Dealing With a Sleepy Tween

[Pooh Lover]

My husband and I will be taking my 12 year old niece to WDW in September along with my parents. While I know she is excited to be going, the first thing she asked me when I told her our flight for Orlando leaves at 9:00 a.m. was "What time do I have to get up?". This girl can easily sleep in on the weekends when visiting us until 2:00 p.m. I don't want to be the "mean aunt" and I'd like to be tactful, but I want it understood that we will be leaving for the parks much earlier than 2:00 p.m. Anyone have trouble with a sleeping beauty or tactful advice?

 

[zurgandfriend]

My DS, 12 years old also, does a great a Rip Van Winkle impersonation as well, he takes after his mother.
When we are at WDW I usually just get up in the morning shave, shower, and shine and get dressed. I then let them know that I’m on my way to X, Mouse Keeping is in the hall and if they want to come fine otherwise meet me there when they get up.
That always gets them going, while they get ready I get to walk around the resort, talk to cast members and get DS & DW coffee, none of us can stand the in room stuff.
The real challenge is getting DS up on the weekend when at home, I have tried, vacuuming, mowing the grass, using a leaf blower and a chain saw outside his window he still gets up when he wants.

 

[glee]

put some cyder in her juice. :lol:

 

[Master Yoda]

This can be handled in one of 2 ways.

1. Give her her tickets brief her on the bus system and let her get there when she get there. (not the best idea at 12 years old)

2. Inform her that all of you will be getting up at X and that is she can not handle that then coming on this trip might not be the best idea.

Both sound pretty harsh but there is nothing more infuriating that wanting to leave a 8:00 and then having to wait until noon for someone to wake up.

 

[Master Yoda]

My DS, 12 years old also, does a great a Rip Van Winkle impersonation as well, he takes after his mother.
When we are at WDW I usually just get up in the morning shave, shower, and shine and get dressed. I then let them know that I’m on my way to X, Mouse Keeping is in the hall and if they want to come fine otherwise meet me there when they get up.
That always gets them going, while they get ready I get to walk around the resort, talk to cast members and get DS & DW coffee, none of us can stand the in room stuff.
The real challenge is getting DS up on the weekend when at home, I have tried, vacuuming, mowing the grass, using a leaf blower and a chain saw outside his window he still gets up when he wants.

I have found that a 32 oz cup of ice water works quite well.:drevil:

 

[kerrie]

as an aunt to a 13 year old who sleeps his life away on weekends I was taking him to Sixflags NO disney but hey.. anyway i told him we are getting up at x time and i am leave the house at X time if he is not in the car by that time Im leaving his lazy butt home. But In your case that seems harsh.. so maybe sit down with her an say :
Listen I know you are growing and sleeping till noon or 2 is normal for you but durinh the disney trip we will more likely be leaving the resort around 9 every morning to avoid crowds and hit all the great rides. we dont want to miss anything and regret it later. I really want you to come on ethis trip so I hope you can see past wake up time and come enjoy disney with us.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

The real challenge is getting DS up on the weekend when at home, I have tried, vacuuming, mowing the grass, using a leaf blower and a chain saw outside his window he still gets up when he wants.

And what about trying these INSIDE his room :shrug:

 

[tiaragirl]

I would, personally, say: We are going to Disney, the happiest place on Earth. Unfortunately, you get no sleep, but you get to see amazing shows, ride awesome rides, and be awed by fireworks displays. You won't see that if you sleep until 2PM. Your call.

 

[Monty]

My 15-yo son can readily sleep until 3 or 4PM at home.

At Disney I've never had any problem getting him up to head to breakfast before the parks. His motivations are somewhat different at WDW! :lol:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

My nieces aren't morning girls either (neither am I) but it's Disney! What's better to get up early for?! They weren't the brightest balls of sunshine to wake up last May.

I turn on the lights & start talking to everyone. I'll get all enthusiastic and run around acting nutty flippin' covers off folks. Acting silly can wake 'em with a smile. Worst case, they get the Tigger pouncing & singing (more like wailing) of the Tigger song. This can also be substituted by marching on the bed while doing the Mickey Mouse March. Last resort??? Sing both verses to It's a Small World over and over growing louder and louder as you go. Bounce around on the bed. Grab a stuffed animal and make it dance on her head. She'll get the drift. :animwink:

 

[Phonedave]

How do you (or her parents) get her up for school ?


My 11 y/o can sleep till noon if I let her. But if I tell her it is time to get up, then it is time to get up. She may grumble, grump, and walk into walls, but she will be up and out of bed.

-dave

 

[mickeysshoes]

When I get up, I turn the lights on..one at a time, starting away from the beds and get closer as i go. I also turn on the TV before getting into the shower. When I am done i will say "who's next" . Once i am ready i wil go fill my cup and walk around a while. Antoher good idea is each night before bed over the plan for the next day...which park...meals that are planed (if any) and the time you plan to leave. So when you wake her up you dont have to explain the plan. Good luck...but i think just being there she will ready and will!!!!

 

[Pooh Lover]

WOW.....I really had no idea so many kids that age slept so late! I was almost embarrassed to talk about this for fear that this was unheard of.

As far as school goes, my parents (thank goodness) live on the same street and wake her daily since her mother is long gone for work and dad is no longer in the picture. I hear they have quite a struggle in getting her up.

I really am hoping that, by my husband and I getting up at least 90 minutes before we leave each morning, that will give her enough time to wake and become the kind of person we will enjoy spending the day with at the happiest place in the world! If this doesn't work, we may just have to put her in my parent's room and let them deal with her. I hate to ruin their trip though. They don't get to the world as often as my husband and I.

 

[Raven66]

I think you will find you will have an easier time getting her up while you are at WDW. My daughter is a sleeper too (it runs in the family ) But when we are there she is up and ready to go without grumpiness at all. Now me, when my husband wakes me up, I yell for my daughter to go first. haha

As for getting her up when it's time for school, when i was a kid I used to just turn my alarm off and go back to sleep. Finally my parents had had enough so they put my alarm all the way on the other side of the room. So I had to get up out of the bed to go turn it off. It worked. I know it's off topic but just thought I would pass that tip along.

 

[justdru]

I'd just wake up and start singing. If anyone can sleep through my singing... well... they deserve to sleep until 2pm.

 

[Susan Savia]

Hmmm, thats certainly not a problem I had with my two when they were teens. Knowing they were going they'd be awake and up before me! And mornings while there, they were always ready and rearing to go. While there if she won't move from her bed let her stay. Maybe when she realizes what she missed out on she'll make an adjustment the next day.

 

[The Mom]

I have a teenager, so I understand.

Is there any way you can have one day where you don't go to the parks? That way, everyone can take a breather. Sleeping beauty can sleep all day, the rest of the group can lie around the pool, or go shopping close by, catch up on emails (if anyone has the electronics for it) etc.

I found that giving our son that option helped when we were in Europe, and he actually chose not to sleep in very late on the appointed day - he got up about 30 minutes later than we did, and we all appreciated the extra rest.

 

[cowanfamily]

My daughters , 17 and 14, love to sleep. It is different at the WDW though. There have been times when they were up before me. Other times I tell them to get up, and they move!

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

I guess working with teenagers has rubbed off on me because when my infant allows it, I sleep until noon on the weekends. I would during the week if I didn't have to get to school and teach said sleepy teens. Some mornings it is tough to get out of bed at WDW, but once I get the coffee flowing in my veins and sit out on the WL balcony, I'm good. Give your niece coffee with sugar, lots of sugar.

 

[wm49rs]

Two words: ice water.