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Not all parents work a traditional 9-5. When the kids are not in school yet, keeping them on a schedule where they wake up really early and go to bed really early is just not necessary. It makes more sense to have a schedule that fits in with the parents' routine. For example, I used to work noon to 9. A lot of times, my husband would pick me up after work and we'd go to the grocery store with our toddler, or out to dinner. There was no reason to put her in bed by 7 or 8 pm when that would mean I would barely get to see her.
It's not really that difficult to get a kid accustomed to waking up for school...some people make it sound like you'd better have them on that schedule from the day they're born, but it takes a week or two before school starts to get back on an early morning schedule, if you have to.
My family did this when I was growing up, so I could spend more time with my father. He worked until 9:00 most nights, so that time was very special. We got up around 9:00 and took a nap until we started in the 1st grade.
My own husband gets home earlier, so we were strict with my daughter's bedtime of 7:30. We also do not put her to bed early if we are on vacation, as we all sleep in.
If you work outside of your home all day and get home at 5pm and start their bedtime routine at 6pm when do they eat and when do you spend quality time with them? At the supper table?
My children went to their rooms at 9pm and lights out at 10pm, that gave them an hour to wind down, read, play a bit, watch television if they wanted and just relax before they went to sleep. Most of the time they were asleep before 9:30pm.
The people I've seen at Walmart and 24 hour Laundromats with their children at 2am looked like welfare drug addicts.
I'm sure that is exactly what they are thinking about others they see in walmart and the 24 hour laundry.
Except for those that the welfare drug addicts think are hookers.
I'm sure that is exactly what they are thinking about others they see in walmart and the 24 hour laundry.
Except for those that the welfare drug addicts think are hookers.
The level of low class I'm describing is easy to identify.
There's no confusion about it, especially when they are dragging their poor children around on a school night.
I'm a police officer who has worked midnights for a long time. You would not believe the number of times I've been to a residence at 2, 3, 4am on a school night only to find a grade schooler awake playing videogames, drinking orange soda, etc. Oh yeah, and watching mommy/daddy/boyfriend smoke cigarettes, drink and fight.
Then they are shipped off to public schools where my wife the teacher is expected to perform miracles on this lad. But I digress...
We try to be home no later than 8:00pm, and 8:00pm is the bedtime. Sometimes as late as 8:30 or 9:00.
However, I've been shopping at Wal-mart at 11:30 at night and am amazed at the number if infants and toddlers there, so I know that others have different opinions.
The level of low class I'm describing is easy to identify.
There's no confusion about it, especially when they are dragging their poor children around on a school night.
ya... there is a fine line between "doing what works for the family" and "doing whatever the heck mom and dad want." There comes a point that it is too late, and kids should be in bed. Personally, I've never understood wanting to keep the kids up late. Don't parents want any quiet time?
In the summertime here, it's not unusual at all to see kids in the grocery store in the middle of the night. My kids are up in the midddle of the night during the summer too. Why? Because I have the summers off and I want to sleep in.
As a matter of fact, it's 10:45 on a school night and both of my kids are still up. Shocking? Maybe, but we're doing school from 10am to 6pm (or earlier, if we finish earlier) so we don't usually wake up until 9. If the kids go to bed at 11, that's 10 hours of sleep, enough for the average kid.
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We also do not put her to bed early if we are on vacation, as we all sleep in. 
The level of low class I'm describing is easy to identify. 