Working Moms

amy0887

Can you please share your evening or after work routine?

I'm trying to figure out if we are ready for a more structured routine.  Right now, we follow John's cues on hunger, bedtime, etc.  Now that we are feeding cereal at night, I would like to get things more structured.  Last night, he took a late nap and ate his dinner closer to nine.   I would like to have him at least ready for bed by eight.  I also need to figure out how to fit in dinner time, bath time, dog time, and some adult time.

Thanks.

lisap_30

J always went to bed early (between 6:30 & 7) so we didn't do anything fancy - bathtime, jammies, eat and then to bed. Once we stared solids, we did dinner before bath. Don't know how helpful that is....

star21gazer

lisap_30:

J always went to bed early (between 6:30 & 7) so we didn't do anything fancy - bathtime, jammies, eat and then to bed. Once we stared solids, we did dinner before bath. Don't know how helpful that is....

Even though I am not working right now this is pretty similar to ours...she goes to bed no later than 7:30 so we just keep it simple.  I get all personal stuff done after she heads to bed.  

amy0887

Okay, do you guys put them to bed asleep or awake?  We've always just let John fall asleep on his own and then put him to bed, but now he goes to sleep at different times.  Last night, he fell asleep at 6:30 and didn't wake up until closer to 9:00.  So he didn't eat (cereal and bottle) until very late.  When he was just on the bottle, I never really minded if he woke up and needed fed.  Now that we have started cereal, I really don't want to be feeding and cleaning up cereal when I'm ready for bed.

star21gazer

We put her to bed drowsy but awake...her cues for us are rubbing of the eyes and right ear.  Never fails...happens same time every night. 

sdkrlm

I think Routine is really helpful.

We get home around 400 - 4:30.  We play w/ Avery for a few minutes outside.  I usually start dinner around 4:45-5 pm.  We try to eat no later than 5:30 because Avery just turns into a hungry tired mess if we don't. 

We're done w/ dinner around 6:15.  We play for a while - then she gets a bath after dinner.  

We let her play after her bath - lotion her up, jammies on.  Then we watch her tired cues -  some days she's ready for bed right at 7 pm - other nights - we can push it to 7:15-7:30 - but usually on the days we push her to stay up after she has shown tired cues - she gets over tired and has a hard time getting to sleep.

We usually read a book or 2 before bed (unless she's just too tired).  We put her to bed drowsy but awake.

hamillm

We have just recently started trying to structure a "routine".  From the time I get home (3:45-4:30 depending on what time I go in), it's usually eat around 5-5:30, neighborhood walk, playtime, then starting the bedtime routine: Bath, Book, Cup, Bed.  I rock him to sleep, then lay him down (after I sit and stare at him and kiss him and all that jazz ).  He is usually asleep by 8:30 or 9 at the absolute latest.  If his nap is later, as sometimes happens on the weekends, he usually is up later but the routine is still the same.

ETA: I usually do not go to bed before 11, if I do, it's a miracle.  Sometimes J is asleep much earlier (7:30-8), but still it's 11 at the earliest for me...

RachelJohnson

hamillm:

We have just recently started trying to structure a "routine".  From the time I get home (3:45-4:30 depending on what time I go in), it's usually eat around 5-5:30, neighborhood walk, playtime, then starting the bedtime routine: Bath, Book, Cup, Bed.  I rock him to sleep, then lay him down (after I sit and stare at him and kiss him and all that jazz ).  He is usually asleep by 8:30 or 9 at the absolute latest.  If his nap is later, as sometimes happens on the weekends, he usually is up later but the routine is still the same.

ETA: I usually do not go to bed before 11, if I do, it's a miracle.  Sometimes J is asleep much earlier (7:30-8), but still it's 11 at the earliest for me...

This is me....except I get home later so I don't have time for the neighborhood walk.

MissLMS

DH normally picks K up and walks home with her around 4:45 or 5 p.m. He then cooks dinner and we normally eat around 6. K usually has her dinner around the same time.

Then, we usually go on a walk around the neighborhood together or K plays until around 7 or 7:30. Then it's bath, sippy cup, book, bed. We put her to sleep when she is tired but awake. Normally she is in bed around 8.