Is 8 hours of sleep enough for an 11 year old?

Anonymous
Unless your DD has some odd class level overlaps, it does sound like the studio really did not effectively plan out a beneficial schedule. I know they try to do their best with studio space and instructors but it might be worth looking at if your place really is. My girls' dance teacher does a great job of trying to take things like multiple long days into account. They only time it was bad was one I had one child dancing up an age level and one dancing at levels that didn't align with the bulk of the kids (so while they had a good T/Th/Sat schedule she had to do M/T/F/Sat). I imagine there's nothing to be done now though.so while they had Tuesday
Anonymous
My 11 year old cat gets 12-14 hours of sleep per 24 hours, so I'd say your cat is one of those that is always active.
Anonymous
My DS started MS last year and most nights, he had more than 90mins of HW. Your DD will be exhausted after 4+ hrs of dance. How is this amount of physical exertion okay with you OP?
Anonymous
This is CRAZY. Depriving your kid of this much sleep ON A REGULAR basis will very likely lead to permanent problems.

I was always shocked at how many parents were letting/making their kids get too little sleep- especially to do an extra-curricular activity?!?!

SET GOOD PRIORITIES.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Why are so many people surprised by this schedule? This is light for gymnasts.


Not a sport know for being normal.
Anonymous
Terrible idea. Insufficient can wreak havoc years down the road. You don't always see the effects of a lack of sleep until years later.

Sleep seems to get forgotten. Poor sleep is worse for you than a sedentary life or a poor diet.
Anonymous
This is not a schedule my son could have handled at that age.

He played a travel sport and had a practice that finished up around that time. He was never awake enough to do homework by the time he had gotten home and showered.

Since his practice wasn't five hours long, he was able to get his work Done after school and go straight to bed.

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:My daughter's dance schedule just came out and on Tuesday, wed, and Thursday's she will need to be in the studio from about the time school gets out until 8:15. It takes 30 minutes to get home, then shower, so she won't be ready to start homework until 9pm at the earliest. If she gets to bed by 10:30 she will still be able to get 8 hours of sleep. She is starting middle school so I do predict she will be doing homework right up till 10:30.


When is she supposed to eat dinner???
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My daughter's dance schedule just came out and on Tuesday, wed, and Thursday's she will need to be in the studio from about the time school gets out until 8:15. It takes 30 minutes to get home, then shower, so she won't be ready to start homework until 9pm at the earliest. If she gets to bed by 10:30 she will still be able to get 8 hours of sleep. She is starting middle school so I do predict she will be doing homework right up till 10:30.


When is she supposed to eat dinner???


I had a stepdaughter who dance as scheduled like that from seven until 10tj when she quit at the end of the year. Food was a big issue, she was starving all the time. So when she was picked up from school, and from dance, all parents had a full meal ready for her protein, vegetables, carbs. I'm not gonna lie, it was a relief when she decided it was too much and she wanted to focus on school and school clubs her junior and senior year
Anonymous
My 13yo dd is a gymnast. She practices 4 hours a day on weekdays and 4.5 hours on Saturdays. She hasn't had more than 8 hours of sleep on a school night for years. She's growing on the same curve she always has and is still getting straight As. I know it's not ideal, but it's what she loves and it's working so far.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:My 13yo dd is a gymnast. She practices 4 hours a day on weekdays and 4.5 hours on Saturdays. She hasn't had more than 8 hours of sleep on a school night for years. She's growing on the same curve she always has and is still getting straight As. I know it's not ideal, but it's what she loves and it's working so far.


There are kids who do nothing but drink soda and eat junk food who are getting As... the fact she is getting As doesn't mean it is healthy. It will catch up to her when she is older.
Anonymous
It really depends on the kid.

One of mine needed about 7 hours of sleep per day.

Is It actually 5 hours as some are suggesting?

Or is it more like get out of schoool at 3, go home, change and grab a snack, drive 30-45 minutes and dance from around 4:45 or 5:00 until 8:15?

You say that the drive is around 30 minutes so I assume that is on both ends, with a longer drive going to the studio?

8:15 is not too late to finish a sport at that age. Your daughter needs t focus on time management. Pack meals in a thermos for before and after. Homework on the bus and in the car and during breaks. Pack clothes in advance. Keep an organized calendar so she can do projects and assignments in advance and over the weekend. Instead of iphone and youtube in the car it's algbra and english.

The dancers I know tend to have exceptional time management skills. Your daughter needs to focus on that.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My daughter's dance schedule just came out and on Tuesday, wed, and Thursday's she will need to be in the studio from about the time school gets out until 8:15. It takes 30 minutes to get home, then shower, so she won't be ready to start homework until 9pm at the earliest. If she gets to bed by 10:30 she will still be able to get 8 hours of sleep. She is starting middle school so I do predict she will be doing homework right up till 10:30.


When is she supposed to eat dinner???


You eat at the studio.

OP, I was on a busier dance schedule than that (add Monday plus weekends) from 6th-12th grade. I ate dinner at the studio, I did homework during show changes or when there was a 15-30min gap between classes. Everyone else did the same thing, so it was normal and productive. I slept about 8 hours. It takes discipline and dedication to keep up with that sort of training, but I don't believe it harmed me in any way.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Why are so many people surprised by this schedule? This is light for gymnasts.


....and not appropriate for them either but obviously ymmv.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Can you do the homework en route to dance after school, or on the way home, or do it in the morning after breakfast?


This plan prioritizes dance over schoolwork. Unless you truly believe that your child will become a professional dancer, that's ass backward. She should dance IF she can squeeze it in around her schooling.
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