routine tips for busy (ish) family

LMCD

hi.....I am lookin for routine tips, I kinda thought I was getting somehwere but dunno if SAD is something I had this year......or just general run down health possibly.

I have three kids, one five at school, the other to be two and youngest six months I was breast feeding not anymore though.

am just interested in ppls daily routine and how it works for them with kids the same kinda bracket..

i was scunnered on the end of christmas week finishing up for school and want to try change my way of thinking and doing stuff to make life more enjoyable and easy .

thanks for taking time to read!

mum2twinsx2

i have two routines one for days work and days i dont work....
they are both long as four children will post tomorrow.
First tip is once youve made one stick to it =]

Plans_all_plans

In your situation I'd take the school aged child to school and then go to playgroup straight after. The 6 month old will probably be sleeping on and off through the day, so just let him/her sleep at playgroup in his/her car seat if they want to.

Returning from playgroup, I'd give the 2 year old a nap (hopefully for you they'll still be having a little sleep at that age) and get the housework done while the 2 year old is napping. The 6 month old (if not napping) could sit in a baby bouncer while you do odd jobs round the house.

I appreciate that it's not as easy as all that cos they wont sleep exactly when you want, but you can try to get them sleeping at times that suit you during the day.

My DD would go to playgroup in morning, then straight home and sleep for 2 hours (until she was over 3). Then I'd feed her and take her to another playgroup in the afternoon. With 2 under 5s at home it's bound to be a lot harder, but best of luck.

melb

make no wonder you're feeling a bit under the weather. Didn't notice you mentioning play-group for the 2 year old in your post but if there is one locally you might like it for a couple of hours and give yourself a bit of a break if your 2 year old enjoys playing with new toys there. I would think a routine is fairly difficult for you as you must have your hands really full. Can't imagine any 6 month old would be asleep on and off during the day as they're usually enjoying watching what's going one. You do well just to get up and doing and getting your 5 year old to school each day. Maybe do the shopping on the way back if that's possible then you know you've got something in for dinner/tea and the rest will just have to get done if and when you get time. Just try and enjoy the kids while they're young which I know is easier said than done but soon it will be spring and everything will seem a bit better.

Penny-Pincher!!

I have health problems, but try and make sure that each evening the WM has been set on timer for the morning, so ready to TD or hang and put the DW on each night ready to be emptied at breakfast. Kitchen sides are wiped after each use and takes a couple of minutes. Toilet cleaned each morning a few minutes. Potatoes and veg (usually a couple of carrots and half a cabbage) are peeled early so they are done for the evening meal-this takes about 5 minutes. Floors have a quick sweep with a dust mop thing and moped 3 times a week-takes about 5-10 mins a day.

I mealplan all meals which would make things a little easier for you. You could double batch cook and freeze a portion for the following week, so you get a night off?? Meals that freeze well are Shepherds Pie, Chilli, Spagbol sauce, Sausage Cassarole, Stews etc etc.

OH does the ironing, but he usually does 2hrs a week when he can, sometimes just in 30min intervals.

Do you have a good routine with the children and have some time for yourself? Does your partner help out with stuff? DD is now 16 but when she was born we got into a good routine of dinner, bath, play and story then bottle and bed.

HTH

PP
xx

Counting_Pennies_2

Well I have one at school and a preschooler, so hope I am qualified to suggest.

Before DD started preschool I would drop off DS at school, come back put washing on, put washing away from day before. Pop out to a playgroup, or park, or food shop.
Come back put washing on airers. (I put non iron things on airers on the landing upstairs, and one side of two airers per person, so they are in order for putting away, amazing help for me!)
Little one had lunch then she had a nap (now the naps have gone!) Do a small tidy up
Then wake and take DD to school for pick up.
I would limit the amount of after school activities.
Give supper early, often 4pm. Then a snack before bed and some milk tended to ensure they stayed asleep.

At the weekends I book the children into the creche at the local gym and my DH takes them and does a work out, and I have an hour and a half to blitz the house and do the ironing, then join them for a sandwich lunch in the cafe. That starts the weekend well, and we then have time at the weekends to do family things.

hth

LMCD

thanks for the replies. i do parent n toddler group tues, once a week then rhyme and time on a thursday. i say to myself monday is my day off and often meet up with a friend at least once a week who also has kids.. i am goin to try batch cooking, normally I do it in the morning for the evening but this would be even quicker and convenient ( need to empty freezer first) I vary on shoppin from online to goin to store on my own in the evenings.

hubby is good help when he comes in from work I 'down tools' to an extent and he baths and puts them to bed .. thinking of it and how it was today which was not so bad - i think it must have been just the lousy dark morns and the weather as I was bogged of all motivation..

i reckon am just feelin a bit demotivated - we live in a top floor flat and takin three kids (two in arms!) up n down four flights of stairs to get my son to school can be a bit GRRRRRRRRRR feeling. but tryin to be positive, sort out flat to be able to sell to get a house.

kids dinner at 4 then supper later sounds a good idea as my son says he is hungry about this time and i try make him hold off til tea..

ironing i have issues with lol but i have a steam generator so when the notion takes me and kids are occupied a movie goes on in the bedroom and i sort it.

I will get there I suppose just reading a few wee tips how I can adjust my day and taking time to charge my batteries will help.

Thanks again

onlyroz

Well I can get both mine ready in 45 mins - it helps to make packed lunches the night before, and to make sure that all clothes and school bags are ready in advance. Oh, and Cartoon Network is a blessing in the mornings...

rachelet

LMCD - I know exactly how you are feeling. I have four kids, the youngest three are the same age as yours with an eight year old as well. My husband works away and only comes home every two weeks so I am by myself most of the time. I have been feeling demotivated a lot recently. I sometimes look at my house and just don't know where to start!

I am quite lucky in that the two oldest go to school and then the two youngest still have naps during the day, so I plan my routine around nap time for the babies and school runs. I am trying to clear each room in turn. Last week, my husband had a week off, so we cleared and tidied the two oldest bedrooms, the babies room is tidy anyway as they only sleep in there, but I still have the playroom to sort out. We started trying to clear it, but didn't get it finished so now it is up to me to sort it out.

I think batch cooking is a great idea as I tend to do a big mince meal once a week and then freeze portions for later on in the week. Also I make a big lasagne which will last me about four meals.

I have stopped ironing now and am instead using my tumble dryer to dry things in the winter and then fold the clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer, that way they don't need ironing!

When I do the housework, I do things in just 15 minute blocks, its amazing how much you can get done in just 15 minutes, and then I have a rest for five minutes.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

LMCD

rachelet wrote: »

LMCD - I know exactly how you are feeling. I have four kids, the youngest three are the same age as yours with an eight year old as well. My husband works away and only comes home every two weeks so I am by myself most of the time. I have been feeling demotivated a lot recently. I sometimes look at my house and just don't know where to start!

I am quite lucky in that the two oldest go to school and then the two youngest still have naps during the day, so I plan my routine around nap time for the babies and school runs. I am trying to clear each room in turn. Last week, my husband had a week off, so we cleared and tidied the two oldest bedrooms, the babies room is tidy anyway as they only sleep in there, but I still have the playroom to sort out. We started trying to clear it, but didn't get it finished so now it is up to me to sort it out.

I think batch cooking is a great idea as I tend to do a big mince meal once a week and then freeze portions for later on in the week. Also I make a big lasagne which will last me about four meals.

I have stopped ironing now and am instead using my tumble dryer to dry things in the winter and then fold the clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer, that way they don't need ironing!

When I do the housework, I do things in just 15 minute blocks, its amazing how much you can get done in just 15 minutes, and then I have a rest for five minutes.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

wow hats off to you esp as your hubby is away two weeks at a time!!

we were goin to have a fourth but agreed to wait til the girls are older to make things a 'wee' bit easier :rotfl:

I don't have a tumble dryer but maybe if that dream house comes along soon I will defo invest in one! I read somewhere on here about the 15 mins but I got lost with ppl writing every detail of what they did but obviously it works for them. am just having five mins then I will go sort the washing .. suppose knowing am not alone is a wee boost too plus I have been puttin on the music to 'enjoy' house chores more inbetween dancing with my 2 yr old

rachelet

I don't think you would say I am doing well if you saw the state of my house. Its enough to just keep on top of the washing up, washing and feeding of the kids! My youngest baby wasn't planned and wasn't expected to be honest. I was on the pill at the time, but had a stomach bug and the next month I found out I was pregnant!:eek: I wouldn't be without her though now. My oldest is eight, nearly nine and is a great help when my husband is away, but I do struggle with keeping on top of everything. I have now caught up with the washing and the drying of everything now. I have one load of my washing to do and my sheets from my bed to wash and that is it until the kids generate some more washing probably in the next couple of days!!!

I find it helpful that someone else is struggling with having two babies close together. Most of my friends where I live all have older children and no one has a baby so I find it hard to talk to my friends about sorting out a routine.

I was doing really well with doing stuff in fifteen minutes. I had a timer that I used to set and then put on some music and do as much as I could! But my two year old son got hold the timer and now I can't find it anywhere. I have a feeling it is under a cupboard in the living room, but I can't move the cupboard to look for it.

Well must get on and do some more tidying up, am trying to sort out the living room at the moment and will need to spend some more time in the playroom later!