How to Convince Your Parents to Let You Stay Up Later

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 1, 2023

When you’re young, it seems like all the most exciting parts of the night only happen right after you’re sent to bed. It can be pretty unfair! Even if you don’t feel like you’re missing out on something exciting, you may want to stay up a bit later for other reasons, such as having a bit of extra time to finish your homework or read. Luckily, knowing how to show your parents you can handle staying up later and how to talk to them about what you want can help you gain the later bedtime you want.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Proving You're Responsible

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Finish your chores and homework on your own and on time. Make sure you take care of all of your chores without being asked. Do your homework as soon as you get home instead of putting it off. Being responsible in every part of your life will show your parents they can trust you with a later bedtime.^{[1]
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Offer to help your parents with their chores and duties. If you see your mom cleaning the house, ask if you can help her with anything. Offer to assist your parents with cooking dinner or taking care of the yard. Your parents will appreciate your kindness, which could improve your chances of staying up later.^{[2]
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Keep a positive and considerate attitude. Your parents won’t want to give you extra privileges if you’re grumpy and mean to them. Be nice to your parents. Complete any tasks they give you happily and to the best of your ability. By being pleasant to be around, you can make it easier for your parents to agree with what you want.^{[3]
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- Spend more quality time with your parents. Watch a movie with them, join them in one of their hobbies, or simply ask them how their day has been going. Spending extra time with your parents shows you care about them and will make them more receptive towards you.
- Be more polite. Greet your parents “good morning” at the start of every day, and wish them “goodnight” before you go to bed. Say “please” and “thank you” when you ask them for things. Being courteous will make them feel better about giving you extra privileges.^{[4]
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- Do your best to get along with your siblings. All siblings fight from time to time, but not every disagreement has to be an argument. Handle your disagreements maturely; this will show your parents how responsible you are.^{[5]
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Wake up on time every morning. Waking up alert each morning proves you’re capable of being responsible and consistently well-rested. If you struggle to wake up and get ready every morning, your parents will notice and not allow you to go to bed later.^{[6]
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- Set an alarm to make sure you wake up on time each morning. Be sure to set it early enough so you have plenty of time to get ready each morning.
- If you struggle to wake up in the morning, consider placing your alarm out of reach so you’re forced to get out of bed to shut it off. You could place it on your desk or on the windowsill, provided that these areas aren’t too close to your bed.^{[7]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Talking to Your Parents

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Decide how much longer you’d like to stay up. Picking a specific length of time to extend your bedtime shows how much thought you’ve put into it, which could sway your parents into saying “yes.” It’s best to ask for a shorter amount of time to start off with, such as a half hour. Your parents are more likely to agree to 30 minutes of extra time than 2 hours. You can always ask for another extension later.^{[8]
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Decide why a later bedtime would be good for you. You can use these reasons to convince your parents to say “yes.” Some good reasons to go to bed later include being able to take care of extra tasks around the house, study more for school, or spend more time with your family.^{[9]
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Approach your parents when they aren’t busy. Your parents won’t be able to listen to you if they’re already busy with something else. They may even dismiss the conversation for another time. Pick a time to talk to them when they are completely free to listen, such as after dinner or at breakfast.^{[10]
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Remember your manners. “Please” and “thank you” are the magic words! When you ask your parents to let you stay up, end your question with “please.” Once the conversation has ended, thank your parents for listening to you. Approaching your parents respectfully will make them more likely to hear you out.^{[11]
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Ask your parents to let you stay up later. Now that you have your parents’ attention, all that’s left to do is ask them to let you stay up. Here is how you could approach the conversation:
- ”Hey, Mom? Dad? Could I talk to you, please? I’ve been thinking about this for a while, so I wanted to ask: is it okay if I stay up a half hour later tonight? I’ve been getting way more homework than usual, and those extra 30 minutes would really help me get everything done.”
- If you can, try and offer time for your parents to step back and think about what you’re asking. You could say, “It’s okay if you need time to think on it. I don’t mind waiting for you to decide.”^{[12]
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- Once the conversation is over, say something like, “Okay. Thanks for listening to me. Goodnight!”
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Compromise with your parents. Your parents may be more willing to let you stay up later if you do something nice for them in return. Offer to take care of one of their chores for them, or take on some extra responsibility, such as cleaning the garage or mopping floors.^{[13]
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- Compromising is not talking back, whining, or arguing with your parents to try and convince them. Doing any of these things will push them to say “no” to you.
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Accept if your parents say “no” to you. Your parents may have their own reasons for not wanting you to stay up later that particular night. You can always wait and ask again later on. Try asking your parents to let you stay up again at least a few months later. There’s always the chance you asking the first time has given your parents the idea to think about your privileges.^{[14]
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Community Q&A

Question

My parents say that the older I get I have to go to bed EARLIER, so next year I have to go to bed at 7:00. What do I do?

Community Answer

Try and prove to your parents that you're becoming responsible enough to handle a later bedtime. Try helping out around the house as much as you can. Stay on top of your homework and get up for school on time without them having to wake you up. This will make it easier for you to ask them to let you stay up, and for them to possibly say "yes" to you.
Question

What if I don't have chores? How should I persuade my parents? By studying more?

Community Answer

Yes, studying more could be a good way to persuade your parents. You could also offer to help them with their chores or errands.
Question

My parents make me go to bed at 8:30 and it is the summer. Any tips?

Community Answer

Sit down with your parents and ask them if they could let you stay up a half hour later over the summer. Be sure to come up with reasons they should let you stay up! Saying you want to be able to spend more time with your family could be a good reason to give them.

Warnings

Don’t sneak and stay up behind your parents’ backs. You’ll just get in trouble.

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Avoid begging your parents if they say you can’t stay up late. They will dig their heels in and you may make them angry.

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Don’t throw a fit if your parents don’t agree to you staying up later. This will make them unlikely to consider letting you stay up late in the future.^{[15]
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