Because we are not sticking to a routine during the late afternoon/early evening, and boy do I love routines, our mornings are chaotic because of what we don't do the night before. I mean, doing homework in the car ON the way to school, is so not on.
It's known across the world as arsenic hour, c'mon ladies you KNOW what I am talking about. Men, read on, you may learn something. It's that sometimes horrific, sometimes mindshattering time of day usually between the hours of 4pm and 6pm. Something happens in the cosmos that sends even the best tempered kids into a chaotic frenzy and their stressed mothers (moi) into the wine bottle.
Dad may not be home from work at that time, the kids are hungry and tired, mum is hungry and tired, everyone is whinging, someone is yelling, tempers are fraying and so it is. I think it was a term coined for the under 3's set, but I can tell you, we still get it here in the under 8's.
Is this a universal thing, I would love to hear some feedback. Some days are fine, don't get me wrong. The kids may run around and play and be jolly, but that's not common. I am digressing here, but this is the reason why we need a routine, to keep the little beggars in line and farmerswife still sober at 6pm.
It is just a little easier now that my kids are a bit older. I had a 4 yr old, a crazy 2 yr old and a newborn. I often wondered how I coped. They were all bathed and fed by 6pm, even during arsenic hour, so maybe I did okay after all. They were a bit easier to wrangle back then of course. One couldn't walk, so that's always a bonus!
I have decided that I will perk up my afternoon routine, and this is what it will be:-
4.00pm kids playing outside quietly, tennis or totum tennis, bike riding, running around, using energy
4.30pm farmerswife watching Bold and the Beautiful, kids still playing beautifully.
5.00pm farmerswife gets dinner ready, kids still playing (rolls my eyes, yeah right)
5.30pm showers all round
6.00pm dinner is served. Simpsons is on, whatdoyaexpect, we are not perfect!
6.30pm Miss T gets ready for stories and bed, and older kids do their homework.
7.15pm toilet and teeth done before bed for older kids
7.30pm KIDS IN BED Miss D can read til 8.00pm, Mr C can just go to sleep.
7.30pm Farmerswife plonks on the lounge with a wine and her boyfriend (the television).
(be advised that The Hubbster is very accomodating during the crazy time, he usually puts Miss T to bed after stories, and entertains them all if I am busy. Bless him..)
Umm, whilst writing this post, Miss T (aged 4) painted her fingernails and toenails by herself, so I've added another thing.
NO computer for farmerswife between 4.00pm and 6.00pm.
6 comments:
well miss T has the best hand eye co-ordination! that job of nail-polishing is just the best ive ever seen in a four yr old! well done Miss T ..
There is still beauty in a non-scheduled - schedule! At least the outline of order is there! At least one KNOWS when one has strayed from routine, right? haha
Well our first day of the routine was great. The kids went to bed under duress, of course, but they were in by 7.30pm and reading til 8.00pm. We all woke at 6.30am this morning with everything already done!!!
mission accomplished!!! yayyy (see how you go tomorrow )
Oh my gosh, if I don't heve a schedule, everything goes to hell. Especially if I don't make lunches, prepare coffee, set out clothes and know what we are having for breakfast the night before. Oh, it's bad.
Schedules are great, and the kids then know what is expected of them. But we will relax it like tonight when Mr C will stay up and watch the football on tv, and most probably crash out around 9pm on the lounge!
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