I work outside the home and I feel like there's not enough time in the day. Especially when it comes to my 3 year old. I am wondering what your schedule is like. This is our schedule and maybe someone can help me tweak it. BTW my son has to be at preschool by 8 in the morning so he needs to be in bed no later than 8:45 or he is tired the next day and more irritable. Ok here's our schedule: home by 5:30. I start cooking between 6 and 6:30. we are ready to eat by 7. I try to fix his bath around 7:30. Then we take a bath, brush teeth, read books, then it's bed time. Depending on whether we are running behind, he is usually in bed between 8 and 8:3o. During the in between hours, we play, color, etc. Sometimes my husband will take him to the park while I'm fixing dinner. It just depends. I read other posts and I see that some kids get snacks before bedtime and I know that since dinner is at 7, it doesn't make sense for us to do that. Are we eating too late? I would like to know does our schedule sound normal? Or are we doing too much, not enough? Thanks in advance.
Sounds normal to me. Since you don't get home until 5:30, I don't see how you could eat much earlier. I stay at home, so we eat at 5 and have snack at 7. But if we ate dinner at 7, they definitely wouldn't have a snack before bed. You have to do what works for your family's schedule. Your son gets enough food to eat and sufficient sleep - sounds like your schedule is working.
Your schedule and methods sound just fine. Much like mine were when my boys were in preschool!
As far as dinner is concerned, you're eating at the right time and no, no snacks are needed.
If you feel like you're running behind in the morning, my suggestion is this (something I figured out after YEARS of mommying): Get yourself 100% ready to walk out the door FIRST. Shoes on, purse by the door, everything. THEN get your kiddoes stuff ready. And THEN wake him up. It is SO hard to concentrate on getting you and your stuff ready when you have to stop to direct him to do each step of his routine.
Good luck!
We have a similar schedule...
Home around 5:00
Dinner 6:00
Play 6:30- 7:15
Bath/Stories 7:30
Bed 8:30 (at the latest)
**I do as much prep for dinner as possible the night before! You can get a lot done in 30 minutes before kicking your feet up for the night. Slicing, chopping, precooking, etc. That way you can eat earlier and have more time to play!
** My preschooler LOVES to help us in the kitchen. He gets on the kitchen stool and will mix, stir, blend whatever. Give him little jobs so he is spending time with you and you are getting things done as well!
**Remember too that unless he's dirty, it's not essential that he bathes every night. My son has really dry skin so he has to bathe every other night. Of course, if he's dirty or stinky he gets a bath, but if not we don't have him bathe every night.
Mine is not preschool age (9 yrs old) but your schedule sounds about like ours. Home at 5:45; homework while I fix dinner; eat around 7:00; shower at 7:30. I do offer a snack right around 8:20 or so. Depending on how much she ate at dinner, sometimes she has one, sometimes not. Then bed at 9:00. It is hard and it feels like I'm constanting moving her from one task to the next in order to get in all in, but we manage. I don't know of anything you could do differently as all that you do are necessary daily tasks.
Sounds like an ok scheduale. eating at 7 i think is a bit late every night but if it works for you that is what matters. Maybe you could do some crockpot meals to have dinner ready when you get home to eat earlier a couple nights a week. Our scheduale is i get up at 5 and my 4yo is up at 5:45 and 18month old up at 6. We are out the door by 6:15ish in the morning for daycare and i go to work. Pick the kids up and get home by 5. I start dinner right away and we eat by 5:30 or 6 at the latest depending on what we are having. (we try not to eat much later because my husband goes to bed earlier since he is up by 3:45am for work) then i clean up, we go for a walk or play for a bit have baths done by 7 (3 times a week), and my baby goes to bed by 7:20ish and my son is in bed by 8/8:15 at the latest. Since we are early risers the kids need to be in bed a bit earlier. I say if your scheduale works just keep it, if you feel you need to tweek it a bit then do that.
Sounds normal to me. Although I think that "normal" is anything that works well for your family.
My 3 yr old rarely eats dinner (or anything!), but we usually eat at 5:30 or 6. Baths at 6:30 (I give him a bath with my 1 yr old, who goes to bed at 7), and then TV/play time until his bedtime at 8.
We do SUPER easy dinners during the week. I get home with my son at 5:30, he runs off to check on his toys, and I immediately start cooking (typically something like sloppy joes, pasta, or grilled chicken with a frozen/canned veggie and a quick starch like instant mashed potatoes). I realize this is not the healthiest food! But we sit down to eat by 6 and are done by 6:30. Then we go outside or play with toys/games together for about an hour. Bath or shower at 7:30, then more playtime til 8:30. Then it's books in bed til 9 and lights out.
If you are making more complex recipes than I do, consider preparing what you can on the weekends (do all prep work, or make full meals and then just reheat). When I do my food shopping for the week I keep all the components for each meal in one bag in the pantry (except cold stuff), so I just pull out the bag for Monday and there's the mac&cheese, Manwich, and can of corn. Yeah, we don't eat great!!! But we do have more time together. I make fancier fresher food on the weekends.
I have a 3 year old in preschool too and also work. I think if your schedule works for your family, it is fine. I see you are making sure you incorporate play/fun time in each day and that is what is important. Before my son, we were late eaters (7:30 at the earliest) but now we eat closer to 6pm....my son is always hungry by then though and now my husband adapted and is hungry then too lol. If your family is fine eating at 7, why make a change? I normally start making dinner the second we get home. We then go for a bike ride to the playground after dinner (weather permitting) or just play here. I usually have him in the bath by 7:15, then PJs and we read a few books. He used to have a bedtime snack (oatmeal or just cheerios) before bed but he gave that up at least 6 months ago. I have him in bed at 8:00. He starts school a little later than your child (8:30 am).
My daughter gets off the bus between 345-4pm every day. My husband is already home with my son (he works weekends) and I'm home from work by that time, too (usually 330 is when I get home).
We play from the time she gets home until 5pm. If it's nice enough, outside!! Then they watch a cartoon while hubby and I fix dinner (or I fix dinner and give hubby a break since he's had the kids all day). After dinner (usually 530ish) it's back outside or in the bath if they are going to play inside until 7. Then it's bath and our bedtime routine. We read a few books, change my son's diaper, have my daughter go to the bathroom, do teeth and then I sing them a few songs and we say our prayers. They are usually asleep by 8pm.
This is our schedule now since it's nice outside! In the colder months, I see us doing the same things except during play time we'll be inside and not out. I look over her folder and see if there is anything she needs to do at night. I set out her clothes so they are ready for school the next day. They will play together in the living room, watch a half hour cartoon or help me in the kitchen.
I stay home with my kids.. we try to have dinner at 5 pm a late dinner is 530. playtimeeither outside or with one parent after diner, the other parent cleans up the kitchen. Bathtime (evey other day ) 615 bedtime at 7 pm. the kids get up at 7 am -- they are getting 12 hours of sleep per day.. but no nap.
