This post is part of a series called “How do you do it?” I asked readers to share how they manage a typical day in their family life. Of course we all know there is really no such thing as a typical day in family life, but this gives us a sneak peak into how others are doing it and hopefully you will find some tips that can help you in your day. You can read other posts in the series by clicking here. Thank you so much to the women who generously shared their stories!
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What is your name?
Jen
Where do you live?
South Australia
Tell me a little bit about your family
Family is me, my 13 year old (nearly 14) son, and our dog.
What do your mornings look like?
I get up around 6.30, walk the dog, come home, shower, compile lunches (I try to do little bits I can the night prior), make sure son is on track, eat breakfast and we leave about 8am. I drop him off at bus stop and I continue onto my work.
What does your after school time look like? (eg 3.30pm – 5.30pm)
I’m usually at work. Now that son is in high school he gets himself home on the bus and walking, after school and will do his homework (yeah right), I mean lounge around at home until I get there.
What does dinner time look like? (eg 5.30pm – 8.00pm)
Because there’s only the two of us, sometimes we have leftovers, or freezer surprise (leftovers from a previous meal that I froze), or I cook. During the summer we had sport training two nights a week which meant being better organised, or having fish and chips some nights.
What does the kids’ bedtime process look like?
Son is self-sufficient now, but internet goes off at 9pm and he will usually try to get out of having a shower and delay getting to bed but he’s usually in bed by 9.30 – 10pm.
What happens once the kids go to bed? (eg 8.00pm – 10.30pm)
I tidy up from our meal – put dishes in dishwasher, hand wash what I need to, might do a load of washing, and I generally veg in front of the tv till about 9.30 when I go to bed and read for a bit. Often lately, son and I end up going to bed at the same time which makes it hard to catch up on latest episodes of Game of Thrones.
Do you do any preparation for the week on weekends and if so what?
Weekends are for working out what meals we’ll have during the week (a bit loosely), grocery shopping, and I usually do at least one big meal. Lately, because it’s cold, I’ve been doing one big soup a week which I’ve been having for lunches. Depending on how much I’ve got sport/social commitment-wise depends on how much I’ll do with food-prep. It’s also time to get washing and cleaning done, although I’ve just found a cleaner so that should free up some time.
Anything else you would like to share?
The above is a week-day snapshot. Weekends are a different kettle of fish. Usually there’s some sort of social stuff whether it’s sport, scouts, or us going out.
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There was lots I could relate to about Jen’s day, like kids doing homework (or not!) and going to bed the same time or even before the older kids. As the kids get older it does get harder to find time alone in the evening.