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OT: Post-dinner time
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How do you spend your time after dinner on an average weekday?
The reason for my question is that our kids don’t seem to run out of energy and come bed time it’s difficult to turn off play mode and switch into bed mode. We are looking for some ideas from other families. Any ideas? Thanks.
My kids have an early bedtime, so there isn’t lots of time after supper for us. We try to eat about 5:30ish, usually DH is home by then. Then, a little before seven they brush their teeth and get ther pajamas on. If need be, and I remember in time, they do some clean up before that. We have worship together about 7 and they are in bed at 7:30. The 6 weeks I’ve been letting them read until 8. That has helped. We’ve still ben able to get them into bed when we needed them to be there and the reading time has helped them to wind down and be ready to go to sleep when I come back at 8 and turn the light out.
That’s a great question – I think the answer has something to do with a very specific, regular routine, but I wouldn’t know because we struggle there too! Especially in the summer when we just want to keep hanging out with daddy in the daylight hours! Can’t wait to gain insight from all those disciplined moms that do a great job with this…
We do dinner at about 5:00, then our after dinner chores (cleaning up from the meal), then I let them play for about half an hour, generally outside. At 6:00, it is time to start baths and piano practice – they take turns at these. I do my working out during this time since my kids are all big enough to bathe themselves and the little pianists can get help from their big sister if they have a piano conundrum! By 7:00, we are ready for a story on the couch, then a short devotional and prayer…little kids get teeth brushed and tucked in by 8:00, older kids can read, craft or play a board game until 9:00.
That’s how we ‘roll’ ;0)….maybe it will help you!
I am not the world’s most disciplined mom, but we do aim for routine. Summer is hard. It’s light till almost 9! Which is wonderful, but hard on routines.
Usually we have devotions together and some extra instrument practice, work on garden, play outside. Have you tried going for a long walk in the evenings? That might tire them out. We don’t always remember this, but strictly limiting screen time of any kind in the evening helps their brains to wind down more readily for bed.
Dinner at 5pm then cleanup and family time. We may play games, read aloud, play outside, or anything really. We always do our family scripture study in the evening too (daddy is home!). Baths/showers as needed, a snack between 7 and 8pm, and bedtime at 8:30pm. We sometimes watch a dvd between 7 and 8:30pm, not always.
At bedtime the kids get book lights, books, and I turn on an audio book in the hall between bedrooms. If they’re quiet and in bed they keep the lights until 9:30pm, the story is turned off by 10pm.
My kids range in age from 1 to 12, and the only ones not in this routine are the 1 and 2yo. They stay downstairs at 8:30. The 2yo on the couch with pillow and blanket, the 1yo in my arms or daddy’s. Both are asleep easily. We let them be upstairs with the ‘big kids’ when they are 3 and can show us they can be a big kid. To them going to be with a booklight is a huge privilege. 🙂
We don’t allow getting out of bed, talking, etc.
When the daylight ended earlier (winter), we would have a “dance party” in the basement with the music turned up loud. The kids run around, put on dress up clothes, and climb all over Dad. The last song we played each night was “Angel” by Sarah McLaughlin which would signal that it was time to go to bed. We would turn out all the lights, get flashlights out, and snuggle on the couch. Then it would be upstairs for bedtime stories, brushing teeth, and devotions/prayer.
Now that the days are longer, we all go for a family walk. We live in a very hilly area so that usually gets our hearts pumping pretty good. This has been a favorite ritual for years and we find that it settles the kids down and gives my husband and I a chance to talk. We get home and the kids immediately go to their rooms to get ready for bed (just out of habit).
Tristan – can you send your mom to come train me? I’m assuming that’s where you got all this great training as such a young mom! I am THRILLED that you let your kids read til 9:30, I just KNEW you were going to post that they were all soundly asleep by 7:30! I should have known better. You always seem to strike that perfect balance of structure and freedom. I don’t feel nearly so bad that 2 of mine are seldom asleep before 10 and now I have an idea of how I could add some structure to that late bedtime to make it more peaceful for them and for me.
Routines are harder to keep here in the summer. It is nearly 10 o’clock before it really gets dark. I still try to aim to have our younger ds in bed for 8:30, we read for a half hour together before lights out, if he doesn’t have to go with me to the office in the morning I may let him read a little longer. Older ds usually heads to his room at the same time, but might work on a project or read while I get our younger ds settled, then I go read to older ds for a while. Reading together at the end of the day is very important to us. If dh is home then he will usually read to younger ds instead of me. That usually means we get a bit of time together before going to bed ourselves. We generally eat late (6:30-7 ish) so there’s not much time between supper and bath time. When there is time, though, we might read a family read aloud, play a board game, go for a walk or bike ride or (rarely) watch a movie.
MountainMamma-
I love your bedtime routines. Sounds so fun and special. Your children will have treasured memories!
Rebekahy – You’re so sweet! And thank you for reminding me I’m a young mom still! I don’t feel that way at 32 with so many kids but I haven’t reached teen years yet with any of them so I know I have lots ahead of me yet.
I do have a great mom but also had to figure a lot of this out on the job because growing up I just had one younger sister. It took a lot less structure to manage the two of us than it does to keep my big group of kids from mayhem…LOL. One thing mom always did was let us read in bed, which is probably why I love reading so much, it was a great way to stay up late as a kid.
Can I be honest? I’ve daydreamed about having an early bedtime for the kids for years. God wiped that possibility out early on. Our second child Joseph has always been one who doesn’t need a lot of sleep. He stopped napping at a year old and then only slept 7-8 hours a night. He was up late fighting sleep until he dropped wherever he was at, then would be bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6am and ready to go again. He’s a bit better now at age 8 but still only does 8 hours most nights. But some of his brothers are early risers too now. 🙂
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