My Everyday Routine- Working from Home with Kids

As we approach day number 10000 on quarantine, I wanted to share what I have been doing to keep a somewhat normal daily routine in the house. Having 2 little kids under 3 is HARD. Juggling a newborn and a 2 year old who needs attention x500 can be enough to make me pull out my hair by the end of the day. Going with the flow and "winging it" doesn't really work that well in my house so I've tried to implement a pretty relaxed, realistic schedule for us all to follow so that number 1- I feel productive, number 2- the kids do not stray too far from their normal schedule and 3- things run smoothly in the house.

Because both my husband and I own our own businesses, we have the ability to arrange our work schedules as needed to fit the needs of the home. Right now, I am breaking up my working hours between 2-3 hour blocks both in the afternoon and at night. On average, I work about 4 days a week, 5-6 hours a day (if I am lucky). Some weeks are much more productive than others. If I am unable to work on one day, I do try to make up the work another day if possible.

9-10am- Wakeup, breakfast and morning cuddles

Marz wakes up currently only 1x in the middle of the night, so I tend to get a later start to my morning because I am usually up late at night. I spend the first 2 hours of my morning eating breakfast, quickly glancing over emails or IG and chatting with my husband.

10:30- Check on J's Virtual School

My oldest son is doing online school right now and that usually starts at 9am. He is very independent and starts that promptly so around 10:30, I usually check in on him to make sure he is understanding the work and on task.

11:30-12:30- Zone Clean up

I zone clean my house almost every day. I cannot have a legitimate start to my day if my house is dirty or unorganized. During this time, I like to keep the TV off (unless I'm playing music) and pick one area to really focus on. By picking one area to focus my cleaning efforts, I do not feel overwhelmed with cleaning and I can make sure I get the job done right. During this time, the kids are required to do their daily chores as well.

1:00- Lunch

I try to have lunch ready and on the table by 1. I will usually set Nova up with ABC Mouse while she is eating at the table. Jeremiah is usually done with his online school by this time as well. Right after lunch is when I usually grab a shower and get ready for the day.

1:30-3:00- Outside Time

The weather has been really nice here in GA lately. After lunch, I let Nova play outside for about an hour. I find that she takes a better nap after she has already exhausted some of her energy. Normally, Marz is down for his nap during this time so I get to spend some 101 time with Nova.

3:30-5:30-Nap Time

Nova takes a nap everyday. Even if she does not want to go to sleep, she knows she must have quiet time in her room. We allow her to have a book or 1 toy in her bed if she wants. Marz also sleeps during this block of time 9x/10 which is nice.

This is when I get my work done. I will respond to emails, work on the blog, finish up client projects or get done admin things for the shop. Whatever tasks I need to accomplish on the computer get done during nap time. I also prep/ start dinner during this time as well.

6:00-7:30- Dinner

We tend to eat a late dinner in our house. When he is working, Rich usually doesn't get home from work until late and I try not to eat without him. I usually feed the kids by 7 and wait for Rich to get home before I will eat. While the kids are eating, I usually clean the kitchen and pick up random toys that have made their way across the living room. I do not like to go to bed or finish my night with toys everywhere so I find that taking a few minutes here or there to pick up the common areas really helps to make sure I am not left with a major mess at the end of the night.

8:00-9:00- After Dinner Cleanup/ Bath

If my husband is home in time, he usually steps in to help me for after dinner clean up and bath time. Nova is allowed to watch one of her many cartoons that she likes in the evening time and I like to spend time catching up with everyone. The evening time is really our time to connect with each other as a family. The kids tend to be extra loud during this time and the house feels like a zoo. I don't know what it is about kids, but they tend to be on 10 right before they know they are going to bed.

9:30-10:00- Kids in Bed

ALL KIDS IN BED BY 10. When 10 rolls around MAMA IS DONE and ready for everyone to be in bed. Rich and I have a variety of TV shows we like to watch and we can only do that at night after all of the kiddies are tucked away. Jeremiah is allowed to watch TV up in his room and Rich and I usually retreat to our own bedrooms after the little ones are asleep. Night time is when Rich and I spend quality time together. Some times, we stay up catching up on our favorite shows, other times- we just lay around and talk. Regardless- the evening times are ours.

I am lucky to have a lot of help right now given the current pandemic situation. Rich is at home a lot more right now which means more help with the kids and the house. Throughout the day, I try to take small pockets of time to stop and think quietly- no phone, no noise, no distraction. Even if I can get 5 minutes of uninterrupted alone time a few times throughout the day, I find that I am much more productive (and nicer) to everyone around me.

Thats my schedule folks.. Some days are definitely better than others and I try to extend myself grace when I may fall off one day. I have this major goal right now to start incorporating working out into my daily routine, so it has been challenging to find pockets of time to fit that in as of now. Most likely, my workout time will require an earlier wakeup and I am DREADING that. Hey, I am a work in progress too.

Until Next Time!

XOXOXO