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Working Moms
Moms of 2 or more, tell me about your evening routine
Because I kind of feel like I'm failing on mine!
I get both kids at 5, home by 5:15. Walk in the door and it's wild. The dog is dying to go out, my 4 YO is starving to death, the baby is hungry and wants to be held...
So I get everyone settled and H is home usually by 5:30. Then it's the mad rush to make/eat dinner, do a bath (can't seem to get both kids bathed in one night since DS can't sit up yet, so I tend to do every other unless one is particularly dirty), and bedtime for both.
I just feel like there's got to be a better way. By the time we eat dinner it's 7 sometimes. DS needs to be in bed by 7:30 or he melts down. DD needs to be in by 8 but sometimes lately it's 9. It's just tricky with 2 right now! Once DS is a little bigger, I am sure it'll get easier, but then we'll have to feed him solids too so that's just one more addition to our night.
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Re: Moms of 2 or more, tell me about your evening routine
When my kids were smaller I would plop DS in front of the TV while I threw something in a pot on the stove to warm up and fed DD (DS would sit with me and we'd have some QT while I fed her). I think I asked DC to give him a late snack so he would't be starving (but to not feed DD so she would eat when she got home). DH would come home and finish up dinner.
When DD got older, I would put her in the high chair with some cheerios and she'd hang out with me at the island while DS wound down with some TV as I prepped dinner.
Now the kids sit at the island and help me with dinner. Sometimes they get a head start on dinner b/c they're hungry. It's definitely easier as they get older. Although, now I have to juggle homework too. I usually have DS work on that while I prep dinner.
I have twin infants so probably not what you are looking for, but here goes.
5:30 get home - 3 days a week - both babies are melting down b/c MIL doesn't get them to take good naps. Try to get MIL to leave which she doesn't like to do, which prolongs the entire rest of the process. The other 2 days a week we have a friend/sitter watching them. Still hard to get her to leave cause we like to chat and catch up.
5:45- DH comes home. If MIL or sitter are still here, it delays their leaving even longer since they have to repeat everything to him.
6:00 Bottles
6:20-8:00 Attempt to simultaneously cook dinner, wash bottles, make bottles, bathe babies (only twice a week), soothe cranky pants overtired babies, start to wash diapers (cloth), wash baby clothes, clean kitchen, wash pump parts, take care of cats, deal with random family that feels like i have all the time in the world to chat on the phone.
8:00 Bedtime bottles and babies are down by 8:30.
8:30-9:30 - finish up evening chores, try to find time to sit down and relax.
9:30 Shower (no time in am)
9:50 Pump
10:15 Bedtime goal for me and DH
I feel like it would be so much easier to cut out the cooking dinner and cleaning up after dinner part, but eating take out every night doesn't really cut it either.
It's a madhouse for us right now, too.
I get home with the kids around 5:30 and DH is usually already home by then. He keeps DS entertained, I feed DD and then I try to make dinner (I only make dinner 3-4 nights a week though). DD almost always wants to be held and/or nursing at home so that makes it tough to get anything productive done. I just do what I can in between her nursing, lol.
After we eat, DH bathes DS and I continue nursing DD and prep for the next day. DH is usually the one to put DS to bed and I take care of bathing DD if she needs it (I do every other night with her).
Matthew Kevin
7/31/83-7/20/11
Met 1/8/00
Engaged 4/21/06
Married 9/29/07
Two beautiful legacies: Noah Matthew (2 yrs) and Chloe Marcella (8 mos)
Day Three
We get home around 5 or 515 as well and we unload the dirty bottles, pump parts into the sink to soak. DH cooks dinner while DD drinks her water and I nurse DS. Then we play until dinner. DH and I alternate who feeds DS since he's on solids and it takes FOREVER to feed him. I nurse again around 6:30 and lately DH puts DS to sleep around 7 as we are trying to break the habit of nursing to sleep. We play with DD and clean up or the person who doesn't bathe her cleans up while she's bathing. She goes down between 8 and 8:30.
It's not easy. I feel good if the dishwasher gets run every night and esp good if I fold a load of laundry before bed.
We carpool and all arrive home at 5pm. DH is the cook, so he changes clothes, then gets started on dinner. DS (4.5) usually wants to watch a show, so we put something on, and he watches/plays with his toys. DS (20mo) wants to do anything but sit still, so I usually take her outside to play. When she was younger like your DS, I would BF her, and we'd hang out w/ DS in the living room. We eat about 6. After dinner, I clean the kitchen, and DH plays with the kids for a bit. Generally around 7, we head upstairs for baths. They are old enough to bathe together, but before that happened, we'd bathe DD first (and quickly), then get DS in the tub. After getting dressed and brushing teeth, we read books, cuddle and play. DD goes to sleep around 8, and DS closer to 9 (b/c he still naps at preschool).
It got easier, but it's still crazy. And typically, DH and I are both home in the evenings. We can do it on our own, but if one of us has something to do, we usually try to leave after bathtime.
Macy ~ 10.23.09
Drive through Burger King for DS and a frozen Weight Watchers for me?
Sadly, we've been doing this way too often since I went back to work. Today I actually got it together to make DS raviolis and raw broccoli. DH is almost never home for dinner, so it's really hard for me. I WAH, so I keep meaning to put together a crock pot since I usually have time to throw stuff in. That makes it way easier and then you only have one pot and usually a cutting board to wash. But the baby is so fussy in the evening, and I can't exactly cook while wearing him in the Bjorn.
My only other suggestion is to make a giant meal the night you actually can cook so you can have leftovers the next night.
I have twin 8 month old girls and I hear ya sister. Our schedule looks something like this:
5:15: Bottles
5:45-6:30: Babies watch Yo Gabba Gabba while I make and eat dinner (my husband is a retail manager so its a 50/50 shot to whether or not he is home in the evening)
6:30-7:30: Walk if its nice out (this is nice because I can take the dog with us) otherwise we play with toys on the floor or play in the bouncers)
8:00: Bath time (I do one baby, then the other since they are sitting up but not completely steady yet)
8:30: Bottles and pureed meat
8:45: Bedtime for babies
9:30: Bedtime for me
A few things that help me out in the evenings. I menu plan so I always know what we're having and I make sure it's something easy to make. I make extra and freeze whenever possible.
Once we're home, I know the girls will be hungry so they get a snack immediately and then watch a show while I get dinner ready. After five minutes I know Laney will want to help me with dinner, so I always have something in mind that she can do. The key is to think ahead and be prepared.
I would absolutely do baths together. How old is your oldest? She should be fairly self sufficient in the tub right?
Also, I've probably made my girls more independent than necessary, but they can do a lot of things on their own - get snacks and getting dressed being the two big ones.