A day in the life.

I always wonder what other stay at home parents do with their days. How do you cope with all the hours in the day??

As a teacher I loved timetables. Ok english until 9:40, then maths, then break… My whole day used to be so structured. On days that we don’t have mother and toddler groups/ toddler hour in the library etc, I sometimes find all that time stretching out in front of me while I panic thinking of ways to fill it. Do other parents panic like this faced with unplanned days? I feel like I should have “activities” planned in nice little half hour slots but in a full 12 hour day that seems impossible.

Today is an example of what we do all day (not really sure when the day starts with little ones as I was in and out several times last night…but we will go with the actual all out of bed get up time)

8.30: Baby crying on monitor. Go to kids room. Pick up, kisses, two nappies changed. Pick out two sets of clothes, dress. Down to Mammy’s room. Try to dress with one year old literally stuck to my leg, while two year old tries to find anything that she can that is remotely off limits (deodorant, eye cream, tweezers). Brush our teeth. Downstairs.

9.00: Breakfast. Toast for two year old on a cereal strike. Weetabix for little one. Feed little one. Give toast to distract while Mammy eats muesli. Put on youtube nursery rhymes while Mammy goes to the loo and both are strapped into their chairs.

10.00: Playroom. Change a stinker of a nappy. Do an alphabet jigsaw while one year old keeps chewing on pieces and her sister screams at her. Make bottle for little one. Feed at 10.30. Brush hair. Put on coats and hats.

11.00: Pop kids in car. Go back for double buggy, eventually manage to shove it in boot. Off to the supermarket. Pick up some shopping, pack up car.

11.30: Playground. Spent the majority of the time on the swings, pushing both kids until Mammy runs out of energy and suggests a go on the slide. Cue meltdown from First in command, eventually solved by getting her to “teach” her sister how to use the slide.

12.15: Home for lunch: leftover lasagna. Then banana for after, almighty mess left in kitchen. Sigh.

1.30: Naptime a.k.a. Mammy’s favourite time of the day 🙂 Upstairs, First in Command in bed, feed baby, put her down, sneak downstairs. Turn on Monitors, “MAMMY!!! Sing me a song!!!” “Hush you will wake your sister, nap time, no singing” Miraculously this works.

3.30: Up from naps and its playtime! Our current toys de jour are alphabet blocks and a magnetic red riding hood jigsaw.

4:15: Playdough: “Make something; is that a snail? Make him a slug, give him spikes. Make a mermaid. Make the slug a mermaid. He wants to fly, give him wings. Make him a pool” Your wish is my command. Let baby bash playdough while continuously trying to stop her eating in, fail on two occasions.. ooops.

5.00: Telly time! So Mammy can make dinner! Set up kids in front of Dora and go to boil potatoes, Daddy comes home and takes over cooking while Mammy has a lay down on the couch, albeit with two children crawling all over her.

6.00: Dinner. Peas are always a good idea. Takes them ages to catch and eat.

7:00: Playtime; Blocks, pretend food, mostly climbing on Daddy.

8.00: Bedtime! Pj’s, Story, bottle for baby, soothers and then Mammy or Daddy stays until they are asleep (could be 9.30!)

9.30: Mammy and Daddy time! (aka watch crap tv, drink decaff coffee and have half an attempt at some adult conversations)

And then in the morning it all starts all over again!