Post Work/Dinner Time Routine

[peaseblossom55]

Sorry for another thread. Here is where I really struggle so I am asking you guys.

What does your dinner time/post work routine look like?

Any struggles? Any tips/ideas?

[ellabee]

I pick the kids up from daycare a little before 5. We get home and I start working on dinner. B hangs out on a blanket in the kitchen or in the Rnp. DD just does her thing around the house.

5:45 I try to be sitting down eating.
6:15 B starts getting cranky and I start his bath. If DH is home and DD needs a bath, he'll start hers too.
6:30/6:45 I start doing lotion/pjs/nursing for B. DH usually gets DD into pjs and brushes her teeth before reading books to her in bed.
7:00 B is asleep and I go to tuck DD in.
7:15 I clean up the kitchen, load the dishwasher and prep DDs lunch and Bs milk for the next day. I might fold some laundry, but usually I end up just decompressing while lying in bed until I fall asleep at like 8:30 (lol).

I don't really have any tips. My after work routine feels like a rat-race to get everyone fed and in bed.
I will say that I've given up being hard on myself when dinner consists of a pbj sandwich for DD and a bowl of cereal for me. Some nights that's just what it takes.

[peaseblossom55]

The days when MIL is here are not a problem.

I get home around 5:40 or so from work. I put away BM, pump parts and my lunch stuff in the dishwasher and go see E. The 2 days so far with the nanny she has been crying when I take over. I don't know why. So it makes it hard to put her down to do anything.

I pump at 7 and dinner has been either a microwave meal or something I can put in the oven.

[heybulldog56]

I get home at four. I usually have a snack and watch tv in order to get a second wind. I will also start a load of laundry if needed and unload the dishwasher.

4:30- pick up boys from daycare
5-5:30- start prepping / cooking dinner (whomever isn't cooking is playing with DS1 and tending to baby)
6-6:30 Dinner
7 Clean up, load dishwasher, make lunches
7:15-7:30 upstairs for bedtime routine
8-9 B falls asleep
8:45-9 DS1 falls asleep
9-10 Make daycare bottles, spend time with DH, shower, and bed

[lakegirl]

Since I sah I have a slight advantage with the meal prep but overall it's generally a crazy time.

6/6:15 Mh gets home and I try to have dinner ready. Having dinner together is important to me even if the toddler just plays with the food. We clean up the table/load the dishwasher at the end of the meal.

6:30-7 we play with the toddler and the baby is along for the ride.

7 bedtime for the munchkins

Then we tag team whatever needs to be done: folding laundry, general house pick up, washing any pots or pans, etc. Last time I would pump and Mh would take care of washing bottles and pump parts.

9 I'm normally upstairs relaxing and asleep by 10 and Mh gets his video game time.

[peaseblossom55]

I should also mention some nights H won't even be home because of hockey and when he does come home after work it's not until 7:30 or so.

[rinny]

Ugh. I am so scared for this. H and I both end up being gone about 10 hours a day but stagger our schedules to make the daycare day a bit shorter. This is how it worked with 1 kid, with some speculation

430 - MH does pick up, comes home and sprays diapers and starts dinner. I'm curious how this will work juggling both kids, especially since #1 usually got his last bottle after pickup and L is the slowest bottle taker ever
5:30 I get home and we eat. Dinner time is usually an hour long affair with the toddler these days
6:30 tummy time, play with cars, read books, other fave activities
7 start bedtime routines
7:30 chores - dishes, diaper laundry, I take a shower after and we do whatever we feel like until bed (around 930)

[summergirl1211]

Ugh, we struggle with this too. From the second we walk in the door it's just craziness. Now that it's spring going on summer we need to find time to do a family walk with the dog. I have no idea when we'll do that. Here is our routine so far, but we need to do a lot of tweaking.

5:30 everyone gets home from work/daycare (we carpool)
5:30-6:00 DD watches a little tv, DH takes care of Noah, I do dinner prep/wash bottles from daycare
6:00-6:30 DD eats, I finish dinner prep if we're not having leftovers, DH and Noah hang out
6:30-7:30 we all watch tv as a family unless DD is playing, DH and I eat dinner in front of the tv, DH and I take turns holding/entertaining Noah (I desperately want to change this and have family dinners, but I can rarely get dinner ready in time and DD whines the second she walks in the door)
7:30-8:00 bath, diaper, last bottle for Noah and hopefully bedtime
8:00-8:15 get DD ready for bed
8:15-9:00 DH works in his office (pays bills, hangs out, reads, etc.) while I wash dishes, pick up, sometimes relax and Facebook, etc.
9:00-9:45 last pump of the night, wash pumping parts and prep bottles for daycare
9:45-10:30 relax in bed, have a glass of wine, chat with DH

[judyblume14]

Two or three days a week, I leave work at 4:15 and go to the gym til 5:30. The other days I leave work around 5:30.

Get home by 6:15, same as DH and the girls.

Immediately start cooking or re-heating dinner (this is where meal planning and preparation come in). DD1 plays or watches TV while dinner cooks. I give DD2 a mini nursing session. H is tending to dinner and playing with DD 1.

Eating by 6:45.

7:30, DH starts bath/PJs/teeth with DD1. I'm doing the same for DD2, then start nursing.

7:45ish DH and DD1 come in nursery to say a prayer and give hugs and kisses.

8:00, DD1 and DD2 are in cribs for the night.

Then, DH and I...Fold laundry, clean up after dinner, wash daycare lunch containers and bottles, was pump parts and bottles, wash dinner dishes, pack lunches and bottles, restock diaper bag, tidy up.

Basically, chores until I start breaking down because I'm tired (10:30). DH will watch TV or play Nintendo a little while longer.

Sounds like I have the same night as ellabee, just a little later.