Nothing is more sacred in my home than bedtime. Oh, sweet darlings of mine, how I cherish their delicious faces between the hours of after my morning coffee and exactly their age-appropriate bedtimes on the dot not a minute later. It’s not just that they thrive on routine or need the rest: I need the rest, too! When sports or activities delay their bedtimes, it ends up delaying mine. Sure, I could just throw myself under the covers the moment they’re tucked in, but I need me time at night. Of course this means that I tend to pass out on the couch watching whatever TV show I couldn’t play while they were awake, because my attempts to stay up late are usually thwarted by my inability to keep my eyes open past double-digits on the clock.
However.
When there is enough compelling incentive for me to stay awake, I can do it (with a little help from an extra cup of coffee, of course). It takes something pretty darn persuasive, but it seems that Disney Cruise Line tempts me to stay up past my bedtime — and even allow my kids to do it, too. Here’s how they won me over:
1. A late-night “Pirates in the Caribbean” deck party where we all get to be wily swashbucklers for the evening, then watch an incredible fireworks display on the deck of the ship. (Finally, a chance to use all the terrible pirate puns I’ve been working on!)
2. A romantic dinner with my husband at Remy, a French fine dining experience made for after-hours, sounds like a nice way to break up a week of traveling with the brood. (Read: Finally, a meal with no nuggets involved.)
3. Captain America, Spider-Man, Anna from Frozen, and other Disney friends all stay up until midnight, hoping to play with our kids and take them on adventures. What kind of a party pooper parent would I be if I made them miss out on that?
4. If we can rally and manage to stay up late, we can earn some cool points back from our tweens and teens by letting them spend more time at their own movies and night clubs on the ship. (Oh, to be cool once more!)
5. Kid-friendly Broadway-style shows that can keep us all so engrossed we’ll forget that we’re supposed to be in our pajamas, snoozing away. We live so close to Broadway and never take advantage of it – think of all the catching up we could do in one trip!
6. Once the kids are tucked in, my husband and I could sip cocktails while taking in the twinkling lights at Skyline, enjoy a laugh and a pint at The Crooked Crown, or dance all night in the London-esque Tube. Or maybe all three?
7. Tired kids who stayed up late are more likely to want to nap by the pool the next day, giving me plenty of quiet time to read peacefully in the sunshine. Yessssss.
