We have been in Toronto for just over three weeks and a new routine has been established. It’s pretty basic. My wife goes to work and I manage the boys all day as I start the hunt for a job. Our situation has given me a lot of time to do this, so I don’t feel pressured to settle for anything.
Aside from the hunt, my day is all about keeping two energetic boys happy and entertained. It’s good work if you can get it, as a lot of people say. Of course, once I start working again, this will all change. So I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Our family is high on structure. We love it. Our kids operate on it. So it was important after the move to set it back in place. It did not take long. Actually, it is better than before and I feel everyone is more rested.
A typical weekday goes like this:
6:30 am: Wife up to get ready for work.
7:00 am ish: Harry is up and hangs out with me in bed as I refuse to get up yet.
7:15 am: We get up for breakfast as wife finishes getting ready for work.
7:45 am: Wife leaves and I am all on my own with the boys.
7:45-8:45 am: Harry has quiet time either with a TV show or art crafts. I get some computer stuff done and get dressed. Also if time, I plan for the day’s events.
9 am ish: Charlie wakes up. I get him up and we have breakfast. At this point, Harry usually has second breakfast.
9:10 am: Free time to play before we get the day going.
9:45 am: Everyone gets dressed and we gear up for whatever is being done for the morning.
10:15 am: We head out to a park or any other outdoors destination. Usually this is for a few hours. We are very lucky that the weather usually cooperates.
12:15 pm: Lunch time.
12:30 pm: Free time to play, read or play in the dirt outside.
1:00 pm: Nap time. Charlie and Harry have a rest. Charlie sleeps for three to four hours, while Harry has more of a doze/quiet time in his room. This is my part of the day to do everything I need to do. Writing, job hunting, planning and of course relaxing. It does end rather quickly some days so I need to do the important stuff first.
3:30 pm: Generally when Harry will come down. His days of napping are slowly coming to an end, so we are milking it for all it’s worth. During this time, we play, do art, hang out in the yard or watch TV. We can’t go that far with Charlie still sleeping.
4:30 pm: Charlie’s wake up time if he has not already. We have snack and figure out what is next.
4:45 pm: We go for a walk, play outside or anything else that fills another hour of time before my wife get’s home.
5:30 pm: Wife gets home from work. Then we go back to tag-teaming. One does dinner, one plays with boys.
6:30 pm: Dinner.
7:00 pm: Free time to play before bath and bed.
7:30 pm: Bath. We alternate doing bath. Both boys at once. Way easier. Whoever does bath, puts Harry to bed.
7:45 pm: Charlie goes to bed. Harry stays up to watch one TV show.
8:15 pm: Harry goes to bed. He usually will get up at least once. So if he is out by 9 pm, we call it a win.
9:00 pm: Parent free time! This is usually TV watching and doing nothing before it is bed time. Then we start it all over again.
11:oopm: Done
So that’s Monday-Friday at our house. We stick by it and the kids are locked in. We find it helps a lot.
How do you layout your days? Do you structure it or just fly by the seat of your pants? Would love to hear it.
With both of us working, our family timetable pretty much needs to be highly structured. That said, it always takes me a time of adjustment when I’m on maternity leave to figure out how to organize our days in a way that keep the kids grounded in structure.
We fly by the seat of our pants bc matts schedule is all over the map with pt work and filming and his art projects. It’s both liberating and frustrating. I asked him to coordinate his new PhD schedule this fall more like a 9-5 bc I think we will thrive better that way. I still want to leave room for random adventures.
Steph – We try to leave a little to adventure but honestly, that is what we call “the kids wake up early”.
Laura – Yes both working parents need a structure as a lifeline for sure. Our kids crave and need a routine. 7:30 pm hits and the boys are practically going up the stairs by themselves. Their body just knows.
I love children so much
Very good article
Waiting for more
very nice post, every one love kids.
i can say it “The balance life with children”