A question to stay at home parents...
I am looking for ways to help structure my day. I am a stay at home mum. I have four children aged 8, 6, 3 and 2. The older two are at school, the third goes to nursery every morning from school start until lunch, and the youngest from next week will be at preschool Monday and Tuesday mornings.
I feel I am pretty productive. Me and the husband both have certain tasks that are important for me to do so I prioritise those and fit in the other stuff around them. One is dinner ready for after he gets in from work and we all sit round the table together.
The problem I am having is that come 4pm when me and all the kids pile in the door, it is carnage. No other way to describe it! Chaos. Then hubz comes in around 5:30pm and it's still chaos. It seems to get gradually more stressful from after school right up to bedtime.
Me and hubz are perpetually knackered. We are stressed with bedtimes. I spend some time with the older ones doing their reading and homework after dinner and washing up. This time is important as otherwise I'd only really be spending time with them over the dinner table.
This means hubz takes care of bedtime for the younger two. He likes doing this but it is hard work as the younger one is particularly "spirited" and when he's tired after work I understand he'd like a hand. So I'm splitting myself in two trying to go back and forth between all four kids to help hubz which means time with the older ones suffers.
I really need to schedule my day more. I often feel like housework takes priority over quality time with the kids... but with four kids there is a lot of housework!
It's pretty much standard that after kids are in bed and lunches are made for the next day, we chill out. We're usually in no fit state to do anything else.
So far I've worked out if I get up earlier, I can do showering etc before everyone is awake and start on the laundry. Throw some stuff in a slow cooker for dinner. Ironing can be done when the youngest starts preschool, can reserve a morning for that.
I NEED to schedule in quality time with all four kids... Individual where possible.
Anyone want to offer any helpful tips and hints so me and hubz are less stressed?
I am looking for ways to help structure my day. I am a stay at home mum. I have four children aged 8, 6, 3 and 2. The older two are at school, the third goes to nursery every morning from school start until lunch, and the youngest from next week will be at preschool Monday and Tuesday mornings.
I feel I am pretty productive. Me and the husband both have certain tasks that are important for me to do so I prioritise those and fit in the other stuff around them. One is dinner ready for after he gets in from work and we all sit round the table together.
The problem I am having is that come 4pm when me and all the kids pile in the door, it is carnage. No other way to describe it! Chaos. Then hubz comes in around 5:30pm and it's still chaos. It seems to get gradually more stressful from after school right up to bedtime.
Me and hubz are perpetually knackered. We are stressed with bedtimes. I spend some time with the older ones doing their reading and homework after dinner and washing up. This time is important as otherwise I'd only really be spending time with them over the dinner table.
This means hubz takes care of bedtime for the younger two. He likes doing this but it is hard work as the younger one is particularly "spirited" and when he's tired after work I understand he'd like a hand. So I'm splitting myself in two trying to go back and forth between all four kids to help hubz which means time with the older ones suffers.
I really need to schedule my day more. I often feel like housework takes priority over quality time with the kids... but with four kids there is a lot of housework!
It's pretty much standard that after kids are in bed and lunches are made for the next day, we chill out. We're usually in no fit state to do anything else.
So far I've worked out if I get up earlier, I can do showering etc before everyone is awake and start on the laundry. Throw some stuff in a slow cooker for dinner. Ironing can be done when the youngest starts preschool, can reserve a morning for that.
I NEED to schedule in quality time with all four kids... Individual where possible.
Anyone want to offer any helpful tips and hints so me and hubz are less stressed?