What is your routine with your kids (particularly time of your evening meal) ???

Mics_chick

Never been able to keep to a routine for anything (work, housework, etc ) but I do want to get into some sort of routine for the kids' sake - we never seem to have time to do my 5.5yo dd's homework with her :rolleyes2
I have a ds too, who is nearly 4.

What is your routine and how rigidly do you stick to it?
What do you do if you have an unexpected event - be it a party or shopping trip ???

shazrobo

routine on a school day is getting them up, and dressed, teeth brushed, and out in to taxi, they have breakfast at school, when they come home, they get changed, watch tv, or play til tea time, unless they have an activity that night, after tea, bath,and tv or reading, sorry prob not very helpful, but neither of my sons get homework

gairlochgal

I wake the kids at 7.30, done with brek by 8.30, 15 mins to do face, teeth, hair, coats, shoes. All goes wrong if something like swimming/music has been forgotten, in which case we do headless chicken routine. If we have everything, leave at 8.45 for 9.00 bell. Rarely miss.

After school, about 20 mins break poss with snack, feed pets, school letters from bag, homework, TV, dinner, chores, bath, bed.

btw don't take this too seriously. It's all thrown by stuff that just happens.

maxine84

my kids are younger, 3.8 years, 2.4 years and a 2 month old. I have routine and i do stick ridgidly to it, because i would fall apart at the seams if not! Basically its up at 7am for all and down for 7pm for all, even my baby. He tends to only stay awake about an hour and half at a time before needing a sleep of around 2 hours at a time, so during that time i spent 30 mins or so with the older two, an hour on housework and 30 mins or so getting myself sorted and having a cuppa!

*Louise*

This is the reason mums don't like holidays - it messes with routines.

Mine are 9, 3 and 1

Up at 8am, sort eldest, make breakfasts, wave eldest off to school at 8.40. Then dress younger ones, sit down with a cuppa and my own breakfast while they play and try and steal my toast.

Cleaning gets done by lunchtime usually. Lunch, youngest goes for a nap, spend some time with 3yo. snack at 3pm, DS1 gets in at 3.30.

I used to make DS1 do his homework as soon as he got in from school, but now I let him have a break (he's done enough during the day really) and he does it after dinner.

After dinner - baths, supper, bed by 7/7.30pm. And I clean up again. :rolleyes:

Our routine is flexible to allow for visitors, trips etc and during the holidays it all goes to pot. Shopping is done at the weekend when OH is off.

izzzzythedog

a rou what ? never heard of it , the kids know their responsibilities , they have there own R-word to follow without adult interferance , ive never done the structured thing of up at 7 am 10 paces to bathroom , brush teeth with 23.2mm of toothpaste etc etc , sod that , get um an alarm clock and get um up 1/2 an hr earlier and let them do what they need to do with a little help from yourself , these responsibilities then stay with the little ones for life , they also enjoy seeing how far 2 litres of milk will splash out from the centre of the table but its small prices to pay and the dogs getting fatter on half a kilo of coco pops a day

Kimitatsu

Routines come as they get older in my experience but now your eldest is at school probably now is a good time to start one - it will change as it goes but thats life!

My two are a bit older now 9 and 11 but they are up at 0630 (always been early risers!) have 20 minutes to wake up, usually tucked up into bed having a cuddle. Then up by 7 for breakfast, and we are all out of the door by 0745 to drop them off to the childminders. Picked up from childminders at 1615, and then it is homework before any tv or playing out. If I am going to be late then they start their homework at the childminders. Homework is spread out over the week so it really is ony a few minutes per evening!

If we have a party etc during the week then the kids are warned they need to have done a certain amount before that date, otherwise it is in danger! Works every time now.

Reading this back this looks so organised but it really isnt - I am still many mornings giving the boys a count down as to when we are leaving! Also I try to make things easier for myself, we have 5 sets of school clothes, so they are all washed and ironed at the weekend, that way its just a matter of getting fresh clothes on every day,and I am not panicking about yesterdays yoghurt being down their front. They also pack their school bags the night before (except packed lunches) so they have all the books they need and any PE kit packed and ready by the door. I frisk them for newsletters when they come in, and they are signed and put back into their bags, that way I dont forget!!

Routines are a way of making life easier for yourself, and you will find your own way.

pukkamum

i am pretty rigid with my routines (maybe a little too much)
I have the kids up at 7.30 breakfasted and dressed by 8.10.
They can then watch t.v until time to go school.
Once back from taking ds (7) to school i start on the housework straight away as i know if i sit down that will be it!!
I give myself an hour and a half to do my jobs (starting top to bottom).
Once the hour and half is up i stop regardless and take dd (2) either to park, toddler group of just sitting playing.
At 12.30 we have lunch at 1.15 dd goes down for a nap, i will do ironing whilst watching home and away and neighbours.
T 3.10 we set off to pick ds from school back at 4.00.
When we get in uniform off half hour with drink snack and t.v then home work in the kitchen whilst i cook tea (that way i can supervise)
At 6.00 pajamas on watch simpsons
7.00 dd in bed time with ds reading, chatting or just watching t.v
8.00 ds in bed open the wine take a deep breath and reelax!!!
Obviously if parties days out etc happen i just go with the flow but having the routine in place for the rest of the week means i don't get too stressed!!

Oh my god just read this and sound like the most anal person in the world!!!

looktothefuture

pukkamum wrote: »

i am pretty rigid with my routines (maybe a little too much)
I have the kids up at 7.30 breakfasted and dressed by 8.10.
They can then watch t.v until time to go school.
Once back from taking ds (7) to school i start on the housework straight away as i know if i sit down that will be it!!
I give myself an hour and a half to do my jobs (starting top to bottom).
Once the hour and half is up i stop regardless and take dd (2) either to park, toddler group of just sitting playing.
At 12.30 we have lunch at 1.15 dd goes down for a nap, i will do ironing whilst watching home and away and neighbours.
T 3.10 we set off to pick ds from school back at 4.00.
When we get in uniform off half hour with drink snack and t.v then home work in the kitchen whilst i cook tea (that way i can supervise)
At 6.00 pajamas on watch simpsons
7.00 dd in bed time with ds reading, chatting or just watching t.v
8.00 ds in bed open the wine take a deep breath and reelax!!!
Obviously if parties days out etc happen i just go with the flow but having the routine in place for the rest of the week means i don't get too stressed!!

Oh my god just read this and sound like the most anal person in the world!!!

:rotfl: Nope you sound just like me really!

I only have my Stepson who is now 7 from 6pm on Friday to 7pm on Sunday but he has a very strict routine, always has in our house just because he gets NO structure at home with his mother.

• Now that he's old enough to read a clock, it gets set for 7:30am and if he wakes before then, he cannot under no circumstance go downstairs on his own a) because I can't hear him if he goes into the kitchen and b) it's far too early to get up on a saturday! (ok so that's my little rule coz I need a sleep in at least once a week!). So he'll come into my room at about 7:30 and wake me up if I'm not up already from his rather annoying Simpsons alarm clock screeching!
• It's then tea and breakfast (weetabix or porridge - no cereals other than those because I'd scoff the lot without milk!). He goes up for a shower and to brush his teeth while I iron his clothes his mother packed (strange that when I send him home his clothes are washed, dried and ironed perfectly but when she sends clothes 90% of the time they are either wet or damp, and always unironed and creased to hell if dry!). He always gets dressed and makes his bed nicely....
• We always go out for the morning to the market or for a walk to the park... when we get back he has "chores" (how hard is it loading the washing machine?)
• Lunch is between 1-3 and he always gets a treat afterward.
• Dinner time between 5-7, shower and teeth after that.
• Quiet time and a tea or horlicks from 8:30ish and bed and lights out promptly at 9! He'll either ask for a story during that quiet time or he goes up and listens to his stories on his mp3.

I think his mother would have a heart attack if she were a fly on the wall in my home! She's always moaning he's climbing the walls or driving her insane... but at ours he is as good as gold.:T He never moans, he always offers to help when I'm cleaning and he's a big gardener! He's my boy.... and I love him!

skylight

Phew....

Mine get up around 6ish... Oh the joy..... This is mainly due to the older one stirring to get up for her paper-round (she feeds and dresses herself when she gets back). Anyway. Downstairs and breakfasted by 7am - do lunches whilst they are eating. Back up stairs to get dressed (uniform and other clothes are laid out the night before by me for 4) - I dress the toddler and the other 2 clean teeth/get dressed whilst I feed the baby. They are allowed to play upstairs until 8amish or whenever baby has finished feeding. 8am I sort out myself, dress baby and clean my teeth and toddlers.

Back downstairs by 8.15am when they can watch a spot of TV (If they have behaved and gotten themselves dressed without incident!). I have 20 mins then to wash breakfast stuff, put on a load of washing and 8.45 we leave to go to school after getting them ready to get out of the house at about 8.35am.

With a baby and toddler in the house during the day, things are less structured. But lunch is always 12.30pm. Usual stuff - playing, feeding, napping (if they both go down then I do to!) and TV (Cbeebies is a godsend and Mr Tumble is the best thing EVER!) etc.

School run at 3pm. As soon as we get home, its homework time. If they haven't come home with any, then I come up with something - usually reading and fortunately only for the 2 girls. Checking their school bags is essential! They can watch TV after all homework has been done - until about 5pm for tea.

Playtime till 6.30pm - bed at 7 for 3 of them. Baby goes off about 9-10pm ish and the eldest goes about the same time.


In between is shopping, cleaning, washing, tidying, playing, cooking, feeding.....


Flippin heck! Never realised I was so busy! Oh - and baby wakes for night-time feeds, hence my day-time nap. And just remembered that I haven't brushed my hair yet today ......


They are 4 girls, 14, 6, 4 and 21mths - plus a 3-week baby boy (who is the best behaved of the lot!)

elainew

I have a 4 year old

I allow her to wake up on her own but its usually 7.30am.
washed dressed.
breakfast at 8
Walk to nursery at 8.50am--luckily we live over the road
I bung on washings, ironing, quick clean up and tidy.
Collect her from nursery at 11.30
lunch at 12pm
Afternoons usually consist of library, shopping, gymclass, park etc
Start dinner at 4pm and she usually helps or plays.
Daddy in at 4.30pm and he plays with her.
5-5.30pm We have dinner together
6-6.30 Bath and then she plays on computer with daddy and i load dishwasher and tidy up a bit
7pm Max and Ruby tv prog with walk milk and cookies
7.30-daddy reads bedtime story and I watch soaps !!
8pm SLEEP

I am a stickler for routine and it works for us. We have a child who has been a great sleeper since she was 9 weeks old.
works for some and not for others.