How much do you do after the DC are in bed?

[ImFree2doasiwant]

Particularly if you are single with young DC?

I realise that Covid, lock diwn, WFH, school closing etc have exacerbated how I'm feeling, but I'm just so worn out with it.

Dc are 3 and 5, so although they are getting more independent, they still need a lot of input. The house is like a tornado Went through it. I'm getting no time without dc to really get stuck in. By the time they're in bed, I'm done.

Any tips on how to organise my life? Other than suck it up for a few more years?

When I was a single parent with a 3yo, absolutely nothing

Could you organise a kind of "clean up routine" before bed with the DC? Clear the dinner table, put toys away, start the dishwasher, wipe counters down - then once that's done bedtime hour on cbeebies or something like that as a reward as a start of bedtime kind of ritual?

Another one which I saw on MN and have borrowed - put washing machine on first thing in the morning, time the cycle for however long until you can hang it up, then repeat if needed /you have the energy to.

I do as much as i can before they go to bed then i do absolutely nothing once they go to sleep. Mine are 5yrs (asd) 3yrs and 2yrs and i am shattered by the time they go to bed so i make sure the lounge is tidy before bed so i can sit in a tidy room and ignore the rest of the house

An almost two year old and 7 month old here. I hate daytimes- they're manic and I have no time for chores (or myself). The minute they're in bed, the dishwasher goes on, I put a wash on and will mop, scrub, disinfect everything. I dedicate one evening to cleaning the bathroom, another to batch cooking, another to ironing and so on and so forth. I'm absolutely exhausted by the time I get into bed- usually past midnight after I've had a quick shower and cleaned the bathroom- again. I have a DH but he's proven himself useless lately.

I just say this as I'm not a very organised person naturally, but I now have a DH and he is. He gets DS2 to help with the pre-bed tidy up routine and it does help to make things feel more under control by the time I have finished bedtime.

Single parent here with a 7 year old. I do housework, one room a day so I don't have to do it at the weekend. I'm usually done by 9pm, I don't have incredibly high standards for cleaning so it's a hoover or sweep/mop, bleach the loo and dust, that's about it! I deep clean the fridge, oven and bathroom maybe once a month.

I’m not a single parent but this has made me feel better. I do nothing after bed time (if there’s even time after bedtime). I’m way to shattered so you must be extra shattered being a single mum.

I have recently started being more strict in getting mine (4 and 6) to clear up their own toys and I’ve found that helps. I won’t put tv on until the last toys are put away or let them in the garden unless they’ve put away their toys etc.

I used to tidy up and put washing away as they got PJs on and brushed teeth, but that seemed to stretch bedtime out as they saw the potential for more messing about.

I hardly ever do anything after they’ve gone to bed. It’s so late and I haven’t got the energy. I try and tackle jobs in a morning instead.

Thanks, like I say, 5 months of staying at hone has taken its toll I think, I was in a really good routine, and of course with dc1 at school every day and dc2 at pre school 3 days, there's less chance for mess to occur. I also had 1 day of school hours with no work (as in, paid employment.....) to crack on with house stuff. How I miss those days!!

I need to create a new routine I think.

Nothing. Not even putting the TV on.
DCs are 7 & 9 and night owls. I can still hear DS2 chuntering away to himself above me.
Since lockdown, I haven't even done bedtine stories/ reading as I'm too overloaded from the constant presence of the household.

Hopefully a bit of peace and personal space when they get back to school will help...

I'm stealing myself to start getting them up earlier, as bedtime us drifting later and later, and I'm just done with it by then, so end up with little patience for the inevitable dicking about that occurs. They're really not bad for bedtime, but are hanging my last nerve by 8.30pm. Smallest was up at 6.30am today. It's a long day. I also don't put the telly on. I can't even read atm . I'm just looking at shite online