A few months ago I recorded Episode 151 about our morning routine, and it became one of the most downloaded episodes of the year. So I figured… maybe evenings are worth sharing too. 😉
Parenthood has pushed me into a version of myself I never expected. If 20-something me saw this, she’d have said, “Absolutely not. Impossible.” And yet — here we are.
Dinner Time (AKA: Five to Eight Minutes of Chaos)
During the school year, dinner is at 5:30pm; in summer it slides to 6 or 6:15 because eating at 5:30 in broad daylight feels weird, and plus, the summer slide is intense….
Dinner with little kids lasts… maybe eight minutes. Someone needs seconds, someone spills, someone suddenly hates what they loved yesterday. 😅
Post-Dinner Play + The Great Reset
After dinner, the kids scatter — bedrooms, basement, backyard with popsicles. The baby often tags along because their chaos strangely soothes her.
Meanwhile, my husband and I reset the house:
- Dishes
- Wiping surfaces
- Sweeping & spot-mopping
- Putting away clothes
- Collecting abandoned water bottles, toys, socks
- Breaking down Amazon boxes
- Tidying all communal spaces
If the playroom is a disaster, we do a five-minute tidy with a time timer. My rule: if four able-bodied humans can’t clean a space in five minutes, we have too much stuff — and that means I’ll quietly edit after bedtime. ✨
Kid Responsibilities (Age-Appropriate-ish)
Everyone has their own post-dinner jobs: pajamas, teeth, tidying rooms, putting away clothes.
My 6-year-old and older son hang up their own laundry; my almost-three-year-old is… inconsistent. Some nights they all take a bath simply so we can breathe while they splash for 45 minutes. 🛁
Laundry, Trash & the Never-Ending Dishwasher
I separate and prep kid laundry (inside-out pajamas, always), and the kids put away their own clothes.
My husband takes out the trash nightly. I start the dishwasher early because it runs for nearly four hours, and he empties it before bed so mornings start fresh.
Mail gets sorted into my Sunday Basket — the home for all “deal with this later” papers. Any packages we’ve received that day get broken down.
Bedtime Roles & Marriage Logistics
We don’t have strict “you always do this” roles aside from dishes and trash. Sometimes the flow is seamless; sometimes one person ends up doing 70% and resentment sneaks in. It’s a dance, and some families do better with more defined roles — we do better with flexibility.
Baby’s Routine (Still Very Much a Baby)
Because I’m nursing, I handle the baby’s bedtime:
- Quick bath
- Pajamas + sleep sack
- Husband reads a book
- Nurse + down to sleep
Her bedtime is 6:15–7pm depending on naps. She usually sleeps well — sometimes through, sometimes one or two wakeups. For nine months old, no complaints.
The Big Kids’ Bedtime
The boys share a room; my oldest daughter has her own. We alternate: one person does the girls, one does the boys, and switch the next night.
My style: efficient — one book, best-part-of-the-day chat, song, lights out.
My husband’s style: see above, but 45 minutes longer.
It used to drive me nuts, but it’s their thing. School-year bedtime is 7:30pm; summer drifts to 8:00–8:45pm.
My Nighttime Routine
I’m usually done by 8pm. My night is simple:
- Tea (TJ’s turmeric ginger or peppermint)
- A tiny piece of chocolate
- Reading
- Bed by 9–10pm
By this point I’m bone tired.
Living in the Vortex of Early Childhood
Every day feels the same and somehow brand-new. For seven years someone has been teething, in diapers, or waking at night. People say “It goes by so fast!” and I believe them… but from inside of it, it’s hard to feel that way.
Perspective, Gratitude & the Strange Math of Motherhood
Motherhood is the hardest thing I’ve ever done and the thing I’m most proud of. The intensity and the beauty are completely intertwined — you truly can’t have one without the other.