Having a 3 year old and a 4 year old has it’s challenges but is also very rewarding. I love having my girls close in age. The routines have changed so many times since they were born. A routine never stays the same but over time I have found what works for me and I adjust as I go. Having my girls close in age actually makes that very easy because they are going through similar transitions, and they have the same needs. I am also doing morning homeschooling as well too. That is Monday-Thursday. And that looks different based upon on what we are deciding to learn that day or if we go somewhere to learn, like the library. It just depends. I’ll share what a typical day looks like being home with my girls, balancing homeschool and part-time work. By August of this year, my routine will change. So even though this is my routine now, in a just a few short months, our lives are going to look very different. It’s crazy how so much can change in a short about of time.
Here’s what my typical day looks like with a 3 year old and a 4 year old.
7:00am: the girls wake. They sleep in the same room. We also have an alarm clock for them that they sometimes wake up before the alarm clock, but do leave their room until the alarm clock goes off. After they wake, they find me. I am sometimes downstairs already drinking my coffee because I woke up earlier or just waking up in my room. We then brush our teeth and get ready for breakfast.
7:15am: Breakfast. Sometimes I put on a show while I make them their breakfast. They are really into “Creature Cases” on Netflix. We are also a Bluey house too. They love eating dippy eggs and toast or waffles. That is what I’ve been making most days for them. Sometimes they like Greek yogurt with peanut butter powder and granola. I like to also give them fruit too. Strawberries and apple sauce is a house fav.
7:45ish am: we either watch a little bit of more show, or go back up to their rooms and get ready. Getting ready, like choosing and outfit, socks, underwear, hair, bows, can take a very long time. During this time I sometimes take a quick shower too while they’re changing or play in their rooms. I shower whenever I can find a few minutes.
8:30am-10:45- I we do some school. We do a little bit of reading or phonics, and math. Being January, the girls have adjusted pretty well with school. We also use this time to play a lot. When it was nice out, we would play outside or take walks. We also like to go to the library during this time too. I also use this time to take any trips to target or the grocery store if I need to. Every day is very different but also very similar. This time is a mix of everything.
10:45-11- we use this time to clean up and get ready for lunch.
11:00- Lunchtime: lunch is so easy. Since we do school, I typically pack their lunch. It’s an easy peanut butter sandwich, chips, apple juice, apple sauce, and anything else they request for lunch. They have gotten really good at opening their lunch box and eating. I try to make something for myself quickly during this time too.
11:30- Wind Down: I call this wind down because I put something on the tv, while I clean up after lunch. I make sure I turn off all the lights and keep things quiet. The morning is pretty crazy and packed full with so much, so this time is special and peaceful. At least I try to.
11:50- get ready for nap or rest time. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I work 3-4 hours. So I try to make sure my 3 year old naps at least an hour and a half before my husband gets home so I can get some work done.
12:00- my three year old naps, my 4 year old plays independently, and I work. If it is a Tuesday or Thursday, I use this time to catch up on chores, or make fashion videos for my fashion page. Either way, I’m doing something that having at least one child naps makes it easier to get some work or chores or videos done. My 4 year old does pretty well playing independently, thankfully.
2:00pm- my 3 year old typically wakes up, and my husband is home. On days I work, he watches them. On the days I am not, we all hang out and play together. The girls usually eat a snack around this time too.
3-5pm: this time always seems to drag. If you know, you know. I enjoy having another parent though, that I don’t have to do it all. The girls will play, sometimes I give them an hour of their tablet, sometimes we clean up toys together, sometimes we go for a family walk, sometimes I leave and get a coffee. It literally just depends on the day and the needs for that day. But this time always seems very chaotic. I also start making dinner around 4:30. Luckily I have dinners preplanned. That helps make the routine easy for dinner time too.
5:00- Dinner. We eat together as a family. This time is one of my favorite times of the day. But can also be very chaotic too. Some dinners are a hit, some are a miss. Sometimes we have food flying, sometimes everything is staying in plates. Sometimes I have to help a child go potty and I don’t get eat, sometimes there are no potty breaks during this time. Either way, it’s the same every night. And I love it. We talk a lot too during this time too. My girls have a lot to say.
5:45- the girls take a shower. My husband and I have a pretty good compromise during this time. We’ve been doing it for a couple years now and I love it. We take turns who does the dishes and give the girls a bath or shower. My husband usually does hair was day which is every other day. So we basically alternate tasks during this time. By the time girls are done with bath or shower, the kitchen is clean. It is wonderful. If I am cleaning up, I like to also clean up any toys in the living room area too.
6:00- Watch tv as a family…. Sorta. The girls will watch a show, I will sometimes continue cleaning, or read a book, or watch with them. My husband will watch with them. Again, depends. But it is a “calm” time before bed.
6:45- bedtime routine. This is brush teeth, brush hair, read books, play around, daddy tells a story, listen to a song, really anything that gets them to bed. We then say our goodnight, talk about our day again, and lights are off between 7-7:15. They go to sleep pretty easily. My husband and I have a relaxing evening.
Once the girls start school in September, it will be interesting how things change. I’ll make sure to report back. But this is a typical day for us. I absolutely love it. It’s exhausting, and I have to figure out how to balance a lot, but my husband and I have a pretty good system. I believe in routine. It is very predictable for the girls.
What do your routines look like with your kids? Let me know! I’d love to chat about it!
Thank you so much for reading!
Susana
Comments