When Do Your Days Finish?

Barneso

Wondering what to expect.  When does your day finish?  Kids in bed, dishes done, house picked up, ready to just be able to sit down on the couch and relax for a few?  If it's late, are you going non-stop throughout the day or are you able to take relaxing breaks?

Kflie83

 Personally, I need my sleep, so I try to sleep the same 9 hours DS is sleeping at night. Yes you get some time during naps and when they are playing solo. Not tons of time though. When worse comes to worse, I'll put DS on the bed with me so I can at least lay down for a while during the day.

 

VAannie

DH gets home around 5:30, and I pass DS off to him so I can start dinner.  DS takes his last bottle around 7 p.m., and we eat dinner at about 7:15 p.m. before we both put him to bed at about 8 p.m.  I shower right when DS goes down, and my DH finishes whatever dishes I didn't have a chance to finish, and then we usually watch a DVD together before going to bed around 10:30 or so.  DS was STTN 8:30 p.m. to at least 6:30 p.m. up until the last couple weeks; I think he's starting to teethe.

I very rarely rest when DS naps any more; I try to keep up with housework whenever he's napping.

On the weekends, I am generally out running errands most of Saturday or Sunday.  

There's not a lot of relaxing around here, come to think of it.   

Jerseygirl16

My day is over as soon as my oldest DD is in bed (usually by 8pm at the latest).  At that point I take a nice bath and then join DH downstairs to relax on the sofa and eat cookies for a couple hours before bed.  I very rarely do any additional cleaning or picking up after they are in bed.  That's my time!

MattsWifey<3

Jerseygirl16:

My day is over as soon as my oldest DD is in bed (usually by 8pm at the latest).  At that point I take a nice bath and then join DH downstairs to relax on the sofa and eat cookies for a couple hours before bed.  I very rarely do any additional cleaning or picking up after they are in bed.  That's my time!

My night is pretty similar to this. I prep my dinner during the day and usually have it ready when DH gets home. DH cleans up the kitchen mess and dinner and does the dishes.

DD is in bed at 8:30 and DS at 9. I usually have to finish up a little bit of laundry, but not too much. Then it's cuddle/TV/sexy time for us.

Stacyc625

Don't ask me.

meyemn28

DH gets home about four.  He takes about an hour to shower and wind down.  Then he plays with DD while I make dinner.  After dinner I do everything with DD.  Give her her solid food feeding and a bittle, play with her, give her her bath (DH will hold her while I'm getting set up for her bath and picking up after it).  Around 7:45 I'll sit in bed with a movie on and give DD her last bottle.  She usually falls asleep sometime between 8 and 9.  I move her to her crib and either chill for a while finishing my movie, work on shopping lists while watching my movie, read, etc.  I go to bed around 10 and usually get to sleep until DH gets up at 6, but DD's going through the 4 month Wakeful right now, so I've been having to get up with her for an hour or two between 1-2am.

susanmosley

It has changed many times in the last year.  

As a newborn (first 6 weeks), I COMMITTED myself to doing nearly nothing except for holding and feeding DD and resting and taking care of myself. So, I had downtime galore!

At 13 months, DD goes to sleep around 8 and dishes usually need to get done at that point.  DH is pretty good about picking up toys while I put DD to sleep, but some general straightening, wiping down a counter, going through bills, etc. often has to get done after DD's bedtime too.  

I would say, if I am efficient and organized the rest of the day, I can be free by 9 or 9:30 and have until DD wakes up between 8 and 9 the next day.  Thus I stay up entirely too late to get in plenty of ME time and sleep until she gets up in the morning.

Oh, also recently I have decided that DD's one nap is my time to relax (for at least 1/2 of it)  So, now I incorporate her into chores, cleaning, etc so that we both have "nap time" after lunch each day.  Previously, I was a working fool during naps.  

Like I said, it will change many times within the first year and is determined by your expectations and priorities.

I figure we are only on this earth one time.  Our lives could end or change dramatically at any moment, so I am trying to live in the moment and ENJOY life.  Sometimes that means there is a little more cat hair in the rug that I would prefer.  But it also means that I am pretty happy person. 

jenifairies

Well, days are never "finished" because kids wake at night!

But what we usually do now that DD is going to bed at a regular time and mostly sttn is do a quick clean up after putting her in bed. We work on dishes, laundry, pick up all the toys for maybe an hour or so? Sometimes I do longer, sometimes DH does hw while I do the cleaning.

But about 9. Then we stay up way too late (12ish) enjoying the quiet.

Kim&Jim

It just depends on the day.  Some days I'm tired so I just kick back after the boys are in bed and relax.  Housework be damned!!  Other nights, I kick it into gear and get stuff done.  I'm not much of a schedule person and I don't freak out if my house isn't neat as a pin.  I just try to enjoy myself and not get *too* far behind. 

Hope*Always

I'm not the norm but my day never really ends. I clean, pick up etc. throughout the day and get the kids their dinners. DH gets home past when they want to eat so he cooks for us. I'm usually getting their jammies on etc while he's cooking. After dinner I do the dishes, spend about an hour together as a family and then I work at night. So from 8-11 I'm working. I'm usually in bed by 11:30 and DD typically wakes once during the night. We're up by 7am doing the whole thing all over again. Couldn't tell you the last time I had "me" time.

cp760

I think it depends on how many kids you have - at least for me it does. I used to be able to chill in the evening when I had one little boy.... but now with 3 there is so much more to do....so many more messes. It used to take a few minutes to do the dishes and clean up the house, now with 5 of us in the house the dishes take way longer, cleaning up toys and messes takes way longer, laundry is never ending, bedtime/baths/books is x3. Most of that cleaning stuff doesn't happen til they're in bed, so I'm up late putting the house back together. Oh...and none of my 3 nap anymore. I used to LOVE when they napped! a mid-day break. No more of that.   I usually go to bed around 1am and get up at 7:30. Dh lets me sleep in on Saturdays (Sundays we have church).

KL777

Most days when DS goes to bed.

Daisy77

The day finishes?   I feel like I'm "on" all the time, even after the kids are in bed.  That is usually my time to clean up the kitchen so it's not a mess in the morning.  Or DH and I will fold laundry in our bedroom while catching up on a show we recorded.  Kid-wise I'm "done" around 9-10pm. But I always find something to do.  I don't think I know how to relax, lol.

EnglishMajor03

My day is done when DD goes to bed (8:30ish).  But, DH plays with DD while I make dinner and clean up after.  Then we all play a bit, I make the bottle, feed her, read to her and then DH brings her up to bed. 

DH is also really good at giving me time when he is home to check up on email and bump so I do feel like I have some 'me' time.  Of course, with Rowan here any personal time for DH or I is like 30 seconds....but I keep reminding myself that we're one day closer to getting out of this survival mode.

Temp174496125006552

DH starts trying to get Ben to sleep (he does bedtime) around 8:30pm, although he's been taking as much as an hour (or more) to go to sleep.  But once I go downstairs (around 8:30), I consider myself off the clock - unless my 16 year old needs me for something, which is rare.

ETA:  I also get a break when Ben naps.  That's when I usually come on here (I rarely turn the computer on when he's awake).  Also, DH usually takes Ben for an hour or so after he gets home from work to give me a little break.

gatogrrl

Umm, when I go to sleep?

But I take some good, long breaks during the day.  I couldn't function without them.  And DH takes over childcare when he gets home at around 5:30.  After watching DD all day, cooking and doing dishes actually feels quite restful.

LanaM

I get up 1-2 hours before the kids get up.....  to take a shower, make my cup of coffee, figure out what we're eating that day, snacks, etc. Most of the time we're out and about the whole day so I must pack in the morning.

 I get an hour - 1.5 break in the middle of the day. As in no kids. My 4 y.o. goes to school for 2.5 hours, then we run home, I put the little one down for a nap and he usually sleeps for an hour or 1.25. Then we run back to get Ethan from school. During that hour I may do the dishes, or throw in some laundry, or pick up around the house, make something in advance for dinner... or I may just eat lunch and sit in front of my computer if I am tired.

DH usually gets home around 7-7:30pm- either while the kids are eating dinner, or after their dinner. I usually wait for him to eat. My day is usually over at around 9:30-10pm- after the kids are in bed and the dishes are done  

sparky88

There is no "finish" time for me.   

hayleydeee

susanmosley:

I would say, if I am efficient and organized the rest of the day, I can be free by 9 or 9:30 and have until DD wakes up between 8 and 9 the next day.  Thus I stay up entirely too late to get in plenty of ME time and sleep until she gets up in the morning.

This!