Review: Gro-Clock and Gro-Light

Ever since Max moved from the moses basket in our room to a cot he has shared a room with his big brother. This has worked really well for us, and when Max moved from his cot to the bottom bunk it seemed to be the perfect solution space wise – we got rid of the cot, moved some toys into their room and made it a real boy heaven with an Avengers theme. They both slept well, going to bed at around 7pm and waking at 7am. 

And then we sold our house, and have had to move in with my parents until our new build is ready. And the successful sleeping seemed to go out of the window a bit.

The boys are still sharing a room currently, and still will when we move into our new house. But at present their bunk beds are in storage and they are sleeping on the spare beds at my parents house – which is fine and works well for now, but it has obviously upset the boys a bit. They are not going to sleep so well at bedtime, and Max is getting up FAR too early for my liking. So we have staged a 2 pronged attack with the help of the Gro-Clock and the Gro-Light.

The Gro-Clock

Not just any clock, the Gro-Clock helps children to understand and recognise the difference between sleep time and getting up time. It can be set as a simple digital clock – ideal for older children who are learning about time – or just as a simple sun and star image. Simply activate the wake up time – 7am for us – and before that time the blue star will show. This means it is time for sleeping. When it gets to the wake up time you have chosen, the display will change to a yellow sun, meaning it is time to get up.

Top tip: If your child is used to waking at 6am,  don’t set the clock for 8am and expect them to suddenly stay in bed for an extra 2 hours. Make it a slow and gradual thing, increasing the getting up time by 10-15 minutes every few days.

We have been using the Gro-Clock for a couple of weeks now, and it has become a vital part of our bedtime routine. We head upstairs for a story before bed – the Gro-Clock comes with a lovely little book called ‘Sleepy Farm’ which actually features the Gro-Clock and gently explains the difference between night and day – and as soon as the clock display changes to the blue star Max knows it is time to settle down in bed. It has definitely helped with settling him at bedtime. As for the mornings, it has been a slow process – but by gradually increasing the time we expect him to stay in bed we have managed to get him from a 6am wake up to a 6.30am wake up – which is HUGE progress in a couple of weeks. Eventually, I hope we can aim for a 7am wake up time! Now I just need to teach Eliza about lie-ins and we are winning…

Groclock Groclock book

In conjunction with the Gro-Clock there is a reward chart you can use, to encourage that routine a little bit further and teach children what you expect from them. Feel free to download and use this yourself Gro reward chart Gro reward chart

The Gro-Light

As well as using the Gro-Clock, we have been trying out the brand new, and very clever, Gro-Light. A simple piece of kit that fits over your usual bedside lamp or overhead light, this light offers a soft glow when you flick the switch. You can use it as a nightlight, or for night feeds with a small baby – we have 2 of these Gro-Lights and have been using them for both purposes. 

As a feeding light it is perfect. It doesn’t wake Eliza up too much, which means I can dream feed quietly and gently and pop her straight back into bed. It also doesn’t wake Kevin up, so if he has work in the morning it means we don’t disturb him.

As a night light it is also perfect. I think the house move has unsettled Jacob – he would usually sleep without a light, but now asks for a light to be left on in his bedroom. A standard lamp is just too bright and wakes Max up. The Gro-Light is such a soft blue light that offers enough light for reassurance without being stimulating. It is also ideal if your child needs to get up in the night to go to the toilet – it is just enough for them to see where they are going without needing the main light on.

The really clever bit comes when you need your main light on during the evening or dark days. A simple flip of the light switch will pop the Gro-Light nightlight on. Another flick of the switch turns the Gro-Light off and the main light on! No need to remove it when you need a standard light on. 

Grolight

As with all Gro products, these are well thought out, practical, easy to use and designed with children and parents in mind. We will continue to use both the Gro-Clock and the Gro-Light for many years to come, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are must have items for any nursery or childs bedroom. 

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37 Comments

  1. October 20, 2015 / 6:48 pm

    Great Review! Might invest one on a Gro clock as both my kids are early riser which is fine on weekdays when me & hubby are both working but not ideal on weekends though when we want a long lie. Thanks for sharing! #Triedtested
    Cheryl @ ReimerandRuby recently posted…Money Week at SchoolMy Profile

  2. October 20, 2015 / 9:00 pm

    Fab review! We’ve had a gro-clock for a good few years now and maybe its just me but I’ve never been able to get it work properly, lol!

  3. October 20, 2015 / 9:38 pm

    Great review! We have a Gro-Clock but I’m still trying to get into a routine with it and don’t recognise the difference between sleep time and getting up time yet! Lol 😉 We’ll preserver and hope things change! Never knew a Gro-Light existed, so might try this. #TriedTested
    Baby Isabella recently posted…Beauty & The BibMy Profile

  4. October 20, 2015 / 11:02 pm

    We LOVE our Gro clock and that light adaptor looks fantastic! Thankyou for hosting another great linky!
    Claire recently posted…Kids in the kitchen #6My Profile

  5. October 21, 2015 / 10:35 am

    Ohh I love the gro clock, it works pretty well in our house, we have a few hit and miss mornings but mostly my son will stay in bed until Mr Sun comes up, I think it’s a fab invention. Thanks for hosting #triedtested
    helen gandy recently posted…Best and Worst Linky #23My Profile

  6. October 21, 2015 / 6:27 pm

    Great review and you must be really delighted to get that extra half am hour sleep – at such small ales 30mins still means a lot! We have one of these alarm clocks and they work to well, really helped my boy stay in bed and we moved him to 7am, pm we’ve big converts
    Xx
    Tracey @ mummyshire recently posted…‘Funnybones’ : Book Review #TriedTestedMy Profile

  7. October 22, 2015 / 6:17 pm

    The Gro Clock looks amazing and I bet is great for little ones to help them understand sleep times x

  8. October 22, 2015 / 6:37 pm

    We have had the clock for about a year now and love it 🙂 Not seen the light before though and may look to get one since Monkey is afraid of the dark and often asks to sleep with the light on! Thanks for hosting #triedtested
    Mudpie Fridays recently posted…Little Passports Early Explorers – LandmarksMy Profile

  9. October 22, 2015 / 6:52 pm

    A friend recommend be the Gro Clock to me a while ago and I’ve been thinking about getting one to help my eldest to recognise when it’s time to stay in bed or get up. Getting an extra half hour in the mornings would be wonderful. Thanks for sharing your review #triedtested
    Claire at Tin Box Traveller recently posted…Travel Timehop #37: Barcelona, 2006My Profile

  10. October 22, 2015 / 10:18 pm

    Ah we loved our Gro Clock! Will use it again with my youngest. The Gro Light looks good too!
    #TriedTesed

  11. October 25, 2015 / 11:07 pm

    Great review and nice idea. My kids wakes up wayyy tooo early! lol!

  12. October 27, 2015 / 9:04 pm

    We love our Gro Clock, Boo loves to say goodnight to the sun each night and tell me that the stars are sleeping – hopefully in a little while she will start to ‘get’ that she needs to stay in bed until it changes to the sun again!
    Jenni – Odd Socks and Lollipops recently posted…At the parkMy Profile

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