We're owls, but at least we're all owls. We struggle mightily with getting Xander to bed before 8:30, and he's often awake until 9:30, even 10. And then we have the joyous task of getting him out of bed at 6am, when we're both feeling braindead and miserable ourselves. (two more weeks... two more weeks...) Even if I'm exhausted it's hard for me to go to sleep before 11:30.

He drove my mum crazy when he went to stay with her; she's a bed-at-8, up-at-5 lark. In the end she went to sleep and left him reading in bed.

During the summer we peg a sheet up over his curtains, to make the room darker. We try to reinforce the bedtime routine of story etc. He goes to sleep better if we don't try to insist that it be in the BED. He usually goes to sleep in a nest under his bed or his desk and then we move him. I know, I know.

Before school breakfast is nothing or toast, depending on whether he demands anything before we walk to before-school care. He normally has a bowl of cereal and some toast with jam there. When I'm not working he dilly-dallies around and then eventually picks eggs when it's too late to cook them. But if I cook them on the assumption that he'll pick eggs, he won't eat them. *headdesk*

You haven't mentioned whether you've tried darkening her room and keeping things as quiet as possible. Would that be worth a crack?

We've been blessed with two little larks and one little owl sandwiched in the middle. I've recently simplified the breakfast battle by stating everyone gets wheet-bix Monday through Friday and is able to choose within reason on the weekend. still awful some morning but overall so much easier. I wonder if the owls are fussy in the morning because their body clocks simply say it just not time to eat yet??

I'm a lark (tui?) married to an owl. He'll eat breakfast, willingly, every day...but only at 10.00 am! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

my parents firmly trained the owl in our family to become a lark. And it involved a good amount of exercise after an early dinner and all forms of distractions removed from bedroom. Bedroom is for sleeping, rec room for playing and study for reading. Also stopped any after dinner tv watching and computer playing as it tended to 'wake' him up. After a couple of hard months (even light-bulbs removed from room when necessary) and owl decided staying up late sucked and finally started going to sleep at an 'acceptable' hour. His school work improved dramatically and no more attitude problem according to teachers. A healthy happy 20+yr old now :)

As an owl myself (hubby a lark) we have been blessed with an owl....very interesting in the fact she is a morning person as well (I'm not!!) The only thing we have found that will makes her sleep earlier is to ensure she is completely knackered from the days events - long walks after an early dinner works a treat. As for the breakfast issue, I'm with Nicky G on this one. Weetbix Mon-Fri and eggs/pancakes whatever on the weekend. Nicky you are right with the body-clock suggestion, I never want food till 9-10am.

I'm an owl. Waking up in the morning is hard, thinking is nearly impossible and eating is really the last thing I want to do in the first hour. I don't do anything more complicated than toast or porridge, and sharp knives are out. That being said if you want anything complicated done at 7 pm I'm still fired up. This has not changed since I was really young. Getting to sleep and staying asleep is a nightmare especially with the insomniac husband. Things that help are: organising as much as possible before going to bed (chose clothes etc) and reading with a side light until I feel sleepy. Lots of light and noise (radio) in the morning along with a steady routine. What didn't help when I was young was being punished and called lazy. A set routine morning and night really helps every day even in the weekends. Good Luck with your little owl.

My mother the lark resorted to throwing half a cup of water at me from two yards, when I was a teenager, boy did that ever wake me up! (After half a dozen wake up calls.) Still an owl married to a lark who twitches and wakes at the smallest sound outside - milo ad man. We find after 30 years marriage separate bedrooms works best for us. Little owls should be treated gently, they are unique and gentle souls who are really lifes 'princesses' and 'princes' specially given to us to nurture. Cuckoos I hear you larks say!

Got an owl -- from day one. Now 15, still an owl. Basically, you can try everything, won't make a blind bit of difference. Don't fight it!

We seem to have 3 larks among our children, so bedtimes aren't ususally a problem. On the occasional night where they are struggling, my rule is that you don't have to be asleep, but you do have to be quiet so you don't disturb siblings who do want to sleep. Funnnily enough, when we do let them stay up a little later in the weekend, hoping they'll sleep in the next morning, are the mornings they're bouncing out of bed earlier!

The only other rule we have in the mornings is to stay quietly in your own room until they hear our radio/alarm come in the morning. Then you can come and have a snuggle while Mum and Dad listen to the news.