I will repeat this for emphasis... 7am.
As in, 7 in the morning. Not 5. Not 5:45. 7.
Needless to say I'm pretty happy. I've had my breakfast and my coffee and with a good night's sleep, I'm rarin' to go. Woo!
So - onto the topic for the day.
Daily routines. For those of you that stay home with your kids, or even for those of you that work... what does your day look like when you're home with the kiddies? I'm interested in hearing what other Mom's do.
Here's our daily routine (roughly).
Wake up time (anywhere between 5-7am): Get up, go downstairs and watch a few cartoons while I have my coffee. Or, depending on Anna's mood, we'll have breakfast together right away.
8:00-8:30am-ish: Anna plays in the living room/downstairs TV room while I clean up the breakfast dishes. Then we'll play together for a bit. (Usually means me chasing her around the house trying to tickle her or "helping" her colour).
8:30am: We go upstairs, get Anna dressed, then I put her in her crib with some books or toys while I have a quick shower.
9:00-10:00am: Go outside - either to the park, or to the backyard to play in the water table and kiddie pool.
10:00am-ish: Come home for a snack (usually because I'm hungry!)
11:00am: Play a bit more... either around the house, or outside. Anna's new favourite thing is to play in the car. Bizarre. Or we'll run an errand or two...
12:00pm: Lunch.
Anywhere between 12:30 and 1:oopm: Anna goes for her nap. I do my work, clean up the house, do the dishes, sometimes put on a load of laundry, make any calls or appointments I need to do... etc. etc.
2:30pm: Anna wakes up - and usually has a little snack. Then we have to try and find a way to fill the rest of the afternoon. Yesterday we went to an Early Years Centre. Sometimes we go back outside (it's been SO hot this week though). I've really got to think of some things to do to keep her occupied in the afternoon. (Tips? Advice? Info?)
4:00-5:00pm: Andrew comes home. (Yay!) We start getting dinner ready. Usually eat around 5 or 5:30 so Anna doesn't get too hungry.
After dinner: Lately Andrew and Anna have been going for a swim together while I do some work. Last night, we all went together. Anna loved it. Too cute.
6:45pm: Bath time.
7:00pm: Quality time with the Wiggles. Anna has a little snack again if she wouldn't eat much dinner while she watches a bit of Wiggles.
7:30pm: We go upstairs, brush our teeth, get Anna's room ready for bed (fill up the humidifier, etc.) Then we read a story or two, and at 7:45ish, Anna goes to bed.
That's my day. I'm finding the mornings are alright - but the afternoons seem LONG after her nap. Most play date things are in the morning... so what do you do with your kids in the afternoons?
Let's hear it, Mamas. What are your days at home with the kidlets like?
My "day" usually starts at 12 am. Matthew is still waking up several times a night up to every 1-2 hours. He's usually up for the day at 5:30 though.
ReplyDelete5-6 wake up and play for a bit until the big poop happens, then a diaper change, yay.
7ish try desperately to get him to eat breakfast, something, anything, even if it's cheerios.
8-9 naptime thank goodness. I've gotten into the habit of nursing him to sleep which I never did before, but it works now, so I'm not changing it. OH and this is when I usually take a nap too. Getting 5 hours of sleep max a night does a number on me. Either that or I shower.
10ish Matthew wakes up and we play, or go to a playdate.
12 lunch. Again, I try desperately to get Matthew to eat something, anything and then give up. We usually go out in the afternoon so we both don't go crazy.
1-3 naptime. It depends on what we're doing, when his last nap was, where we are, but somewhere in there I get a nap, usually starting in the car.
5 pm Daddy gets home, I hope and he entertains Matthew while I make dinner
6 pm Dinner. Matthew usually eats wohoo.
7 pm Bathtime
8 pm Supposed to be bedtime but lately he's been so wired he hasn't gone to bed until after 9pm. Ugh. He's usually up once or twice before 12 am and then my "day" starts all over again.
I am exhausted. PLEASE tell me they eventually sleep!
Dear Synchrosally - my daughter didn't sleep the night until almost 15 months. She's now 19 months and life is bliss (for now). I promise they eventually sleep. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHez - Liv sleeps from 1-3:30 or 4pm every day. She's a kid that NEEDS her sleep. If she doesn't get this she takes tantrum after tantrum and hits and bites in frustration. But I'll be home again soon trying to look after a newborn and a 2 year old - what types of things do your Moms do for the mornings AND the afternoon to keep their toddlers entertained? Can I ask this too please?! Am I totally wrecking your post?!
AFternoons are definitely the worst. When I had mine at home with me, I just kept different toys for the afternoon. Or, that's when I took them out - for a drive, to run errands, to the grocery store. And I might sound like #1 bad mom, but tv/movies are always a choice! By the afternoon, I was a basket case, and fresh out of good play ideas, so I know how hard it is! Mine are 3 and 5, and I still have the afternoon problem. Net net? 1. Errands; 2. drive; 3. separate "afternoon" toys; 4. walk/park/backyard; 5. library. lots of libraries have cool kids' areas where they can play and make noise. hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteAfternoons...I agree with everyone who says that it's the hardest to keep them entertained. So far, I've usually done: swimming, walk to grocery store, library visit, bother my neighbours with a nice surprise visit (everyone loves those, right?), sit outside with a few toys and "wait" for Daddy to come home...
ReplyDeleteMy Day with K is usually like this:
7AM- Awake, breastfeed. K plays in bed while I lie there, half asleep.
8AM- Brush teeth, wash face (both of us). Diaper change (just K!).
8:30AM- Breakfast
9:00AM- K plays in living room while I clean up.
9:30AM- Playtime (sometimes I'll sneak upstairs to check my email...)
10:00AM- Activity, usually outdoors with hopefully a nap around this time as well! Random snacks.
12:00NOON- Lunch.
12:30PM- K plays while I clean up.
1:00PM- K naps (hopefully!) while I do work/clean/relax without guilt...
3:00PM- Play/library/groceries/walk/swim/etc.
5:30PM- K plays in living room while I start dinner.
6:00PM- Husband is home and plays with K.
6:15PM- Dinner.
7:00PM- The 5 B's begin! Bath...
7:15PM- Boob...
7:25PM- Brush..
7:30PM- Book...
7:45PM- Bed!
That was fun, writing it all out!
Well I am no longer home every day with K but when I am it really depends on whether her brother (6yo) is home too. It is hard to find things that a toddler and 6 year old want to do together. Thankfully, K is pretty easygoing so she can entertain herself in most situations. Library and park/splash pad are my "go to" activities. When it is just K and I, we usually hit an early years centre in the afternoon. There are lots of "older" kid programs there at that time of day and she basically just enjoys running around and interacting with the other kids.
ReplyDelete