Working mother + school age children

vicki

Sun, Sep 07 2014, 7:02 am

I would walk in the door with the kids about 5:45 - 6:00. Dh would be home around the same so for the rest of the evening we divided up the tasks. Dinner had been prepared the night before and I needed about 15 minutes to heat it up and make a salad. Meanwhile kids got a healthy small snack and drink. And started homework. At so young, my kids' homework did not take too long. Dinner from 6:30-7:00. Baths were started by dh or me other cleaned up and helped with more homework. If homework was completed they could play inside or outside. Bed at 7:30 - 8:00 for younger ones and 8:00 - 8:30 for older ones. This worked for us. Good Luck. Oh, I remember that his leaving to Mincha/Maariv messed up our whole evening. He ended up davening Mincha earlier and Maariv later.

HonesttoGod

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 11:17 am

I come home around 6pm. My dh comes home usually 10minutes before me so picks up the kids from the babysitter and brings them home.
Supper is either prepared from the freezer and needs warming up or is something quick like pasta or pizza.
I like to bathe the kids, put them in pjs and deal with school work first. While supper is heating up. My dh does one and I the other and in between the cooking/heating up we talk to the kids and take care of them.

Supper is usually done by 7 and then it is teeth and bed.
I like to have them in bed by 730 latest (they are all still young so all at the same time) but the baby recently started going down at 615 so I usually feed him immediately after baths and he is in bed with a bottle by 615/630. I do him first whilst dh takes care of the older ones. It is a bit of a juggling game but we make it work.

Then the house is mine. I procrastinate but eventually I clean up from supper, wash up, prepare lunches, bags, stuff for the next day and then crash in bed. If I get a shower first we are doing well.

Hug

it is not an easy ball game.

LiLIsraeli

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 12:54 pm

My kids and I get home around 4 PM. First we have snack time and a little downtime. I usually start supper at 5 and I do homework with the kids while supper is cooking. Supper is sometime between 6 and 7. Baths and showers start at 6:45 or when supper is over, whichever is later. I usually have them all in bed by 7:30 - 7:45. DH works longer hours so he isn't home during our evening routine.

After kids are in bed I usually stop to catch my breath, and then tidy up a little and prepare lunches, snacks, and clothes for the next day. When DH gets home we eat supper together.

debsey

Mon, Sep 08 2014, 1:12 pm

I'm going to start the night before:

I make supper for tomorrow night as my kids eat tonight's supper, and it sits in the fridge all day.
My five year old comes home first, at 2. I'm still working. Husband brings her home from school. Baby has been home with housekeeper all day.
Homework time starts the minute my 2nd grader comes home (he's in special ed, so he gets home like 3:45) We do his HW first, before the big kids come home.
I try to make salad after his HW before the big kids come home. If my housekeeper is still there, she helps with that. (she leaves at 4)
feed baby.
Upper elementary girl comes home and generally helps me set table or starts eating salad, depending what I'm up to.
Big boys come home next, around 4:30. SUPPER MUST BE ON TABLE, they are like lions when they walk in.
They eat salad or soup first.
I ask big boys to start their HW. ONE ENGLISH THING.
I serve main dish to little kids, whoever gets it cut up for them.
While I'm serving, I try to get 2nd grader to pick tomorrow's snack and put his HW back in briefcase. I try not to have 2nd grader at table with big boys, they get on each other's nerves.
I serve main dish to 5 year old, big boys and upper elementary school girl.
High School Girls come home. I hate this, but I usually pass off feeding the baby to one of them as soon as they walk in, because I'm finishing up everyone's details.
I serve the HS girls all the food at once.
Upper elementary school girl goes to dining room, starts her HW on her own.
Big boys finish eating. I ask them to do ONE english HW and then they can go play for a bit. (they usually have two english homeworks which they always try to "forget" to do)
I finish up with 2nd grader, laying out clothes, snack, cleaning out briefcase (he needs lots of help and organization)
HS girls go to dining room to do HW. They are usually good about helping upper elementary girl with her HW.
I pop 5 year old in bath, maybe pop baby in with her.
we choose clothes for tomorrow, write her mitzva note, make her lunch, and put a penny in her briefcase. We put briefcase and shoes next to door.
she goes to play.
At some point, baby goes to sleep.
2nd grader is scared to go upstairs to sleep, so he looks at picture books on couch (in good times. In bad times, he fights with siblings or annoys them)
HS girls help me neaten up kitchen. Upper elementary girl comes in for a chat. Favorite part of night.
I put 5 year old to bed.
I put 2nd grader to bed for first time that night. He'll be out again sooon!
Big boys come in. They have to do their Hebrew HW. I don't supervise anymore. They do it on their own. They always need reminders to CHOOSE SNACK. PUT IN BRIEFCASE. PUT BRIEFCASE BY DOOR.TAKE OFF SNEAKERS. PUT BY DOOR.
Big boys amuse selves, usually they call mishpacha junior hotline and listen to it at a blasting volume.
Husband comes home.
I go downstairs, because I work nights as well!
OMG, this sounds so overwhelming. But it's not.
because I"m very on top of snacks, shoes, briefcases etc, the mornings are much easier.