This is a follow up to my Morning Routine with a 12 Month Old from last week.
Let me know if I should also do a nighttime routine!
As many of you know, I am a full time homemaker with a one year old to care for 24/7. As a homemaker, I am always fascinated by and interested in other parents’ routines and ways of managing life with children. So, I wanted to share a bit of our routine for those like me!
A bit about us…
I am the default parent of our child at home. My job is to raise Stinky, support Hubby, and keep up the house. Hubby helps me out ALL THE TIME. I won the lottery when it comes to a life partner. He does most of the large chores on the weekend, like the cat little, major vacuuming, and the trash. He also helps me with the dishes after dinner most nights. So, I am not alone in homemaking.
My primary job is handling everything Stinky, while Hubby supports me by picking up chores. I still do a lot, but obviously a baby complicates productivity.
I try to have a positive mindset by telling myself that if I kept the baby alive the whole week, then it doesn’t matter if I did anything more than that. No one will die if the laundry is late or the dishes are dirty.
With that said, I feel good mentally when I am productive. Which means that I push myself to be as productive as possible without getting burnt.
Please do not parent shame in the comments. If you have any tips that are kind and presented without shame, that is fine. But please do not criticize the way we raise our baby. We are only human, and we do what is best for our Stinky.
Our Current Morning Routine
12:00pm
Stinky wakes up from her nap around 11:50/noon. If I didn’t eat lunch during her nap, I would do that now while Stinky has a bottle of pear juice and water.
Usually, the laundry is done by the time she wakes up, if I put it in during her nap. If that is the case, then I go and move the clothes around (either from washer to dryer or dryer to hamper). I don’t put the laundry away until after dinner when Hubby is home or the following day.
After that, I prepare Stinky’s lunch and wash dishes.
1:00pm-3:00pm
Stinky has lunch, which is usually some combination of avocado, green beans, black beans, rice, Yogis, and a baby food pouch. I usually get a call from my best friend in the afternoon. I will sometimes talk with her for a few hours, while the baby plays and eats.
After lunch, Stinky and I read some books together, before she has a bottle of watered down oat milk (we are ultimately trying to get her to drink water).
We play and chase each other around the living room until Stinky’s dinner time. She is usually pretty fussy and clingy in the afternoon, so sometimes we watch more Canticos and dance together. If she’s very fussy, I will carry her around the house showing her things and playing with light switches (these days are difficult).
3:00pm
Stinky has dinner, which is a different combination of the above lunch options. She usually eats the largest quantity of food at lunch, then has a small dinner.
Towards the end of her dinner time, I will prepare things for adult dinner or change my mind… If I change my mind, then we get takeout… 🤣 some days are hard okay!
If the dishes are already done and I don’t have to prep dinner, then I will sometimes read a physical book (right now I am reading a graphic novel and beta reading a book for an author).
4:30pm
After she finishes dinner, we go upstairs to play in her room with different toys and without the allure of TV. She loves pulling all of the books off the shelf in her room and throwing the clean clothes from the hamper all over the floor.
If I am not talking to my best friend, then I usually play with Stinky, read to her some more, listen to an audiobook, or (and I’m not proud of this) scroll Instagram. I don’t allow myself dedicated time for Instagram other than the time before bath time and after dinner. Sometimes we do a combination of several activities; it just depends on the day.
That’s it!
After we play in Stinky’s room, it’s time to begin the bedtime routine! And that concludes our current afternoon routine.
It’s not perfect. Some days are more productive/busy than others, but I am happy with our current situation. I try to remind myself that every day can’t be productive. Sometimes productivity looks like relaxing or holding a toddler who is having big feelings. That’s okay. There’s always tomorrow.
If you would like us to share our nighttime routine, give this post a like or comment!
Pragmastery 