Help! My kids have trouble sleeping when it's still bright out. We darken the room and try to stick to our winter schedule of bath, books and bed. But as they lie down, they can hear teens dribbling a basketball, lawn mowers buzzing and other pleasant summer sounds. They know the day isn't really over. How can I preserve their sleep schedule during these summer nights?

The question is, Why try? Ask yourself, Why am I fighting it? Why not let the kids play a little longer outside as long as it's still light? Then they'll flop into bed exhausted and fall right off to sleep. If you can, relax and enjoy this summer season with your children. Let them stay up an hour or so later. They'll sleep a little longer in the morning or nap a little longer in the afternoon. As the school year approaches you'll need to work a tad harder to get the fall bed schedule back in place. But since you established it once, it won't be so hard to return to it again.

If your children must be out the door and off to child care by 8 A.M., you'd better keep up with the same schedule you've always had. Just keep doing what you're doing, and maybe turn on some soft music or a story tape to focus their attention inside their room rather than outside where the action is. But realize it won't get easier until the days start getting darker earlier.