CM Club - My routine is too rushed - HELP!!!!!

[looneytune]

Hi

I mentioned this in the staffroom and this is what I mean:

Mon-Wed

8.30am - Nursery Run (2 sister mindees either arrive 5 mins before and just put in car or they come after the run)
9.45am - toddler group/childminder drop in (Mon & Tues, Wed is my house/park etc) - either go straight there and help set up or get home around 9.20 then off again at 9.40
11.10am - leave group to do nursery run
11.50am - get home, get 5 month old, 22 month old and 4 year old in the house, bags away, shoes, coats off etc. Make lunch, wash hands, sit them down to eat, hurry toddler up, give dessert, nappy changes, nap - need at least an hour really
2.15pm - get toddler up and start getting the 3 ready to get back in the car again for picking pre-schooler up.
3pm - arrive home, let 4 under 5's in and same old shoes/coatds off etc. Do stuff for an hour then make dinner etc and mindees leave at 6pm and 6.30pm.

My main rush is the lunchtime bit as usually they end up sat down at 12.30 and toddler doesn't go down for her nap til around 1.15pm - she insists on singing for about 20 mins and so isn't getting a long enough nap really. I know I could prepare lunch in advance but what sort of things could I do to just serve up? I usually do just a sandwich/cheese on toast/crackers lunch but it's the chopping of carrot sticks, cucumber and bits like that I don't think I can prepare in advance really.

On Thursday/Friday I have the 3 month old 1:1 baby so mornings are fine (routine wise) but ds is at lunch club so mornings more relaxed and don't have to leave to pick ds up til 12.30, back at 1pm. Only problems I have these days are getting the baby into a routine but she's still very young.

After reading what I've put, it doesn't look THAT bad but it certainly feels very rushed, more so with baby being poorly/sick/snotty etc and struggling with feeds/needing lots more attention.

So............what am I moaning about really????!!!!

Of course every school run means getting the kids in the car, then out and into a twin buggy then walk to school then back to car, out of pram and back in car seats then out again at other end - and it's even more fun in the rain with a streamy cold!! LOL

Sorry, don't know why I put we get back at 3pm - we get back at 3.10pm then of course it's snacktime at 3.30pm which I missed. I do feel bad as I don't really do any particular activities between getting back and doing dinner as there's just time for snack really although I might read a story whilst giving baby her bottle.

Oh, and 4 diaries to write - the baby one takes ages atm!

Yeah, I know what you mean - I swear the diaries/packing up/changing nappies for home/meals take AGES and I start to get a bit panicky around leaving time. And I only have 2 mindees.

I would highly recommend an assistant.
I have just taken on a 16yr old student to help with my own day to day solo juggling act.
She is worth her weight in gold actually, but thankfully exempt from minimum wage so just about affordable.

goosegg, tell me more! I thought as an ee they were due minimum wage?

Well I suppose it is a minimum wage really - it's called a Development wage - for 16 and 17yr olds.
It's £3.30 per hour and must go up £4.45 an hour once they hit 18.
You can apply to Ofsted have your registered number of children increased when they are 17.
If you take on a childcare apprentice ie someone who is 16 or 17 or 18 and studying for an NVQ in childcare, you can lawfully pay them a minimum of £80 for a 40hr working week, or part-time hours pro-rata as long as you offer them enough hours to satisfy their studies. They will usually need an unpaid day off per week in term time to attend college.

I've decided to rope OH in as my assistant when I am registered and I will pay him in kind!

I often make packed lunch-type food in the morning before mindees arrive. Chopped cucumber, carrot, grapes, etc is fine if you keep it in the fridge, although, ds' is in his lunchbox for at least 4 hours before he gets to eat it at school!

If I'm not getting home until after 12ish I take the packed lunch out with me and mindees eat in the buggy (also stops mindee1 falling asleep!).

I often tidy the coats and bags and other debris away once mindees have gone for their sleep.

Is your school run within walking distance? Maybe if you didn't have to get in and out of the car so often might make you feel less rushed.