Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

I currently get home from work about 6:20 although in a few weeks it will be even later, closer to 7:00. By the time I pick up DS from my parents house and DH meets us there, we don't get home until 7:30.

I find that I just don't have time to do with DS (4 months old) all that I'd like. I especially miss that we don't get to give him a bath; my parents give him his baths during the day.

He goes to bed around 8-8:30 so that barely gives us enough time to play on the playmat a bit, do some tummy time, sometimes he needs to sit in his swing for a few minutes to settle into his home routine and then it's time for bed. At this point we change his diaper and put him into pj's and I feed him his bottle while my DH reads to him. Then that's it.

How do you do it? Just wondering if better organization or something would help me add bath time in there?

Oh, and when do you eat dinner?

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

No advice...I'd love to know the answer too!!

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

My nights sounds similar to yours. I get home around 6:30, make dinner, eat dinner (maybe you could have him in the swing near you while you eat?), play with DS for a whopping half hour, bathtime, books, bed for him betw 8:30-9pm. Then shower and to bed for me since I leave for work at 6am. It stinks


ETA: When I say "make" dinner, it usually involves nothing more than heating something up to save time.

Message edited 2/23/2010 3:52:49 PM.

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

I get home around 6-6:30pm. Sometimes my husband prepares dinner, sometimes we eat out, once in a while I'll cook. We eat as soon as I get home and we start our bed time routine (beginning with bath) which is usually around 7-7:30pm and DS is asleep by 9-9:30pm. Everything I do during that time revolves around and involves DS.

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

I am a selfish mommy.

our boys are the same age (YAY Octomoms! ) and I get home anywhere between 6 and 7.

basically, it's like this

walk in the door, throw coat on chair, walk into dining room (where ds's pack and play is-my MIL watches him in our house) talk him up with cooey gooey words while I empty out pumping bag and wash hands.

then, grab my baby and LOVE HIM UP for 10-15 minutes.

put him in swing or hand off to papi.

I start cooking. get everything in the over/over a flame and then more LOVING HIM UP till dinner is ready. (my MIL bathes him but if that were not the case, I would start his bath while I was getting dinner on and bath him while I cooked-it helps that we bath him in a bathtub over the kitchen sink)

I then take him into his room and we change his clothes with a whole long drawn out routine (I pull off everything one by one, tickle him with it, and we talk about his sexy body and his big fat legs...oh, and I kiss up his feetstecitos and toesesitos "

then he either chills in his swing while we eat or I nurse him on my lap.

then, I selfishly keep him on my lap while dh and I watch tv. even after he falls asleep. we snuggle on the couch as a family.

usually I fall asleep there with him on my lap. when I go to bed I either put him in his crip or in the bed with us. he does either one very well.

so even if he's not awake with me, I still get to feel him and breathe him in. he feels me and knows me in his sleep.

it's hard being a working mom. I take every moment, awake or asleep that I can get.

relish every single one.

Message edited 2/23/2010 3:54:18 PM.

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

Ann is out like a light at 8:15PM almost like clockwork and I don't get home until 6:45PM.

I spend that hour and half feeding her dinner, giving her a bath, playing with her on her floor mat, giving her a bottle and letting her fall asleep on my chest while I watch TV.

I don't get any time with her in the morning either (except on the two days a week I have to drop her off at daycare at 6:30AM ... at least I get to get her ready and bring her there).


It's so not ideal


ETA: We eat dinner when I feed her dinner ... Either DH has made it before I get home or I'm on my own because he has basketball so i'll make something quick (grilled cheese, soup, sandwich, microwave dinner, etc).

Message edited 2/23/2010 4:03:58 PM.

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

I get home around 6. My DH usually picks up DS from daycare so they play for a while, then when I get home I hang out with him for a half hour or so. Then I feed him dinner in the highchair, then if it's a bath night, give him a bath, then PJs and bed, etc...I try to stretch it out a little but sometimes he is just so tired While I am putting him to bed my DH makes dinner.

Then when he is in bed I make his bottles for the next day and pack his daycare bag. DH and I usually eat around 8pm - which is later than I would like but it is what it is for now...

Then after dinner I cleanup, load the DW, etc etc...then I crash on the couch

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

I am still trying to figure this out myself. After I get DS into bed by 8:30 the latest, i don't feel like doing anythig else and as a result my small apt constantly looks like a tornado came through it..... I have just been dealing with it.I do what I can but somethings just are not as important to get done anymore.

My new years resolution was to get my apt back in order and I was supposed to get myself on some kind of schedule but then DS got sick the 2nd week in January and that all went out the window.

Re: Moms who get home from work late (6-7ish), how do you fit it all in?

Please - I just had a mini breakdown last night ...........

It is SO hard !!
Mon and Tues he's home w/ my Mom or Dad - so I get home at 6ish and start dinner, feed him, play w/ him - depending on the night we eat between 7:30 and 8:30 ........I give him his bath, put his PJs on, play w/ him, read to him, chase him around the house .......He goes to sleep a bit later (9 - 9:30) so I get SOME time w/ him. - but not a lot !!

Weds - Fri he's at daycare so by the time I pick him up and get him home it's 6:30 and he's ready for dinner so I feed him and keep him in the highchair while I cook dinner and we chat ....... I usually bathe him before we eat and get him settled - we play and hang out until he's ready for his bottle and bed ........

In between all of that I do laundry, clean, and attempt to have some sort of life w/ my DH - or friends. Lately I haven't seen ANYONE .........

It sucks - I feel like I miss out on all of his 'good' time during the day when he's really perky and happy - not that he's miserable at night, but it's not the same as when he's crazed and energized and ready to go at 2 PM KWIM?