Photography via iStock

One of the benefits of having older children is the ability to reason with them—that, and the fact that they are able to pour their own bowls of cereal. Once we started putting bowls and spoons on a reachable shelf, my husband and I realized that we had a Saturday morning sleep-in right at our fingertips.

We called it “weekend warriors.” We told our three children not to wake us up before 9:30 a.m. They could eat breakfast, they could play games, they could read books, they could use the computer. And if they let us sleep in, they would get a Saturday movie night, complete with cheesy popcorn and a late bedtime. It’s a win-win situation, because I really like to sleep in and I really like to snuggle with my kids on the couch—and eat cheesy popcorn while we watch cheesy movies.

(Shhh. Don’t tell them that it’s win-win for me!)

After the first successful weekend warrior Saturday, we decided to ask the kids if they’d like to try it every weekend. They were eager, and so were we. And that’s how my husband and I got our sleep-ins.

Looking for more easy sleep tips? Check out these nine ways to help your family get more sleep.

What about you? What are your tips for getting some extra sleep on the weekends?

—Ali, senior associate editor of CF.ca