A mother in Colorado took to social media to share an issue she’s been having with her teenage son as of late, and it’s totally relatable to all of the parents out there sending their children back to school after summer break.
In a TikTok video posted by user @caldo.de.les, the Colorado mom revealed that her son, who recently started the 8th grade, has been telling her that he no longer wants a bedtime. The mother says she pushed back on the request, knowing that her son would stay up much too late if she allowed him to be in charge of his own sleep schedule.
Her son explained to her that he believed he knew his own body well enough to dictate his bedtime. Even though the mother believes her son doesn’t know his body well, she reluctantly agreed.
Her son explained to her that he had a friend whose mother allowed him to choose his own bedtime, on the condition that he has to be on time for things and that he can’t be in a bad mood because of lack of sleep. So, she gave her son the same deal, allowing him to pick his bedtime for the night with the same two conditions.
Colorado Mom Agrees to Let Her Son Set His Own Bedtime And Quickly Regrets It
However, the mom didn’t have much faith in her child. “I think some kids are responsible enough for that. Mine isn’t,” she admitted in a relatable statement that many parents can totally understand.
She went on to explain that she went to bed at 11 pm, but when she got up to use the bathroom at 3 am she saw her son’s bedroom light up “like a Christmas tree.” She says that his TV was also on. Without saying anything, she went back to bed. However, it was a different story when she woke up at 7 the next morning.
The Colorado mother reveals that she went to wake up her son, and he immediately looked exhausted with bloodshot eyes. The teenager admitted to his mom that he had “messed up” by staying up too late the night before, but she didn’t back down. When her son asked to stay home from school, she refused, claiming that he was surprised that she wouldn’t allow him to skip for a day.
After a car ride full of complaints and requests, she dropped her son off at school. However, she knew that wouldn’t be the end of it. Something told her that her son might go to the nurse and ask to sleep. So, the mother emailed the nurse and told her the situation, asking her to send him back to class if he showed up, which he did.
She Forced Him To Deal With The Consequences
However, she didn’t stop there. Wanting to teach her teen a lesson, she also emailed his teachers, telling them not to allow her son to sleep in class and “give him a hard time” if he attempts to nap. As she explained the situation, she did admit that she felt guilty about her tough love parenting decision.
“I don’t know if I went too far,” she said. “I do feel bad because I know that he’s tired. I know that he’s like fighting for his life, trying not to fall asleep at school,” the mom added.
However, social media had her back. “It’s literally just worldly consequences for actions!” one person commented. “I wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt,” said another. “Your son is testing your boundaries. Don’t give in,” a third person added. “He’s safe. Just tired. Great life lesson,” a fourth comment read.
How Much Sleep Does a Teenager Need?
The mom’s guilt is understandable, but her son’s struggle is also backed by real science. According to the CDC, teenagers naturally develop a shifted circadian rhythm that pushes their bodies toward staying up later and waking up later, making early mornings genuinely harder for teens. Experts recommend teens get 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, but CDC survey data shows most middle and high schoolers fall well short of that on school nights.
Between the science backing her son’s sleepy struggle and the internet backing her decision not to bail him out, it seems this Colorado mom’s tough-love lesson landed right where it needed to.
