What does your average every day look like? For each of us mothers it can look different. Some of us work during the day (or during the night), some of us send our children off to school, some of us homeschool, some of us have teenagers, some of us have toddlers and babies, and so on.
I know for myself, my every day is never the same. I do have a basic routine though for the days that I’m home all day. So, I wanted to provide you a glimpse into my home and what a day in the life with 4 little children looks like
WAKE UP
Majority of the time, I’m woken up by one of my daughters. My boys, if they wake up before me, go downstairs and watch Netflix – Little Einsteins or Zoboomafoo has been their favorite lately.
I strive to have breakfast started by 8am. My oldest daughter is ALWAYS my helper in prepping food. She loves to serve and get things done!
HOMESCHOOL
I usually start school with the boys sometime after breakfast. By the time I clean up, feed the baby, do a few random things, school usually starts around 9:30am. This year I’m doing Kindergarten with the two oldest boys (aged 3 & 5). My 3 year old has been picking up on things very quickly and is really enjoying it. I try to keep my girl occupied with random things. Lately she has been into scribbling and trying to trace things.
LUNCH TIME
Right after schooling is done, sometimes I try to accomplish one or two random things on my to-do list and then I start prepping lunch. Prepping, eating and cleaning up usually takes about an 1 1/2 hr.
NAP TIME
By 1pm, my 2 yr old is down for a nap! She is my most clingy child, so during this time is when I spend about 2 hrs on my blog. (I usually wake my baby up early from her morning nap so then she is ready to go down at this time also.) My boys play very nicely together most of the time, so they occupy each other, then have 45 minutes of quiet time, and then are allowed to watch 2 of their favorite Netflix shows.
3pm
At this moment, I finish up any random things on my to-do list. If I started wash, we all go up, fold and put our clothes away. (All 3 of my children help out with this.) If it’s nice outside, I will take the children out. This is also the time that our neighbor kids come over and hang out.
DINNER
Again, this is about an 1 1/2 hr project – prepping, feeding everyone and cleaning up.
EVENING
While I finish cleaning up the dishes, the children have daddy time. I usually take this time to make a breakfast sandwich for my husband in the morning.
Sometimes I try to slip out for an evening run while my husband is playing with the children. Other times the run doesn’t happen until all the children are down or it doesn’t happen at all.
If its bath night, we wrap up the evening with baths. My husband and I usually tag team on this. One of us does the bathing while the other helps in brushing the teeth and getting them dressed. My husband puts the boys to bed and I put the girls to bed, usually sometime between 7 and 8pm.
ONCE THE CHILDREN ARE DOWN
My husband and I are free! We talk, read, watch movies (most times only on the weekends). Sometimes I squeeze in a few more to-dos that need to be done. And then its BEDTIME for us, usually around 9pm.
That concludes the average day in life in my home with me and my 4 little children. HOW DOES THIS ROUTINE COMPARE WITH YOURS? WHAT THINGS ARE IN YOUR DAY THAT IS NOT IN MINE? HOW ARE WE THE SAME? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Wow Denise! So cool to hear from an old friend and hear how you do it! I’m totally new to routines and parenthood…and even just being a wife. You’re a pro! I love your blog and can’t wait to continue reading your stuff, and you’re probably only a few miles away 😉
Thanks, Christy! Its so nice to connect with you again. Looking forward to reading more of your stuff also!
Wow Denise! You’re a supermom. How do you get to do all this?
Thanks Sussy. I feel like I don’t even do everything that I want to. Its grace from the Father to help me each and every day. Thanks for visiting!
Hey, just wanted to drop you a note and say thanks so much for linking up over at Sunday’s Simple Homemaker on Prairie Gal Cookin! Please feel free to drop in and leave a different link or two on this week’s link-up, we’d love to have you! http://www.prairiegalcookin.com/sundays-simple-homemaker-3rd-weekly-link-up/
Thanks for sharing your daily routine. It is nice to hear what other mom’s do to get some ideas of how to manage life with kid(s). Since I work part-time, (2 full days in the office and 1 half day at home) each day looks a little different. Days I go into the office are my “survival mode” days when I do nothing but make it through the day (ie- no chores beyond what is essential to get everyone fed breakfast, lunch and dinner and then to bed at the end of the day ). Then I try to squeeze all my cooking, cleaning and other chores on the days when I am home. So on Tues, Thurs, Sat/Sun I usually cook in abundance so we have leftovers to eat the days I work. I LOVE not having to cook dinner each night. So far my husband has not complained about eating the same thing 2 nights in a row for the past few years. My fingers are crossed that it stays that way 😉
I think a working mom with one child has more work and responsibility than a stay at home mom with 4 children. I don’t see how you do it, Kandra! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
So very interesting. My toddler is 2.5 and we get up at 5:30am to drive my husband 15 mins to work, which will change soon as he has saved up to get a motorbike next week! I’m hoping to still get up early and spend some time alone if she sleeps in as we go into autumn and slightly shorter days in Australia. Where we live winter is very mild and short, rarely frosts and never snow. When we get back from dropping him off we eat breakfast and tidy the kitchen and throw washing on, make beds, read books, and most mornings we go out between 9am-10 to a playgroup, gymnastics, the park, library etc. When we come home we have lunch and she watches a dvd, we don’t have tv on. She goes down for her nap between 1 & 2, sometimes I am too being 26 weeks pregnant and other times I write. When she wakes up sometimes we go for a swim at the pool down the street, make dinner, play with water on our deck and then pick up daddy when he rings. She starts getting ready for bed between 8:30-9pm, she’s just always done this as when she was little we were working for our old church, and always out at night. Wondering how our routine will change with another baby.
You seem very intentional with your little girl, which is great! And you’re from Australia… wow! That’s a place a dream to visit someday. 🙂