If you work FT with children, please share your daily schedule...

[mommathatwearspink]

If you work FT with children, please could you share your daily routine with me please?

I have just accepted a full time position (previously 5 days but around school drop off / pick up so classes as PT). The role is the step up I have been waiting for and a fantastic opportunity but I’m starting to worry how we will fit it all in. To make things worse, DP jokingly made a comment about how he thinks i haven’t made the right decision. My argument is that I want a career too and shouldn’t hold back just to make family life generally easier.

I have one DS who goes to nursery and DD who is in school. DD will go to breakfast and after school club. DP is unable to collect due to it being a works vehicle so I will still have to collect on the way home. We’ll probably arrive home around 5:45pm.

I'm the higher earner, so your presumptions are completely unfounded. Nice try though.

@FoodWoes suuure you are.

Can everyone please stop winding FoodWoe up so she just goes away from this thread!! back to her perfect parenting and super well paid job with flexible hours

@CanICelebrate agree wholeheartedly. Whenever a mum dares to mention working FT someone always pops up to add an undermining comment.

My routine
7am get up, do dogs breakfast, make pack lunches and read mumsnet
7.45 wake dc. Their breakfast
8am shower / dress
8.30am DC dress
8.45am school drop off
9.10 arrive at work
5.45pm set off, pick up DC enroute
6.00pm either me of DC make dinner, with a prep / cook time 30 mins max.

Luckily DC already been fed dinner. DH owns washing, ironing and garden jobs. I clean as I go however it mainly gets done on a weekend.

This thread has inspired me to get a cleaner again

In the winter I get up at 5 walk the dogs, let the sheep out feed the horses, dogs, cats, poultry. Get changed into work clothes. We all have breakfast (4 kids) and leave home at 7. Kids and me/DH are dropped off in order of timings. Start times vary between 7.45 - 8.15.

6pm pick kids up from school after their homework is done. Get home at 7. Supper 7.30ish.

Everyone in bed by about 8.30ish.

Bed around 10-11 for me and DH.

I prepare quite a lot of food at the weekend and have a couple of quick meals like pizza/pasta.

It's hard but doable mostly. Any free minutes at breaks etc in the week are for admin.

As a LP, it was;

6am. Wake up.
6.00.01s DD wake up (if I was lucky and she wasn't awake from 4.41am)
6.05am Loo and brush teeth.
6.10am Get dressed.
6.15am Help DD get dressed.
6.45am Take more very deep breaths, wait for her to stop crying because a cock looked at her funny and possibly see her put her vest on. No way of forcibly putting things on, as the first thing she would do as she went into school was inform the teacher that I'd been mean to her and probably hurt her (like fuck had I)
7.00am Try to get DD2 out from under her duvet where she refused to come out because the flat was cold. Try smiling and taking the socks under the covers to her.
7.01am Clean bloody nose up from where DD2 had kicked me in the face.
7.37am Point out that they'd had plenty of time to eat and had informed me that the five types of cereal available were all wrong, so weren't hungry, every single time I had gently said they needed to eat something.
7.53am Ask if they could possibly eat more than one Cheerio every five minutes. DD2 flips out because I spoke to her.
7.57am Try to get both children out the door. One of them announces that it's a special costume day today and they aren't going if I haven't bought them a costume. But can't produce a letter to prove it.
8.03am Try to convince child that the Special Costume Day is Friday, not Tuesday/today. Watch her hurl herself on the floor in rage because I've disagreed with her.
8.05am Try to get them 15 mins up the road. One refuses to walk. I pick her up. She screams that she's being hurt and she doesn't know me, she wants her Mummy.
8.30am. Five foot outside the school gate, DD sees a friend and kicks me in the back to make me put her down. She then sprints into school. I have to go and wait in the playground as she would be unsupervised otherwise.
8.40am. No sign of the teacher. All other classes go in. Still waiting outside with DD's class.
8.50am. Somebody comes out and says the teacher won't be long. School started at 8.45am.
8.55am. Start running out of the playground to try and catch the bus. I hear my name shouted. Apparently DD1 has informed her teacher that I didn't feed her and she's hungry. And I've forgotten her packed lunch. What packed lunch? She's school dinners. Not according to DD.
9.07am. Get out of school, having had to explain that she was fed, she is having school dinners, no, I didn't shout at her, no, I will not be getting her up earlier and letting her watch cartoons whilst she eats. Watch the 8.57am bus sail past.
9.27am Still waiting for the bus that was due at 9.15am.
9.55am Get into work, praying that the boss isn't in.
Rest of day: work.
4.30pm: Run out of door. Watch bus sail past.
5.12pm. Finally get on a bus.
6.05pm Run from the bus stop to the afterschool club. Get slapped with a £20 per child fine for being 5m late.
6.45pm. Get home. DDs announce that they didn't want to eat at the Afterschool Club, so they need dinner. I paid for them to eat there.
6.46pm Cook toast. Watch them plan their complaint of being starved. Would do beans, but one won't eat them. Would do jam, but one had a lesson on healthy eating and now won't eat fish, potatoes, jam or butter. They both hate eggs.
7.00pm. They say they aren't hungry and leave two pieces of toast each with bite holes in them. Because they had pizza, chips, fruit, crisps, juice and made fairycakes in afterschool club.
7.19pm. They inform me they want biscuits.
7.20pm. They create hell over the idea of giving me their book bags whilst I clean. There are four letters in one, three in the other, all demanding money 3 days before payday.
7.30pm. they get into their pyjamas. They had a choice, help tidy up or get ready for bed. They got ready for bed. One complains that I don't collect them from school. Daddy says I should be there to do it rather than paying somebody else, apparently.
8.00pm. Story. They appear to be asleep.
10.30pm. They wake me up.
11.45pm. I get a screaming call from the ex. The teacher apparently told him that I don't feed his child. He's going to come round and give me a fucking thrashing for abusing his child and spending his money on frivolities like the fucking rent and electric.
3.15am. I convince myself he's not coming round (him be seen near children on a school night? as if) and manage to get some sleep.

If you have a reasonable job, reasonable partner and, quite frankly, reasonable children, it's a whole lot easier than that.

(She used to call socks 'cocks'. I didn't think I'd type it, even though it was obviously on my mind at the time)

Sorry!!

@MitziK

Mum to two boys Age 10 and 6 Months... DH works away Mon to Fri...
Oldest DS always went to Private Nursery 8am-4.30pm and when he started school went Breakfast Club 7.45am, School, After School Club until anywhere from 4pm to 6pm depending on my work commitments. He loved it so dont feel guilty if its necessary.

Currently our routine is:
Baby DS up 5.30am for bottle and back to bed for an hour... meanwhile I
shower, do my hair, clean teeth, put make up on, wash bottles, tidy round, do packed lunch for oldest.
Baby DS usually then wakes again so we have a cuddle, get him bathed, clothes on etc and sort his day bag.
Oldest son up at 7am, shower, clothes on, sorted.
DS10 to breakfast club
Baby to DGM house
Me to work for 8.10am

Finish 4.30pm
Collect Baby/DS
Home...
Tea for Baby
Oldest does hobby three nights a week ususlly taking up 1.5/2 hours..
Tea for me and oldest

Baby bathed, play for 30 min, bottle and story then bed
Oldest bathed, tv, book, spend some time together - bed by 9.30 latest

30 min quick tidy round, prep for morning
30 min to relax

Bed

Yeah. Because a woman can't earn more than her husband and make adjustments between them to working hours so that kids don't have to spend 9 hours + at school. I must be lying
.

DD 15 months at full time nursery, DH and I both work 8-4pm give or take.

Anytime between 4.30 & 6 - DD awake so we just play l, she has some milk etc.
6am - I go upstairs to get ready for work
6.30 - back downstairs, DH goes upstairs to get ready for work
6.30-6.45 - get DD dressed
6.45 - dogs let outside and given breakfast
6.45-7 - general sorting things out, putting lunches in bags etc.
7 - dogs in their beds, we leave in the car
7.05 - DH drops me at the bus stop, I get the bus at 7.10 and at work for 7.50ish
7.15 - DH takes DD into nursery
3.55 - I leave work and catch the bus
4.30-4.45 DH picks up DD from nursery
All home by 4.45/5

Luckily DD has breakfast at nursery and we have breakfast at work so I don't have to factor in that time in a morning. Dogs are walked by a dog walker so don't need to worry about that either.

Breakfast and afternoon club? How old is she? She's going to be so tired

Lol - Breakfast and after school club? The very horror!

I took a career break a few years ago for various reasons and my kids didn't stop bugging me the whole time about when I was going to get a job again so that they could go back to breakfast and after school club!

In order to make our busy lives work we have become masters of planning and logistics.

We talk a lot to plan, we share diaries, we only have one car so that adds to the planning needs. We share with neighbours on a you will/we will basis. (I take 2 neighbours DC to school twice a week and get twice a week back in return)

We use the after school club.

2 DC with 6 activities between them! Homework on top of this. 1 x instrument to practice.

Eldest DC is in secondary and cycles to and from school. (I taught Bikeability at his primary partly to facilitate that!)

We use the slow cooker and instant pot a lot, our electric oven has a timer so some meals can get set to start and finish in time with our needs.

Used to have a every other week clean - when finances allow will be getting back to that.

Lists and lots of lists! Lots of communication and my DH definitely share the mental and physical load.

I work compressed hours and freelance and do lots of volunteering so all though not a full time job, am out most days for a long time.

We get up early 6:30 and don't stop most days until after 21:00. We then stay up too late to have some down time.

Am thinking about doing our shopping online - what are the top tips for making that work?

I used to do 4.5 days at work and a half day working from home. Wherever possible I’d do the work on the weekday evenings so I had an afternoon without dc to run around doing the cleaning.

Daily routine was
6.45 get up & ready, empty and reload dishwasher, put a load of washing on, get dc ready...
7.30 leave
7.45 drop dc at childminder
8.00 start work
4.30 finish work
4.45 pick up dc
5.00 get home, check bags for any letters etc, get dc to do homework, cook dinner, make lunches, hang up washing
6.00 eat dinner, clean up kitchen, tidy away toys, run hoover round
7.00 kids up to get ready for bed, put away a load of washing, wipe round bathroom, read stories...
7.45/8 kids to bed
8.00 1-1.5 hours of work
9/9.30 shower then watch an episode of something or read
10.30 bed

It was busy but ok with two children, really hard with three. Dropped down to 3.5 days after a year, I just couldn’t juggle everything

My DC are 6 and 9 so both at school but our routine has been the same with minor after-school variations since I went back to work after the second round of maternity leave.

0620 - wake up
0630-0700 - first telco of the day
0700 - kids wake up and are cajoled into getting ready like a pair of sloths
0730 - leave the house
0745 - drop kids at breakfast club
0830-1600 - at the office
1645-1700 - collect kids from after school clubs
1700-1900 - rush around getting DC fed and to Beavers/ swimming/ football/ gymnastics, depending on the day
1900-2030 - bedtime routine: showers, teeth brushed, stories, lay out clothes for next day
2030 - tidy up downstairs, make lunchbox for DS, ironing
2130 - dinner with DP. Crash out on sofa. Do more work to prep for next day.
2330 - bed for me

I am exhausted and fat and barely keep on top of the housework and general clutter but tend to catch up at weekends. I was a single parents for 3.5 years and would quite often go to bed after sending them off to their dad’s house on a Friday evening and not wake up again until Saturday night. It’s marginally easier now DP lives with me but he doesn’t get home until 9.30 so I go to bed later because I want to spend time with him. If he were the kids’ dad I’d expect him to put in a flexible working request to take some of the after-school load.

6am: DS wakes, get him changed and dressed then put in his play pen with a few toys while I shower and get ready
7am: DH leaves for work
7:30am: leave house and drop DS off at nursery
8am: arrive at work
4pm: DH & I both leave work
4:30pm: DH picks DS up from nursery
6:30pm: do DS bath and bed routine
7pm: make lunches for next day, do any cleaning and tidying that need doing, load dishwasher, fold washing etc
9pm: bed

DS is nearly 9 months and both DH and I work full time

My routine is similar to others but just to add my dc went to before and after school club from reception and wasn’t particularly tired when we got home! He enjoys it they do crafts and he plays with the other kids He gives the old “just 5 more minutes!” When I pick him up!I’m working 3 days now and honestly there’s no difference I’m his tiredness levels after school from the days he’s at club to the days he comes home so please don’t worry.

7.15 - Up, make brews/kids drinks, run through shower
7.45 - DC up, watch tv, I get ready
8.00 - DC get dressed, DH finally gets his arse out of bed
8.15 - DC have breakfast, I do DD hair
8.30 - all leave house, DH and I drop a child each - one at school the other at nursery
9.05 - work
5.25 - debate with DH who's collecting each child (we work together)
5.30 - leave work, collect DC from nursery/after school club
6.10 - arrive home, DC have a snack
6.30 - bath time
7.00 - DC watch tv, DD does reading
7.30 - DS in bed, I cook dinner and do chores while DH does stories for DD and puts her to bed
8.30 - eat dinner, normally in front of tv
DH usually works in evening
10.30 - collapse in bed

We have a cleaner and I do online shopping. We also get Hello Fresh to help with not having to think/plan what to eat. 2 days a week I work from home and squeeze in washing and ironing around work. I also pick DD up from school at normal time those days.

I've got DC at nursery and school. I work a 4 day week (but also run a separate business) and DP works a 4.5 day week (half day from home but otherwise lives away the rest of the week)

6.15am - get up
6.30am - get DC up
7am - leave house and drop DC at childminders then drive to work
8am - arrive at work
12 - 1pm lunch at desk doing admin, then a brisk walk
4 - 4.30pm - leave work
5 - 5.30pm - try and fit in a food shop or exercise
5.30 - 6pm - collect DC
6-7pm - dinner
7-8pm - homework, getting ready for bed
8-9pm - lie down with youngest while she thinks about going to sleep
9-11pm - tidying, admin, running business,

It's hard, especially as I'm on my own with the kids most of the week. The bit I hate is the meticulous planning of each day on a sunday - booking in school clubs, confirming days with childminder etc (availability varies from week to week and then there's school hols so always having to fill gaps here and there)

I have major health issues so generally just try to make sure I keep on top of my health by getting enough sleep, not getting dehydrated, healthy diet, getting enough exercise etc. The housework suffers a LOT

Weekends are spent arguing over who has had the least sleep while the kids run riot with toys and crafts

We had to move back to be close to my parents for the help. They live in an expensive area so we have a huge mortgage as a result.

0530 I get up
0620 me and DH leave for work, my dad comes over gets both DDs up, fed and off to school.
0620-0800 commute
0800-1600 work
DDs are collected by grandad or go to after school club.
1730 I get back, do homework and reading with DDs
1900 DDs go to bed
1930 I cook dinner and prep bags for next day
2000-2100 relax
2100 bed

Ours is as I now have a local job.
A couple of years ago
DP up first at 6. He does dishwasher and has his own breakfast. Brings me coffee about 6.30. I get up about 6.45 and get kids up. Kids get dressed BEFORE breakfast. DP leaves about 7am or starts working from home (2x week). I get kids breakfast, have mine, do lunches, brush teeth. Leave house 7.45. Cycle to school (me and 2 DC) Drop at before school club. Cycle on to station. Catch 8.15 train. In work for 9.15.
Leave work at 4. Back at school at 5. Cycle home with dc. Tea for dc is simple - beans on toast, fish fingers and chips, sandwiches, soup, eggs and soldiers. Followed by bath, teeth, story and lights out.
DP does drop off and pick up on the days he is working from home and I will stay in the office until 6.
At primary, no homework ever done during week and only one activity after school (Beavers/Cubs) unless it was actually at the school.
We ate at 7.30 /8 once kids in bed. DP was usually cooking while I was supervising bath time.

Mum of and work full time mind at to Friday with some weekends if work is manic.

Get up at half 5.
Put a wash on, prep tea and either leave to marinate in the fridge or chuck in the slow cooker. Maybe do some study or ironing. Hoover ( I have 2 labs) and then get the children up at 645. Son just gets on with it and my daughter argues everything. Will wash up after breakfast and feed the pets. Children leave for bus at 740. I will then leave for work. Work until 5 or 530. As I leave work I'll remind the children to feed their pets. I'll also get the to bung stuff in oven if it's a marinated tea or turn on pasta or potatoes if tea is in slow cooker. While they eat I will iron uniform for the next day and put lunches together. I will the tidy the house. Sort the linen where it's come in off the line. I will ask how their days have been and check on homework.

My daughter goes to bed at 8 to 830 and my son as hour later. I may have more things to do.

You will find a routine. I've found since my husband left I'm able now our massive lawn on a Saturday. Clean the house on a Saturday and do the weekly food shop. Not going to lie it's a bit of a slog doing all this on.my own

Single parent one DS in yr 1:
6.20 alarm goes off
6.30 get up, DS gets up
7.15 downstairs, breakfast for me
7.30 cycle with DS to school
8.00 leave DS at breakfast club (where he has breakfast. I cycle to the station get train to London
9.30-4.30 at work (work full time but work from home one day a week when I make up hours as well as working regularly in evenings)
4.30 leave work to get train, cycle to school to collect DS
5.55 collect DS from school (he has cooked lunch at school and then has a snack tea)
6.20 home, homework (spellings, reading and sometimes music practice) and have snack (normally fruit)
6.50 upstairs for bath
7.00 story and bed

Have to say the evening times often slip but he's normally upstairs by 7.

When I work from home I still drop at 8 as above but I collect him at 5 (he does a club every night and finishes at 5) he'll already have had his snack so we do the same things in the evening with just a bit more time.

5.30am - husband up, showered and dressed. Leaves at 6am
6am - me up showered and dressed
7am - 1 year old up, dressed, milk
7.30am - breakfast then teeth and bit of telly while I tidy up
8am - drop at childminders across the road
8.15am - I get my train to work
6pm - husband gets 1 year from childminders
7pm - puts her to bed, starts dinner
7.30pm - I get in and we eat
8pm - prep lunch for next day, get clothes ready, quick tidy
8.30pm - watch a bit of telly
9.30pm - bed