Everyday Systems

Growing up we had a strict 9 pm bedtime during the week but on non-school nights we could stay up later. Not all night, though, unless we went to a sleepover. The day after a sleepover we'd be so cranky and getting to bed early would be a relief.

Then I went to college and stayed up all night all the time. There are all kinds of reasons for this of course. And now that I'm not in college any more and I live by myself I could stay up all night if I wanted to. No one would come tell me to go to bed. Even if I were in my parents' house they couldn't make me go to bed. Sometimes I stay up late but usually I don't, and when I do it's usually on the weekend. My bedtime is usually later than 9, even.

This sort of self-regulation had to come about independently of my parents' guidance, but it wouldn't have happened if we hadn't had those bedtimes in the first place. (BTW, my friends thought it was pretty weird, during high school, that they couldn't call after 9 pm.)

So, I find it helpful to consider the S days like staying up late on the weekends - being an idiot on an S day is like going to a sleepover. And it's okay once in a while! Even fun! Even for grownups! But you will suffer the consequences, and be cranky the next day, and find a return to normalcy to be a relief.

FWIW.

What a great analogy! I grew up the same way vis-a-vis bedtimes, and it never occurred to me to compare that to S-Days. Thinking about S-Days in terms of what a real treat getting to stay up later was (i.e. a non-food focus treat) is going to be a big help to me. Thanks!