How is everyone's routine? 10 April 2014 at 10:02PM in MoneySaving dads 47 replies 14.5K views

joshp1407

I've been reading a few threads on this board and it seems that there is a consensus that we all want to be the best dads possible, but struggle managing to fit enough hours in the day. I was wondering what people's routine is, and does this ever change? I'm a fairly young dad (23) with a 8 month old, so any perspective from anyone would be fantastic

For me:
6:30 Baby wakes up. I get up with him as his mother has been up during the night with feeds etc (he's breast fed)
8:30 Wake up mother to allow up both a little time together for breakfast
9:30 Leave for work
10:00-18:00 Work
18:45 Arrive home and get changed
19:00 Eat (all three of us, little one is on some solids)
19:30 Wind down with baby
20:00 Take him to bed (he's not great for sleep, needs a lot of help)
21:00 Finally get downstairs
21:30 Too tired to continue, bed.

I literally don't ever find time for anything except on the bus to and from work. Which isn't really enough time to be doing anything productive, like sorting out finances, and trying to sort out a house purchase!

Does anyone else find that time just doesn't exist? I feel that I'm so tired that I can't give the little man all the attention he needs/I want to give him. I'm up now writing this, but I know that I'm going to regret it at 2 and 4AM when he's awake.

Don't want this to sound like a whine or a moan (he's the best thing ever to happen), but I literally haven't spoken to any dads my age (or older) since the baby was born, I want to know what you guys (or girls) do?

Bublin1

I'm a single Mother to 2 children....imagine that!!

double_mummy

you have an hour you can easily free up take LO to bed put him in bed and walk downstairs there you go an extra hour

Valli

Yes the routine does change.

And FWIW I'm mightily impressed with your attiutde here. That's one lucky lad.

couponqueen123

free up more time by putting baby to bed early

i know u want to see him every day after work but if he was in bed before 8 my kids aged 6 and 4 go to bed at 6pm every nite even if dads not here

that way i get time to my self and with my patner to be us and chat and have the quiet time

bublin 1- i take my hat off to you i was single mum few years back witha small child and omg its hard but with two must be harder wishing u all the best hun

also when u get home try a shower it always wakes me up

what thing do u want to squeeze in to yr day? if its ringing people then yr gf can do that ,

my patner goes out to work i stay in and work the house n kids

notanewuser

double_mummy wrote: »

you have an hour you can easily free up take LO to bed put him in bed and walk downstairs there you go an extra hour

Hideous and selfish.

notanewuser

couponqueen123 wrote: »

free up more time by putting baby to bed early

i know u want to see him every day after work but if he was in bed before 8 my kids aged 6 and 4 go to bed at 6pm every nite even if dads not here

that way i get time to my self and with my patner to be us and chat and have the quiet time

Not all kids can sleep early. They don't come fitted with off switches!

notanewuser

My husband worked away quite a bit when DD was little, OP and I felt like you do. DD has never been an early riser, so I would wake up at 8am to sort myself out and do bits and pieces before she got up at about 10am. She would nap at least 3 hours a day then, so I used to use 1 nap to do stuff and one to catch up myself. She would go to bed at around 10pm so I went with her (we coslept). I'd often be asleep before her.

When DH was working from home it meant he got a decent amount of time with her too.

I do wonder whether your lad is eating solids a bit too close to bedtime though. Does he fall asleep more easily if he's breastfeed to sleep?

supersaver2

Bublin1 wrote: »

I'm a single Mother to 2 children....imagine that!!

Its not a competition!

couponqueen123

notanewuser wrote: »

Not all kids can sleep early. They don't come fitted with off switches!

eh? kids go to bed when told , also if you get them in to an amazing routine like me then your perfect ,;)

mine have both always gone to bed that early a choice i made as the parent that sleep was important to them, more important than what they want to play with watch on tv etc

also im all for bed, story and lights out and sleep no fuss or pandering to them unless ill , must be awful parent

i always here people moan there kids dnt sleep they will you just have to be firm

notanewuser

couponqueen123 wrote: »

eh? kids go to bed when told , also if you get them in to an amazing routine like me then your perfect ,;)

mine have both always gone to bed that early a choice i made as the parent that sleep was important to them, more important than what they want to play with watch on tv etc

also im all for bed, story and lights out and sleep no fuss or pandering to them unless ill , must be awful parent

i always here people moan there kids dnt sleep they will you just have to be firm

My daughter is a brilliant sleeper. Always has been. She just doesn't sleep early. Nothing to do with television or games. As we've never needed her up at the crack of dawn and we value her having quality time with daddy after work, that's what works for us. There's an awful lot of science behind baby and toddler sleep and so called sleep training has been shown to be pretty harmful in the long term.

I suppose its a bit different if you need them up and out early (for work or whatever) but frankly 12 hours sleep is 12 hours sleep whether it's from 7 till 7 or 9 till 9.

(Took me a while to work our what your last sentence said.)