselves wondering if there’s an appropriate occasion for kids to stay up late.

After all, life gets in the way sometimes, and no one wants to miss celebrations or special events. While it may take a bit of extra effort, we believe there is a way to create fun family memories on said occasions while ensuring your child(ren)’s sleep schedules are considered. 

1.  Holidays

The holiday season can be stressful enough without the added strain of worrying if your baby or toddler is staying up too late on these special occasions. Realistically, if it means spending time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, or just making special holiday memories, it’s worth going outside the regular sleeping schedule a bit.

When children are old enough, they’re going to value these memories much more than a few extra hours of sleep. Perhaps the only holiday you may want to think twice about is the Fourth of July. If you have a young baby who may have trouble sleeping through the fireworks, you might be better off going home earlier so they’re already asleep by the time they start. 

2. Birthdays

Birthdays are an important milestone, no matter who it is.

If it’s a close family member’s birthday or your child’s, you may not want them to miss out on the celebrations with the rest of the family. Birthdays are not often celebrated too late in the evening in these situations, so they likely won’t be awake for too much longer than normal, anyway. 

3. Weddings

Weddings are always kind of weird territory when it comes to kids attending. Some don’t allow any children in attendance, while others do. However, a wedding is definitely not a place where you want babies crying. They’re oftentimes very boring for children and require sitting in one place for a while. However, they’re very important moments and may be worth keeping kids up for.

You can use your best judgment in these cases. Make sure to get an idea of the venue and the vibe of how the event will be. Will there be loud music, lots of people, adults only, etc.? In most cases, babies and toddlers probably aren’t going to “miss out” by not going and may be better left in the care of a sitter or family member not attending. Alternatively, you could bring your child(ren) and keep the sitter at the ready if they start getting fussy. 

4. Parades/Public Events

Parades can be noisy, but they can also be a lot of fun. Events like going to watch the ball drop in Times Square (or watching it on TV) require children to be up later, but can create some fun core memories that they’ll have to look back on for the rest of their lives. Young babies, likely aren’t going to remember something like this, so use your discretion. 

Should You Keep Your Kids Up Late or Stay Home? 

This is a totally valid question and one many parents (particularly, new parents) have. While we reiterate that a routine is important for children, there are always exceptions. This answer will depend on so many unique factors. Let’s go ahead and cover these: 

• Your child’s personality/tendencies - Are they adaptable enough to be okay with the change in routine or are they going to react poorly to any disruptions?
  

• Their sleep needs - How much sleep does your child usually need? Some babies and toddlers need lots of sleep to function properly while others refuse to get some shut-eye when events are going on! They want to see everything and are just fine if they don’t get as much sleep.
  

• The event itself - How long is the event going to be going on for? If it’s just a night or two of fun, they’ll probably be just fine and won’t have a negative effect on their demeanor. 

What To Do After Your Child Stays Up Late

It’s all about balance. You don’t want your baby or toddler to be exhausted or feeling fussy, but you also don’t want them to miss out on certain special events. We have some tried-and-true tips to help them make up for lost sleep and get back on track, seamlessly. 

Let Your Child Sleep In

This may seem like the most logical step if they’ve stayed up late. Let your little one sleep in the next morning, however, be prepared for them to still wake up around their normal time! Just remember that children who are overtired often wake up earlier than normal!

Move That First Nap Up

We know that the first nap of the morning is best for real rest. Moving it to an earlier time the day after the event can be a big help - especially if you notice them getting fussy before their regular nap time. 

Rest Time

If your toddler no longer takes naps, it’s a smart idea to give them rest time, instead. This may not look like a nap. Rather, you could have them spend extra time in their bed with some toys or a book. This way, you’re setting them up to catch some sleep if they feel sleepy. 

Limit Nap Time

If your child does still take naps and you notice they’re going on for a long time, try to gently wake them up. If you don’t, that could equate to them sleeping less at night, and trust us when we say you don’t want to create that vicious cycle!

Track Sleep

When you’re busy running around events and making sure everyone is taken care of, it can be difficult perfectly tracking your child’s sleep patterns and time put in. For these situations, Baby Connect can be a lifesaver. It allows you to track meals, sleep, nap times, behavior, and more.