Anonymous
Post 01/25/2026 12:15     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
My kids have used an alarm since elementary school.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 20:54     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
No, I do not wake up my 16 year old for school. If I don’t hear him rummaging around in his room and it’s getting late, I might knock on the door but that’s it. If he is running late, I also won’t take him to school. He can walk or bike and I’m not going to worry about a tardy.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 20:53     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
I wake mine because they don’t have phones in their rooms on school days. And I’m up anyway, so it just works for us.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 20:47     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Indeed, teens can be sleepy. Yet…

My DC attends a boarding school where all freshman turn phones in to a charging station at 9pm. They don’t get them back until morning. Each student has an old school alarm clock, and manages to get themself up each morning. Somehow, necessity is the mother of invention (or in this case, self discipline) and they all manage just fine.

Take away the phone.
Buy a cheap alarm clock.
Do not wake them up. Let them own the fail if they fail. The beauty of failing when the stakes are low (grade 9) is that they likely won’t let it happen twice.

I really think life skills and habits need to be layered gradually. Let them do a load of laundry. Make a meal sometimes.

But by high school, it is wise to set the floor at:
Wake yourself up and shower on time
Track your assignments, long term and short, and get them in on time
Choose a healthy diet that you like and try not to eat too much crap
Get a summer job. A real job.

My oldest did not go to boarding school. We let the alarm clock be his struggle. I really wanted to wake him up, but only time I did was when we had air travel planned and there was no other choice. He developed the rise and shine muscle by November of freshman year.

You know your kids can do this, right?


No one needs parenting advice from someone who outsourced parenting their young teen to a boarding school. Serious yikes!


Agree. I hope you don't offer parenting advice out loud to real parents. they are rolling their eyes at you.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 18:18     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
Nope
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 16:39     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
She sets an alarm but I make sure she is up and getting ready for school
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 10:05     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
I am able to make mine is up. Usually is, but a couple of times, I’ve had to wake her up. I can’t take her in late.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 09:52     Subject: Re:Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
My 16 yr old sets his own alarm and gets up in time to leave the house by 6:40.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 09:26     Subject: Re:Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
He should try sleeping earlier; he's probably not getting enough sleep. Mine wake up on their own. My travel sports kid gets home very late three times per week, and on those days, I have to go in after he shuts off his alarm and wake him up.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 08:24     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
Anonymous wrote:I have daughters, so once they were motivated enough to care about their appearance for school they started setting their own alarms to have extra time for hair/makeup/clothes. By 6th grade at least.

It sounds worrisome to me that your son is so tired. He is setting the alarm but not able to wake up. Is there any way he can get to bed earlier?


I’m the poster above you and also have a daughter. I haven’t woken her up since elementary school, because she also is doing her hair and makeup.

No, some of these kids can’t go to bed earlier. They won’t fall asleep. It’s just how they are. They will grow up and mature and it will all come together. Not many adults have parents waking them up.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 08:19     Subject: Re:Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
Anonymous wrote:I wake mine up. I open the window shades right away and natural light comes in. It helps a lot.

I am up though. I would not do this if I wasn’t already awake.


My kids bedrooms are east facing, looking out to the woods abutting our backyard. The blinds are mostly open and the first morning light (and the incessant chirping of birds), automatically wakes them up.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 08:06     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
Our DS is now 19. He struggled quite a bit with getting himself moving when he was younger.

He does have ADHD. Elementary school and MS were pretty tough and there were times I felt like I was dragging him out of bed to get to school.

HS got better, primarily because the start time wasn't until 9 AM. He is fine now and this morning was awake and ready at 6AM for his 6:30AM shift at work.

Have a 170 yo DD as well and she always has been getting herself up and ready.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 07:54     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
No, they wake up to alarms.

But I think it helps the we have been strict about no screens in their rooms and we don’t let them stay up super late. So they are mostly rested when the alarm goes off.

We are pretty easy going about almost everything else, but sleep is a big priority and it’s a battle we are willing to fight.
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 07:44     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
I have daughters, so once they were motivated enough to care about their appearance for school they started setting their own alarms to have extra time for hair/makeup/clothes. By 6th grade at least.

It sounds worrisome to me that your son is so tired. He is setting the alarm but not able to wake up. Is there any way he can get to bed earlier?
Anonymous
Post 01/24/2026 07:31     Subject: Do you get your older teen up in the morning?
No, but this changed this school year. He very much needed it just like your description all though junior year. Unless it was for his job and he was scheduled for an early weekend shift, which he was motivated to go to. He has never had an issue getting up for that.

Can your kid wake up for things he wants to go to?