Like most moms, I struggled with an evening routine for the longest time. It took me about 3 years and 2 kids to realize that I just needed to relax when it came to a bed time routine. Dinner, pack lunches, bath, clean-up, bed time.. it’s a lot to deal with, I get it.
Now that I can finally say “been there, done that” and tried all of the hack and tricks in the book, I finally feel like I’ve found a routine that works for us and we are pretty diligent with this Sunday through Thursday.
This is what our evening routine looks like:
Prep for the following day
After getting off work and picking up both of the kids (at different locations), I get home around 5 or 5:30 p.m. I prepare a light snack for the girls (usually some apples or goldfish) and I start prepping everyone’s stuff for the next day. I throw their clothes in the washer if I need to, pick out their clothes and put their pajamas on the bed. I also take a minute to pull my things together if I need to as well. The whole process takes me about 15 minutes.
Eat dinner
Danny and I are fortunate enough to have the same work schedule so he usually gets home around the same time. We take turns making dinner and it really just depends on who’s up for cooking that night. I like to keep things simple and don’t cook anything that will take more than 30 minutes. While we’re prepping dinner, the girls watch TV or color until it’s time for dinner. Once it’s ready, they clean up on their own and we all eat together. By the time we are done, it’s about 6:45.
Cleaning up
After dinner, Danny cleans up the kitchen and packs up lunches for the next day while I take the girls upstairs for a bath. I like to make dinners that can be easily heated up at work so at least one of us can have leftovers. I always have salads on hand in the fridge in case there isn’t enough leftovers for the following day.
Bath time
The girls love playing in the bath so I take full advantage of it. I’m able to fold laundry and tidy up while they play. Once I’m done, I get them bathed and out and have them put their pajamas on.
Mom time
The girls have some time to play in their playroom once they have their pajamas on. This gives me time to take a shower and unwind for the evening. By the time I am done, it’s usually about 7:45
Bedtime snacks
Let’s face it, as soon as it’s time to start winding down, the kids are instantly hungry, thirsty and whatever else they may come up with. I’ve stopped fighting this and let the kids have a really light snack before brushing their teeth. It’s usually a banana or some cereal and then.
Bed time
By 8:15, everyone is bathed, the house has been cleaned, bags are packed and by the door and we’re all ready for bed. The girls lay in bed with us, we read a few stories and they get a few minutes of tablet time.
Sticking to this routine has helped so much in my productivity. It’s how I’m able to manage a career, a growing blog and life as a mom and wife. Don’t let your evening routine overwhelm you and if you find something is taking too much time, cut it out of your schedule.
It’s okay for your kids to skip a bath from time to time, or for you to pull out a frozen pizza on a busy night. After all, we can only take on so much.
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