This looks very similar to our schedule, though it takes us longer than 15 minutes to eat. Also, when my kids first started daycare they always seemed to nap for about 30 minutes immediately after we got home. Exhaustion from the day, I suppose. I think this is a good general plan. Just remember to anticipate the need to be flexible. You'll do great!
I have been on my own with bedtime routines since DS was 10 weeks old. DH has never been able to make it home to put DS to bed. He gets up and does breakfast with him each morning though.
I pick DS up from daycare between 330 and 4, home about a half hour after that. So lets say 415 average.
415 - get home, take dogs out, put BM in fridge, wash bottles and pump parts if DS is napping in car seat still.
430: nurse DS
5:00 - 6:00: play with DS, get supper started if possible.
530 to 6 - H gets home, one of us feeds dogs and walks them, other finishes up dinner (or starts it lol)
6:00: DS eats (before he was on solids, this was more play time)
6:30: one of us bathes DS, gets his clothes out for the next day, reads to him; other one cleans the bottles and Preps them for the next day
7:00: I nurse DS, he goes to sleep, we eat and do other nightly chores (dogs treats etc)
Some nights we eat before he goes down, some nights H gets home at 7, etc. it varies. Our focus is just making sure DS is good to go for daycare and gets to bed early. We can eat cereal if we don't have time to cook, you know?
At first, DS would nap directly when we got home from daycare so I would put BM in fridge, prep bottles for the next day, wash pump parts and bottles. When he woke up I would feed him, play and then bath/pj/bed.
After he goes to bed, I eat (either leftovers or something I can quickly cook or that I threw together during play time), then clean bottles/pump parts and prep bottles and my lunch for the next day. Pretty much I do everything prep related after he goes to bed.
6:00 - Get home, let dogs out. Make dinner, DS plays and watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
6:30 - Eat at table
7:00 - Bath
7:30 - Read books, play, snack for DS. I do laundry, dishes, let dogs out, etc.
8:15 - Milk and watch Sprout and snuggle.
8:45-9:15 - DS falls asleep.
With DH's work schedule, I don't know when he will be home. I just assume to do everything on my own. I do all mornings, too. Any help I get is a bonus...lol. This is pretty much what we do. Bathtime is every night because he usually comes home from daycare messy. Also, DS didn't sleep through the night until about 18 months, so we would be up around 2 am for a bit.
We get home around 5:45. I start on dinner while H keeps DD occupied. We eat, then it's play & bath. DD goes to bed around 8. Then we veg until 10:30/11.
We run the dishwasher at lunchtime. One or both of us always goes home for lunch.
Post by dcrunnergirl on Dec 28, 2012 22:10:55 GMT -5
When we started daycare at 4 months (born at 36w4d, so about 3 months adjusted), the schedule was:
4:00 - bottle at daycare
5:00 - daycare pick-up
5:15 - home
5:15-6:15pm - snuggles, play together
6 or 6:15 - started bedtime routine (bath, PJs, swaddle, bottle, books, and into bed)
6:30 - out like a light
Before starting daycare, they went to sleep at 7:30pm or so, but once they started daycare, the NEEDED (NEEDED, I can't emphasize this enough) a bedtime no later than 6:30pm or they were a complete and utter mess. Daycare was so stimulating that it wore them out. Plus, around 3-4 months, they begin to consolidate their sleep more and most babies need an earlier bedtime anyway.
Even now at 28 months, they need a 7pm bedtime. However, we do get out the door by 7am most days, so at that time, they needed to wake up by 6:45am to leave the house (and need to get up by 6:15am these days). If your LO can sleep later in the AM, you might be able to get away with a later bedtime.
We always ate dinner after the babies went to sleep (and many nights we still do). Evenings were just too short and crazy with also trying to add in getting a dinner on the table. I didn't want to spend what little time I had with the babies in the evening trying to cook something.
5pm- DH picks up from DC 5:30- home- they play outside if light, inside if dark- DH try's to prep dinner 6:30- I get home 7:00- eat, clean up, play 8:00 start bedtime, bath, meds. Teeth, etc 8:30 bed
Post by dcrunnergirl on Dec 28, 2012 22:28:34 GMT -5
I also wanted to add that it took about a month or two for us to really get into a good routine at night. For those first few weeks, I just felt like I must be doing somethign wrong b/c it was so much work, we were all so cranky, and it was just hard to get used to. But, you'll find a routine that works for you.
Also, while it sucked we had so little time together at night, I always kept in mind what I read in one of my sleep books that it's quality over quantity. I'd rather spend 30 fun minutes with the kids at night and put them to bed early when they're happy, then to keep them awake longer so I could see them more for my own benefit, when really all that extra time they spent was as a cranky mess. That's no fun for any of us. Once I got over that, it made the nights much less stressful and helped me get over some guilt.
More playtime with DH after nap, bath if needed, bedtime routine
In bed by 7
DH and I eat dinner, load dishwasher with bottles and pump parts from the day, deal with diapers, pack bags for next day, take out meat for next day's dinner or prep crockpot for the morning.
Dd will nurse one more time before I go to bed. Most times it's a dream feed.
I shower and try to be on bed by 10:30 if I don't have any work to do.
Pick DS up from daycare around 6/6:15... home by 6:30. Eat dinner, feed him, bathe him, read to him, and attempt to get him asleep by 9:30. Tonight he just fell asleep at 10:30 but that's par for the course lately as he's been cranky
I'm interested to see if Squirmy's bedtime changes. Currently she has her last bottle between 8-9 and is usually down by 9:30 at the latest. We've tried putting her down earlier but she wakes up 2 hours after the last bottle we gave her.
Get home between 5:30-6. We have a nanny so I don't deal with daycare pickup but I dread the day I do because it's so easy now! Kids get changed into pjs or bath time Milk, sometimes a snack and playtime, start prepping dinner Babies In bed by 7 Dinner, clean kitchen, start dishwasher, fold laundry
Also, while it sucked we had so little time together at night, I always kept in mind what I read in one of my sleep books that it's quality over quantity. I'd rather spend 30 fun minutes with the kids at night and put them to bed early when they're happy, then to keep them awake longer so I could see them more for my own benefit, when really all that extra time they spent was as a cranky mess. That's no fun for any of us. Once I got over that, it made the nights much less stressful and helped me get over some guilt.
This is what I'm trying to remember. I know Weissbluth specifically says this in "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." I know it will be hard to be OK with putting E to bed just a couple hours after we pick him up, but it will be best for all of us.
3 years old: 4:30pm leave work 5:15pm get home, ds plays or watches tv while I cook dinner 5:45pm DH gets home and we eat dinner at table 6:15pm play, hang out together 7:45/8pm bath 8:30pm story time and he's usually asleep by 8:45pm
Until age 4-5 months evenings were a free for all with both kids (DD is 1 and DS is 3). It was something like, we would get home and I would nurse the baby for most of the evening while DH made dinner, prepped daycare bags, bathed DS, etc. He would take over for a bit here and there so that I could pack my lunch or whatever else I needed to do. Then at 9:30 or so, I would take the baby upstairs and put her in the co-sleeper to sleep and I was camped out in bed.
Now, with a 1 year old and 3 year old, it's more like this: 5:45 - Home from work with both kids. Run around like a crazy person getting dinner ready. 6:00 - Dinner 6:20 - Both kids baths 6:45 - Rock DD to sleep while DS watches something short 7:00 - DD alseep, books for DS 7:30 - DS asleep
Then I take a shower and DH starts on cleaning the kitchen. Then I join him to finish packing daycare bags, etc
Posts like these are why I have been so scared to have kids and we waited so long to TTC. Reason 1: It sounds exhausting. I love my 30 minutes of reading/TV to unwind when I get home. Reason 2: It makes me sad. I get home at 6 p.m. All the work of parenthood and I'll have about 30 minutes a night with my future kid? On the bright side, we'd been on the fence about renting out our house and now I am sure I want to. If we move, I'll be home at 5:15 every night.
At that age, she would nap on the way home and I would carefully try to keep,her napping so I could make dinner. We made easy dinners. H would always wash the pump parts and make bottles. We tried to do one chore a night,but really we waited until the weekends. She goes to bed late, 9 or later.
Now, I get home, make dinner, prepare her some veggies t snack on, h cleans, I shower her off, lots of play and cuddle. Bed at 9.
Post by asoctoberfalls on Dec 29, 2012 9:11:56 GMT -5
I pick DS (17 months) up from DC around 5:15. I usually play with him in his daycare room and talk to his teachers a bit before we leave. We're home by about 5:45. DS eats leftovers or Gerber toddler meals for dinner, then we play or take a bath. He goes to bed between 6:30 and 7.
After he goes to bed, I make dinner for H. I usually eat crap or pick up fast food on the way to pick up DS, which is why I've gotten fat. I need to change this! I also do chores. I'm usually able to sit down and relax by 8 or 8:30. I go to bed around 9:30 or 10. H works evenings, so he's rarely home before I go to bed.
Honestly, I like our evening routine. I'm glad DS goes to bed fairly early, because he's at a really difficult age right now and is exhausting.
Post by wanderlustmom on Dec 29, 2012 10:10:37 GMT -5
Not sure how helpful this will be, I have had an odd PT schedule, when DS was an infant, I worked two days a week from 9-7. He went to an in home daycare across the street. I dropped him off at 8:30 and DH picked him up at 5. If he was traveling, my friend just kept him all day, those days just gave us the morning together.
After DD, we had an in home nanny come to the house at 1 and I worked 1:30-9 two days a week and I worked Saturday mornings too. DH got home at 5 and was with them Saturday mornings.
Now I work three days a week 8-2 so I get them on and off the bus.
6- pick up, make dinner, DD watches tv or plays w her toys Eat whenever it's done and/or DH gets home 8- bath, books 9- try to get DD to bed 12- time DD has finally gotten to sleep this week :/
If I work late, either DH or a babysitter picks up. I usually get home at 8 or 9, and find DD watching tv. No routine on those nights. And they are the norm.
I also am surprised and jealous of how early many of you get off work!
Seriously. I feel guilty when I leave at 5 twice a week. 7 is the norm at my office, but I stay until 7:30/8 (or longer) on days I don't pick up to make up hours.
I also am surprised and jealous of how early many of you get off work!
Seriously. I feel guilty when I leave at 5 twice a week. 7 is the norm at my office, but I stay until 7:30/8 (or longer) on days I don't pick up to make up hours.
I agree! And how short commutes are! Our commute home is 40 minutes on a good day (baby will be in daycare by our offices, so at least we'll have her with us)...