Evening Schedules

[Country Kids]

We have gone over childcare schedules here a few times,now I'm wondering about what your evening schedules look like.

I would LOVE to be able to start doing some exercising in the evening. Mornings just do not work for me but evenings would be fine if I could find time.

Our schedule goes like this:

Close 5:30-run son to practice
Home by 6:00-Start dinner (during this I try to start picking up house)
Sit down to eat by 7;00
7;30-start cleaning up from dinner, house for the next day till about 9:00

During this time kids are doing/finishing up homework, getting showers done, winding down for bed.

9;00-kids heading to bed, me showering then heading to bed.

I just can't get anytime in to workout/exercise of any sort.

What do your schedules look like and when do you fit in the workout/exercise time?

[Blackcat31]

How old are your kids? If they are old enough, it seems to me that they can do the cleaning up after dinner and work on their homework and get showered without you having ot be right there....kwim?

During those times, I would sneak in little workouts. While they are cleaning up the kitchen after YOU cooked, then I would do 30 minutes of cadio and while they are doing homework or getting showered and ready for bed I would try to sneak in some strength training or maybe yoga or pilates.

Researchers are now saying that short little bursts of intense exercise is just as beneficial, if not more, than a long work out session.

Iuse my eliptical for 30-45 minuted a few times a week, but ai also sneak little mini-work outs into my daily routine with the DCK's. When they are doing free play, I sneak in stretches and a few floor exercises.

....heck, they say even while driving (your son to practices) and sitting (while watching him practice) is a great time to sneak in some butt crunches. Every little thing counts so....

[frugalmama4]

Happy Friday! my own SA kids are home to day "please pray for me" ::

My schedule-

4:30 I start cleaning my house after dck pm snack. (my kids are home an able to entertain them outside, after homework is done)

5:00 hubby walks in from work he will try to sneak bye , but I'm at the stairs waiting to hand off our 10mo old!

5:30 start family dinner(usually adding sides/warming) I do try to prepare dinner while dck's are eating lunch it helps.

6/30 last two kids are leaving..my kids are showing, dad sets dinner table...I finish last minute paper work "so dad thinks" really I'm on here

7:15 I'm in shower...we all met at the table happyfacehappyfacehappyface

We have no out side activities at the moment, as talked/typed about in my hubby vent thread.

Good Luck with finding a balance...Family First

[Country Kids]

My kids are older but the homework is packed on them. Its not unusual for them to have 3+ hours of homework a night. Then if there is something going on with an activity its later. Not making excuses at all, just the way we are here-.

One week my daughter was up till 11 doing homework(7th grade) three big projects due. Its not unusual for her to start homework at 5 and wrap it up by 9 or a little later.

I also just drop my son off at practice and dad brings him home. Dads the coach so he meets us there right after his work.

[DCBlessings27]

I think Blackcat has a good plan. One other way I think you could squeeze in a workout would be when you say you're fixing dinner from 6-7. Do you have a crockpot? I cook all kinds of meals in a crockpot, which I can start early in the day since I'm home all day. I've seen recipes for lasagna, pizza, chicken and noodles, pork chops, chicken caesar sandwiches, etc on Pinterest. If you only used the crockpot a couple times a week for meals, you could get 2 30-45 (leaving you time to clean up after you get sweaty) min workouts in from 6-7. JMO.

[Country Kids]

My SA are home today also! I love having them home and miss them while they are at school.

They had last week off, then today, and again next Thursday and Friday. Never quite sure why they just don't get two weeks spring break. I would love doing that more then a day here, day there.

[SunshineMama]

We have gone over childcare schedules here a few times,now I'm wondering about what your evening schedules look like.

I would LOVE to be able to start doing some exercising in the evening. Mornings just do not work for me but evenings would be fine if I could find time.

Our schedule goes like this:

Close 5:30-run son to practice
Home by 6:00-Start dinner (during this I try to start picking up house)
Sit down to eat by 7;00
7;30-start cleaning up from dinner, house for the next day till about 9:00

During this time kids are doing/finishing up homework, getting showers done, winding down for bed.

9;00-kids heading to bed, me showering then heading to bed.

I just can't get anytime in to workout/exercise of any sort.

What do your schedules look like and when do you fit in the workout/exercise time?

Mine are younger so I'm not at the sports practice stage yet.

5:30 DCK's gone. I feed my kids at 5:00 for dinner.
5:30-6:30 We go bike riding, or I run with the stroller while oldest DD rides her bike. We play outside/run/walk until dh is home.
6:30/7:00 DH home - Kids and I play with dh inside or out
7:30 kids get ready for bed: story time, etc.
8:30: Kids finally asleep (the endless asking for more water, tuck ins, etc is over-) DH and I will lift weights or exercise with rubber bands. Sometimes I do yoga.

Theres really no time for the gym at my house. As you can see, we dont really have time for family dinners unless DH comes home early. I work out in pieces when I can- exercise is cumulative, so 5 mins here, etc.

At naptime, when all are asleep, I walk up and down my stairs while reading, or I will do some sit ups, etc. If my kids are up at naptime I exercise with them, pick them up and down, do leg lifts with them holding on, etc. They like it and it's fun. I have also turned on the music sometimes and we all go crazy and dance.

I bought a 2 year gym membership for $600.00- I was sure I would use it if I prepaid. I went twice the whole time. I just found that if I play a little harder and exert myself more, that's what works for me anyway. Good luck!

[MrsB]

After reading your post I was thinking about it and I have no advice on this one! I just realized I work so hard during the day to maintain a pretty strict schedule for daycare. After the DCKs have gone home I have no schedule! Well I should say it is pretty much dictated by my kids activity schedule. I have 4 kids so it is pretty crazy. But here is how I make time for relax time. I make alot of slow cooker meals so dinner prep is maybe 15 mins. My kids all take turns with the dinner pick up. their ages are 6,10,14. They also have nightly chores even the 6 year old. Her jobs reorganize the playroom. Most of the toys are put away but she straightens the tables/chairs, picks up any trash or fuzzies, wipes down the tables/chairs. She also puts the silverware away from the dishwasher, empties the bathroom garbages, restocks the paper towels/toilet paper in the daycare bathroom, puts everyones shoes on the shoe shelf away, except for one pair for each family member, wipes door handles. Even my 17 mos old gets a clorox wipe and wipes on the fridge/oven/dishwasher while I am cleaning up. It takes a little while to get them to where you dont have to helicopter their cleaning but eventually they take great pride in their work and if someone else does it "unsatifactorily" they are the first to go redo it properly. My 14 year old has to make/prepare dinner one night a week. She gets to chosse what she would like to do and I approve it. She lets me know on the weekend before what night and what she would like to do and she gets me an ingredient list. She is turning into a wonderful cook!

With my free time in the evenings (which isnt much) instead of excersing like I should I do genealogy research!

[Country Kids]

After reading your post I was thinking about it and I have no advice on this one! I just realized I work so hard during the day to maintain a pretty strict schedule for daycare. After the DCKs have gone home I have no schedule! Well I should say it is pretty much dictated by my kids activity schedule. I have 4 kids so it is pretty crazy. But here is how I make time for relax time. I make alot of slow cooker meals so dinner prep is maybe 15 mins. My kids all take turns with the dinner pick up. their ages are 6,10,14. They also have nightly chores even the 6 year old. Her jobs reorganize the playroom. Most of the toys are put away but she straightens the tables/chairs, picks up any trash or fuzzies, wipes down the tables/chairs. She also puts the silverware away from the dishwasher, empties the bathroom garbages, restocks the paper towels/toilet paper in the daycare bathroom, puts everyones shoes on the shoe shelf away, except for one pair for each family member, wipes door handles. Even my 17 mos old gets a clorox wipe and wipes on the fridge/oven/dishwasher while I am cleaning up. It takes a little while to get them to where you dont have to helicopter their cleaning but eventually they take great pride in their work and if someone else does it "unsatifactorily" they are the first to go redo it properly. My 14 year old has to make/prepare dinner one night a week. She gets to chosse what she would like to do and I approve it. She lets me know on the weekend before what night and what she would like to do and she gets me an ingredient list. She is turning into a wonderful cook!

With my free time in the evenings (which isnt much) instead of excersing like I should I do genealogy research!

Do your children not have homework? That was the one thing my hubby and I have noticed when they have breaks-like last week for spring break. They and us have so much more time for things, like dinner prep, chores, some downtime, etc. No homework just seemed to lift a huge weight off everyones shoulders.

I also need to say, my hubby is wonderful about helping them with their homework while I'm doing the other stuff. What he can't help with I pop in to help but he does the majority of it-

[MrsB]

Our rule is they do homework as soon as they get home from school. If its a worksheet, they need to attempt every question themselves with what direction I can give them during daycare hours. Half of my DCKs leave about the same time they get home from school so its not like i have a full 7 kids plus my 4 then. I can assist and answer questions but stuff that needs me to constitently sit with them, we usually wait until my hubby gets home from work or daycare kids have left and we utilize that as our family time. Now for timing it usually before after or during dinner depending on what we have going on or who is helping. (english/language my hubby is better at helping, i am better at the math science stuff)

[AmyLeigh]

How old are your kids? If they are old enough, it seems to me that they can do the cleaning up after dinner and work on their homework and get showered without you having ot be right there....kwim?

During those times, I would sneak in little workouts. While they are cleaning up the kitchen after YOU cooked, then I would do 30 minutes of cadio and while they are doing homework or getting showered and ready for bed I would try to sneak in some strength training or maybe yoga or pilates.

Researchers are now saying that short little bursts of intense exercise is just as beneficial, if not more, than a long work out session.

Iuse my eliptical for 30-45 minuted a few times a week, but ai also sneak little mini-work outs into my daily routine with the DCK's. When they are doing free play, I sneak in stretches and a few floor exercises.

....heck, they say even while driving (your son to practices) and sitting (while watching him practice) is a great time to sneak in some butt crunches. Every little thing counts so....

My evening schedule is different every day, so I won't go into it. But between my treadmill, gym membership, and a safe walking neighborhood, I manage to exercise at least 3x a week. Need to bump it up.

But....I just found this..

http://lifeplusfitness.blogspot.com/2012/02/burn-100-calories-right-now.html

100 calories burned in 10 minutes. Not bad. I'm gonna try her 8 week bikini body workout. Not that I'll ever get into a bikini....::