If you have preschool/ks1 age children...

[Redhothoochycoocher]

...And are home from work at 6ish, what does the evening look like for you from 6pm - going to sleep (you not them)?

6pm cook and eat dinner
Then play with DD
7pm upstairs for bath and bed
8.30ish once DD is asleep, start work again until 9.30ish
9.30 housework
10.30 start getting ready for bed
11pm sleep
5.30 wake up for another fun day!

Blimey 😱 that's quite full on. The part I struggle with is having time to play with them before bedtime and the having the final motivation to do housework after they've gone off. Bedtime is taking ages at the mo but we're working on that but leaves me with 0 in the tank to push through and tidy the kitchen or sort laundry out. I currently wake at 5 but I'm studying so when that's all done in the next few weeks maybe that's when I can catch up on the housework stuff

A mother's work is never done and all that. Suddenly means something different to what I used to think.

2 DC aged 1 and 3
6pm dinner
6.30/6.45 clear up - the kids play/watch a bit of TV before bath while we play/chat/clear up the house before bed
7pm bath - and set off the robot hoover
7.30-8pm stories and bedtime
then after that I shower, and DH and I collapse in a heap
9.30-10.30 (depending on sleep and energy levels) DH and I go to bed

once the kids are in bed the only chores I do is folding laundry while I watch TV, but not every night

Two DC, 7 &2. DH and I work full time, he’s mostly WFH and I’m not. We have a cleaner once a week so the housework is less, but still daily tidying/cleaning because children.

6pm-6.30pm kids dinner
6.30 – 7pm I put DD2 to bed while DD2 watches TV
7pm – DH cooks, I tidy/clean as he cooks
7.30pm – DD1 to bed
8pm – DH and I eat
8.30-9.30pm – TV and doomscrolling
9.30pm – prep for tomorrow, last bit of kitchen cleaning
9.45-10ish – leave phone downstairs! Bed, book, tea.
7am – it begins again.

We have three, DS6 and 3yo twins.

Kids dinner 6-6.30ish
Playtime, TV until 7.30
Bath 7.30 (alternate eldest and twins - others play when it's not their turn)
Into PJs by 8, milk and snack
8.15pm Start stories - we take turns to do eldest or twins
8.30ish lights out and asleep by 9
9-9.30 ish Adults dinner (DH cooks)
Then we chill and relax for a bit. DH usually goes to bed around 10.30/11 and then I tidy up the kitchen, put dishwasher on, straighten up the lounge etc before I go to bed.

We do have a cleaner though, so I don't do any big jobs in the evening.

We have a 2.75 yr old and a 12 month old. DH and I work full-time at the same place and pick kids up on our way home, so we all get in at the same time. The kids have tea at nursery/preschool.

5:45 - get home, I play with the kids while DH starts dinner
6:15 - dinner for DH and I, kids have a snack for supper (e.g. yoghurt, cheese and crackers, flapjack)
6:45 - "wind down" playtime
7:00 - bed time routine starts
7:45 - bed time complete, DH and I take a child each.

Once a week DH works from home so times dinner such that we're eating virtually as soon as I walk in the door, which frees up more time for playing afterwards. Even so, I do feel we don't get enough quality time with the kids.

Oops "DH and I take a child each" should be a bullet point up, referring to bed time routines.

Thanks everyone. I think I need to work on using post bedtime better. I tend to flake out but could do with a 30 minute sweep of the kitchen and living room and maybe need some quicker dinner ideas for mid week dinners. We end up eating around 7 and my girls are tired and hungry so end up fighting.

What sort of food do you all cook during the week?

Get in at 6, play with kids whilst partner makes dinner. 6.30 kids eat, supervise ) have a cuppa.
7.15 start wash, bes routine, take smalls up to bed. Partner Rosie's away dinner and starts adults meal.
8 dinner. May help tidy up before of down early enough.
8.40 take eldest up for bed whilst partner tidies up.
9 may wash up quickly or leave for tomorrow. Sit down and relax
11.15 bed

Pasta dishes
Rice dishes

Batch cook at the weekend so lasagne etx

6pm cook and eat dinner for all of us. DD does colouring etc at the kitchen table while we do this
7pm one parent does the kitchen/dishes etc, other parent puts DD to bed. I may have a shower or just get stuff ready for school the next day etc.
8pm both parents sit down to watch tv.

When we are home later than 5:30/6 we don't 'play' with the kids, there isn't time, we chat at dinner about our days etc, but i don't want to cram too much stuff in to our evenings

I’m currently on maternity and DD starts school in September so this will all change, like the winds and like a four year old’s mood, but:

5.45 DD home from nursery with DP, sort her out with snack and a quick play with the baby
6pm she watches some TV or plays with DP while I put the baby to bed
6.30 baby asleep, TV off, we play a board or card game or some interminable animal role play
7pm bath and bed, we still have to sit with her and plan to do some training as she doesn’t go to sleep til 8pm these days and I feel like if we could escape at 7.30 it would make a difference. One does bedtime, the other clears up the baby’s detritus from the day and makes dinner
8pm we eat, then together divide and conquer dishwasher, sink, programme washing machine, any food prep for the baby or weekend or whatever
9pm I read and go to bed at 10, DP hides in his cave til 1am to feel alive

A couple of nights a week DP commutes so it goes more like: 5pm collect DD, 5.30-8pm chaotic shitshow, 8pm takeaway and cry. On Fridays DD is off so we eat with her so there’s less to do including eating and we’re in the clear as soon as she’s in bed. I do think if we all ate together after school we’d have more of an evening but she only likes 5 meals at home (eats anything at nursery) and they are all variations on mince and I just can’t do it; she gets a substantial tea at nursery and at after school club and to do dinner at home would mean picking her up earlier and I’m unwilling to cut my hours further.