SAHMs of preschoolers, help me out

[redheadk]

I have got to get a routine going for these last few weeks before school starts. I'm going crazy and must finish some work stuff but dd had dropped her nap. It is too hot to spend any time outside during the day, we will be having temps over 100 for the foreseeable future so places like the zoo are out. The museums are not close so it's not a good option more than once a week.

Do you have a set routine? I almost feel like I need to make a schedule like I did when I was teaching. Dd is watching entirely too much TV and I'm doing too much mindless shopping.

What's your routine, especially if outside play isn't a good option?

It doesn't help that dh is driving me up a wall.

[DarcyLongfellow]

I have to get out of the house I'm the mornings. Otherwise the whole day is lazy and miserable.

Can you set up playdates? Go to the library? Fast food place with an indoor playground?

Will she do quiet time in her room for an hour? What if you reward her with TV time afterwards if she stays in her room?

[countthestars]

Is there a gym with either childcare or an indoor pool that you can visit? Music or gymnastics classes close? Library story time?

In your house - could you set aside some craft time, book time, science time, quiet time every day? Any friends that you can have a play date with?

[Deleted]

Here's what I would do/did when I was home:
Breakfast
Start some laundry/run dishwasher (kid helps or plays independently, which only works if I'm busy doing boring things)
Get dressed, a bit of yard/playground time before it's too hot
Kid focused Indoor outing - library, mall play area, coffee at McDonalds, children's museum, playdate
Lunch
"Quiet Time" aka tablet/tv time. Once in a while, trains. My break time or time to accomplish something. Should be at least an hour, screen time be damned.
Adult errands - groceries or whatever, if needed
Lose my mind around 4 pm
Make dinner while drinking wine
Pray for return of husband before I totally go nuts

[drloretta]

Library
YMCA
Kids day at the movie theater
Playdates
Indoor crafts/activities: DD could spend an hour playing in the sink at that age

[loskadoodle]

Are you in any mommy groups?

We tried to meet up with people a lot when I was off.

[lynn07]

I was going bananas after the first few weeks of summer with my 4 & 5 yo. Being out of the routine of preschool was hard for all of us, especially with a newborn DS3 around. So I made our "Summer Schedule". Don't judge me for how particular it is! We obviously don't follow it perfectly, and don't necessarily do it everyday. There are days we do outings like the zoo, museum, etc. and on those days all bets are off as far as what the rest of the day will hold. And things get moved around if DS3 needs a longer nap at home. But it has truly helped us all from losing our minds, lol. I made little magnets with the time/activity and put it up on the fridge. That way they can go and see what comes next, or if something has moved around. Here it is:

7:30am Breakfast
8:00 Free Play
9:00 Writing/Drawing
9:30 LeapPad/iPad Time
10:00 Outside Play/Errands
11:30 Lunch
12:30 TV Time
1:00/1:30 Quiet Time
3:00 Reading
3:30 Free Play
4:00 Outside Play
5:00 Dinner
6:00 Bathtime
6:30 Free play/extra TV show
7:30 Bedtime
ETA: I know I have two outside times on there. When it's too hot here, we move those to earlier in the morning or later in the evening, and pull out the sprinkler and sand and water table for them to play around in. Or I set up the tents/tubes in the basement and have them build a fort to play around in. Then they're at least getting some energy out.

[Deleted]

We have also firmly tipped over to the point where having DS and a friend over is less work than DS on his own. DH is home all week with them this week, so he found someone to come and play all afternoon. It's win-win (the other mom gets a quiet nap time at home with the 1.5 year old).

[origami]

We mostly go to indoor playgrounds or splash pads. Sometimes the library or mall. If we're at home too much my kids watch way too much TV/ipad. I don't have a routine. I just try to find something to do every day so we aren't sucked into TV.

[Deleted]

We're outside all day in the summer, but in the winter I do have a set routine in the house. We also live too far in the sticks to be somewhere EVERYDAY but we do go out like twice during the weekdays usually.

Basically it's kids get up. breakfast. They play or watch a quick show while I clean/prep stuff/get it together. Then we usually head to the playroom until lunch. I always keep an idea in the back of my mind of toys that haven't seen in awhile/puzzles I can do with DD, board games she hasn't seen, fun activities I think to do with DS etc. Of course I'm not the cruise director and I often clean bathrooms etc. while down there instead but somedays they do need playtime with me.

Then it's lunch. Nap for DS. I usually try to do an art project with DD or work on her PreK skills with her. After that she plays alone or has another show/Ipad. When DS gets up we have "storytime" and snack. Then I try to find a set activity they can both work on together while I prep dinner. Then dinner, baths bed.

It also helps to keep a mental list in my head of stuff my kids haven't seen/played with in awhile to pull out. I also have a Pinterest board of stuff to do with the kids. None of it is hard or complicated or overly thoughtful but it's nice to scroll through and think, "Oh. I forgot about that! Easy enough."

I also spend a ton of money on Dollar Spot crafts and Dollar Tree "things" haha. Whatever. Keeps them occupied It's fun. Saves my sanity.

The teacher in me also has our playroom set up in "stations" and the kids play so well because they can find everything/follow the natural progression blah blah blah. 

[soso]

My 4.5 yr old is home with me 1 or 2 days a week -- our loose schedule is similar on weekends.

We live in FL and still go outside -- neighborhood walks, chalk in the shade, playground, park to feed the ducks, community pool, etc. We just bring water and go for short periods of time -- usually in the am.

So our loose schedule is lazy morning while I have coffee (tv), morning outside activity, cleaning or laundry - she loves to help, then rest after lunch, then an errand or inside activity like the library or mall playground. We do a lot of crafts/art in the afternoon and some more outside time.

She will play independently if I am in the same room. So I frequently get her started on a project or activity and then do my thing.

[namasteak]

-wake up around 715
-eat breakfast & play
-go to a store around 930
-home by 11ish and fix lunch
-nap around 12
-wake up between 130-2
-random crap at home
-TV from about 4-5
-dinner around 5
-bath around 530
-bed at 7

[ilikedonuts]

We wake up, eat breakfast/watch tv, go somewhere, either eat lunch wherever we are or come home and eat lunch, DD2 naps and DD1 has quiet time in her room for an hour, then DD1 and I do some sort of activity, DD2 wakes up and they play/watch tv while I make dinner, DH comes home, we eat, he takes them outside while I clean up the house, bath and then bed.

So far this week we grocery shopped on Monday, splash park on Tuesday (and then DD1 went to Little Gym camp in the afternoon), we met up with some friends at a playground yesterday, today I took both girls to the movies, tomorrow we are going to the local kiddie park.

There are days we stay home all day and my kids end up watching tv/movies all day. So I try to get out as much as I can in the morning. DD1 knows she has to sit in her room fr quiet time in the afternoon. I need a break from the go go go of them both.

[anaps28]

I had DS1 in camp for 5 weeks from 9-1

In the afternoon we do puzzles, play doh or art projects while DS2 naps. One morning we did a bounce place.

The My Gym near me had an afternoon tumbling camp that ran all summer from 1:30-4:30 for kids age 3 and up that DS1 did twice and loved.

We've done the pool as well but not that much bc we have to fit it in around nap time
He is currently at Grandmas for the week and then there is 1 week off before school starts up. I am trying to schedule some play dates now.

[dcn]

Ds and i are still adjusting, but in general, we walk to the playground 2-3 times a week, early. Like 8:30 or 9, before it gets too hot.

Then we either run an errand or do art or bake cookies. Or laundry.

Then lunch, nap. If he doesnt nap he has to stay in his room for an hour and read or whatever.

After nap he usually watches tv and has a snack. Then basically free play until dinner.

[dcn]

Ds and i are still adjusting, but in general, we walk to the playground 2-3 times a week, early. Like 8:30 or 9, before it gets too hot. Maybe once a week we drive the 30-40 min to do a childrens museum or other indoor activity that is further away.

Then we either run an errand or do art or bake cookies. Or laundry, etc.

Then lunch, nap. If he doesnt nap he has to stay in his room for an hour and read or whatever.

After nap he usually watches tv and has a snack. Then basically free play until dinner. After dinner we try to go for a walk or he rides his bike for a little while.