To ask how you manage your day

[Fairyloo]

Hi,

Just wondering what sort of routine you all have and how you manage your day. I am constantly tired, feeling run down and need some time savers.

6am up, shower dress, take something out freezer or bung some stuff in slow cooker. Sort washing ect

715 get dd up dressed for school.

8.00 leave walk to school drop dd at school get train to work (don't drive)

Arrive at work at 9Am work till 5 get train home and pick dd up from afterschool.

Home about 6 have tea, do homework give dd a bath and before I know it it's 8pm bed for dd and I'm exhausted.

My friends suggest cinema meal out ect and I just couldn't face it.

Am I just lazy? How does your day pan out?

On days off I'm batch cooking, catching up with laundry, swimming ect.

When I worked f/t my day looked pretty similar to yours. I usually felt like I couldn't face anything in the evenings but on the occasions I did venture out, I did find my 'second wind'.

Perhaps look at what you are doing and see if there's anything you can cut back on.

How much batch cooking are you doing? Why do you need to batch cook and bung stuff in the slow cooker too?

Is there anything you can get someone else to help with?

Don't give dd a bath every night - it's not necessary?

It's a long day, not surprised you're knackered.

How much of a walk to school do you have? If it's a quick one I know it sounds illogical but fit some more exercise into your evening (even just a 20 min workout like Shred) and you'll have more energy.

Are you eating well?

Of course you are tired, that's a tiring schedule.

Is there any way your DD could do her homework before you get home, wherever she happens to be?

but really I don't think many parents go out on week days do they? all exhausted.

My day is similar to yours although I'm not at work as long!

6:00am up, cup of tea and a fag to get me going
6:10am kids up and breakfast. washed and dressed and getting everything ready.
7:45am out the door with the 3 kids to take DS and DD2 to the CM and DD1 to breakfast club
8:40am work til 3:15pm
3:30pm pick up DD1 from school, then down to CM to pick up DS and DD2.
5:00-7:00pm cooking dinner, fighting with DD1 to do homework, kids in bath, washing up, tidying round
7:00pm DS in bed
7:30pm DD2 in bed then reading/spellings with DD1
8:00pm DD1 in bed (oh the joy!!!)
8:00pm onwards. organising clothes for the following day, packed lunches, ironing.
9:00pm will sit down and do some paperwork for work
11:00pm more than ready to head off to bed!

Slightly different on a Tuesday because DD1 has Brownies too which just delays things.

We don't go out either. DH and I went out on Saturday for the first night in I don't know how long and still ended up coming home early as too tired to do anything else!

you sound like most working parents. if you look in the housekeeping section they sometimes have timesaving tips. mine are -- get a cleaner if you can afford one; don't do it unless its essential or you enjoy it; do things when you have most energy as you will do them quicker.

we really are superwomen eh! it's a constant bug bear of mine that i still end up taking on the majority of the kids/home stuff even though i work too(albeit a week squeezed into 3 days for sometimes more money than my DH brings in..but that's a diff thread)
i am out tonight, but i usually still call it a night and ensure i'm home and in bed by 11ish or i just can't cope the next day! once autumn sets in i rarely venture out until spring ;-)

How old is DD?
Can she do any homework before you get in and you check it?
Does she need a bath every day?

When I read your schedule I also wondered why your DD was having a bath everyday. Could you cut this down to every second day and make it a shower?

Oh, and my routine...

I have one 9y DD who is at school. DH works FT. I work PT, mornings til 12:30am.

Typical school day:

6:45am - DH gets up and hsowered

7:00am - I get up and showered; DH gets dressed and wakes DD; alternate days DD has a shower which means she gets up 5 or 10 mins earlier and jumps in quickly normally just before me. She then gets dressed.

DH sorts his and DD's breakfast which they eat in the living room together. I finish getting myself ready. I encourage DD to have her bag sorted and backed after this and then I do her hair for her.

8am - (or 7:45am two days a week as DD has support lessons early at school) DH and DD leave for school. DH takes Dh on his way to work. She can be left from 8:15am and school starts at 8:30am. DH gets to work after that.

8am - I leave for work to arrive in time for a quick drink and to start at 8:30am (I work in a school)

12:30pm - this is when I am supposed to finish though it is often sometime between now and 1pm. I then go home for lunch, do housework, tidy up, go shopping, sometimes meet a friend for lunch/coffee, do school work, veg out.

3:30pm - leave to collect DD from school; she finishes at 3:45pm. We get home just after 4pm

After school

• Mon/alt Thu - DD does homework, I will check it after; then she goes off to play. I prep dinner for us all ready to serve when DH is home at 6:45pm ish.

• Tues/Wed/alt Thur - DD does homework, I will check it after; DD has dinner early and then has either drama or Brownies starting at 6:30 or 6 respectively until 7:30pm. DH collects. Alt Thursdays DD has climbing from 4:30 - 6:30pm. Dh collects from all three activities; I take. Me and Dh eat once he gets back in.

• Fri - a bit different as I collect friend's DDs at 3:15pm from their school, then DD. I bring them home and feed them, and then parents come later and we have a Friday night chat over dinner and wine. No homework, done at weekend.

8-9pm - DD goes to bed sometime between these times. DH takes her up and they have a quick chat. DD often reads but generally lights out for 9pm.

10:30-11pm - DH and I got to bed, read for a bit and then sleep.

Oh of course you're going to be tired, sweetheart. Long days (groundhog days bringing up kids really), and you work too!
Maybe a vitmain supplement or the sunshine pill (St Johns Wort) and I dare say a spa weekend would recharge your batteries too!

Can't even begin to itemise my days; my boys (13 n 14) are both severely disabled. No rules apply and all bets are off!!!!

How old is DD?

My son does some of his homework at the after school club.
Also ...does she really need a bath every night??

It is tough going working full time and looking after kids ...im knackered most of the time and wouldn't even consider going out during the week. Once or twice a week I also get into bed at about 9pm myself!

She always looks grubby! How often do you bathe your kids then?? Always just done it thinking that was what you were meant to do!!!

She is 6. I think I will ask afterschool to get her to do homework. That's good idea!!

I bathe mine daily, partly because they're usually filthy, partly because it doesn't take much longer than trying to wash them properly, and partly because it's part of their bedtime routine. A bath seems to remind them that sleep will follow!

Fairy, not surprised you're knackered and don't feel like going out - it's a full on day especially if you have that schedule full time. I agree with some of the other posters that it's not always necessary to give the kids a bath. Sometimes quick wash will do.

Also, sounds like you might benefit from a good tonic - Floradix is excellent. Also I take Solgar female multiple vitamins that I think give me a boost. My day is a bit more flexible than yours I think but I'm still spent by the end of it.

7am - get up and stagger downstairs - husband usually gives kids brekkie if he's not got an early start. Make my porridge.
7.30am - make dd's packed lunch while she and ds watch Milkshake
7.50 - get myself and kids dressed
8.30am - school/nursery run
9.30am - gym or home for cuppa
10.30 - crack on with work on computer (work from home)
1pm - collect ds from nursery
3.15pm - school run
4pm - oversee homework whilst preparing dinner
5 - 5.30pm - dinner
6pm - bath (but not every night)
7 - 7.30pm - Kids to bed
8pm - resume work on computer to tie up loose ends
9pm - watch telly with husband
10pm - Bed

My routine's the same bar the train I take the car.
Are you getting quality sleep?
Do you get an extra hour or so lie in at the weekend?
Don't drink caffeine after 5pm to help you sleep well.
Google berrocca it's meant to be good.

I'd get up later if i were you. Why do you need an hour and a quarter to shower and dress before waking your DD?

Your routine doesn't sound that awful...are you getting enough sleep? What time do you go to bed? Vitamins? Do you eat regularly? I'd expect you to be shattered, yes, you're a working mum...but not so exhausted you can't function...at least not all the time.

Up at 5 am
shower dress make tea to drink in car and out the door by 5 35 ish
(Dh starts later so gets DD2 up and organized for school.the other 3 deal with themselves :o)
Start work at 6 am
leave work at 2 30 pm
I used to pick Dd2 up at kindergarden on my way home but now shes in the school system the bus drops her off at the end of my driveway
I spend at least an hour clearing up the mess the big kids leave in their wake
I put a bread on
Start making lunches for the next day
Cook something veggie for Dd1 and something huge for Ds 1 and 2 if they are not working and something for dd2 if she doesnt want what anyone else is eating
Clear up
Do homework with DD2 and make sure anyone else is doing theirs
Start cooking supper for Dh and myself
do the whole shower thing with Dd2,pick out clothes for her next day etc
Dh and I eat supper
get Dd2 off to bed
Clear up the kitchen again
plank my arse with a glass of wine and mumsnet for at bit
Off to bed between 9 pm and 10 pm ( old foostie, me :o)

You're only working 9am - 5pm though? Your routine sounds tiring but essentially I think you're incredibly lucky to have an office job where it's acceptable to just do the core 9-5 (I've not worked in one of those for years). Lots of parents work longer hours than that, and although it might feel annoying to have someone point that out to you, please remember how lucky you are in that respect - it's not all doom and gloom!

You need to look at flylady as others have suggested, and trim down the amount of time you're spending on other things too.

1.25hrs inbetween getting up and DD getting up? Can you do any of the washing sorting with her help - at 6 you can make it into a game and reward stars (or whatever) when she does it with you.

Also as someone else pointed out - cut out the daily shower for you in the morning, go to every 2nd day. Same for DD, baths take a long time, they're more prone towards time wasting, and showers are just better all around I've found (both with DDs and DS).

Fairyloo are you a lone parent?

gaaagh - why is she lucky to do a job that is 9-5? You have no idea what that job is or whether she takes home less money for a job that doesn't require any additional hours. Yes lots of parents do work more hours that that. But many people also have low paid or menial jobs that don't require or have scope for overtime or additional hours.

Bit of a tone there, gaagh... there is time between waking and getting OP's dd up as she is doing chores, seems efficient enough to me..

My day (when working x 3 per week)
6am alarm
6.20 haul myself out of bed.. never wake up first thing - dress, get lunch out of fridge, transfer slow cooked meal from slow cooker to fridge, do minor bits that need doing
6.50 Bus
7.22 Train
8.00 Bus
8.15 work
5.30pm finish
Repeat commute
Home at 7.00
Dinner with family (ds has already eaten but he sits with us when I eat and has a "cup of tea" e.g. hot milk with a pinch of nutmeg)
Read a book with ds
Bath ds
Put ds to bed (8.15)
Come back downstairs
Do lunches/sort out slow cooker meal/get ready for work/get clothes/wash floors
Study (MSc)/fart around on Mumsnet and feel crap for doing so as I am not studying/do some Wii fit/bake - go out about twice a month with a friend
Go to bed, too late. Like Now

It's tiring and I've only one tot, but I have a lot of energy at work because (in t he main) I enjoy my work. On my days off I do all the other stuff... housecleaning, hanging out with ds and on Saturdays, when dh is available to ds, study study study.

Can't believe people would say an adult shouldn't bath daily.
Yes a child might not need it every day, but if her dd enjoys bath time and it gives them some fun time together then why shouldn't they do it every day.

Most of the people posting here also seem to have a DH around who is presumably taking some of the strain and gives you some company of an evening too. From the OP it sounds to me like she is a lone parent, and that can be very tiring and lonely.

Theoldtrout...you cook three different meals? Why????

work days:-

up 5am get washed dressed and make coffee
5:50 leave the house
2:30 finish work
3:55 pick dd from nursery
3:15 pick ds up
4:00 start dinner and start housework
4:30 homework
5:00 sandwiches, uniforms and bags packed
6:00 tidy up and clean kitchen
6:30 start the laundry
7:00 bath time
7:15 pj on the DC winding down time
7:30 dd bed time ( story hugs and kisses ect)
7:45 ds bedtime
8:00 continue with the laudry
8:30 my bath/shower
12:00 my bedtime

non work days

7:30 up and getting breakfat done
7:45 washed and dreese
8:30 out of the door
9:00 back home
11:30 dinner on for dd, face washed ect ready for nursery
12:15 take dd to nursery

3:55 pick dd from nursery
3:15 pick ds up
4:00 start dinner and start housework
4:30 homework
5:00 sandwiches, uniforms and bags packed
6:00 tidy up and clean kitchen
6:30 start the laundry
7:00 bath time
7:15 pj on the DC winding down time
7:30 dd bed time ( story hugs and kisses ect)
7:45 ds bedtime
8:00 continue with the laudry
8:30 my bath/shower
12:00 my bedtime

weekend

no routine untill bedtime :)

If you are always tired get your iron levels checked. If you have heavy periods or are not eating properly (or both) then that could be the cause. No one should be constantly tired.

I also agree that exercise might be good. Twice a week I get up earlier to go for early morning swim or run and it is the best thing.