I'm not very good at the whole after school till dinner thing.
I pick the girls up at 3:00 and we are usually home by 3:15ish. We come in. Everyone takes of their shoes and washes their hands. The girls usually change clothes while I get their planners out of their backpacks and sign everything I need to sign and set out their homework. They both immediately do their homework because, as we say, we like to "knock it out and be done with it."
Homework takes 20 minutes or less. Then they get a snack and chill out for awhile.
I often use that time to check my email and then get dinner started around 4:00pm.
Usually this process is a smooth one. But it is never my favorite time of day. And certainly not how I ever imagined it to be. I always imagined that I would have warm chocolate chip cookies for them to eat. With tall glasses of ice cold milk. I always imagined warm snuggling and happy humming while I whipped up a delicious and nutritious dinner.
Instead, the girls usually have raisins or a granola bar. And I'm sorting and sifting through a mountain of permission slips and book order forms. Or fretting because I forgot to get the chicken out of the freezer and wonder what to fix for dinner. And if I have to quiz one or the other for a test the following day, I am not always as patient as I wish that I could be. And sometimes they rush off to chill out when I want someone, anyone, to sit on my lap and let me bask in their wonderfulness.
Ya, I'm not the picture of perfection in the whole after school thing.
Thank heavens Razor is here in the mornings to help make our before school routine a gentle start to a busy day.
-dana
19 comments:
Sometimes (okay...many times) it will be 4:00 and I'm trying to decide what to make. It is hard to plan things that everyone will eat, but we just have to do our best.
I will probably never live up to what I picture as "perfect". I need to change what that means to me.
I try to remind myself, that we often define "perfect" ourselves and don't realize it would be better defined as "impossible".
I struggle with the late afternoon routine as well. I like to blame June Cleaver for my feelings of inadequacy....as a mother and housekeeper in general! I love your greenhouse! We only have ice houses here in ND (for fishing)!
I've recently forced myself to plan weekly menus - but pulling the meat out is still a challenge! :) I usually have a lull in my energy just as we go get Ella from school . . . then getting home there's so many needs! It's hard to keep up with them all :) You are not alone!
Oh thank heavens I am not the only one who dislikes that time of day, you have made it that much easier now for me.
I think that their memory of those afternoons is going to be better than your current perception. I'll bet they just love hanging out. The reason warm cookies and milk are special is because they aren't an everyday thing, right? :)
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who struggles with the afternoons. I idealize myself getting on the floor and playing for hours with my 3 year old son until daddy come home, but there are always a million things to do, like laundry and picking up, and making dinner, and I end up feeling guilty about it each time....
Oh, so it's not just me? Just you wait 'till they get a little older... add a little attitude into the mix and it's even MORE fun!
Shame on you, what kind of Mother are you anyways! From your description I can see that you are...perfectly normal!
My kids aren't in school, but we have the same problem - it's the post-afternoon nap til dinner time. It's a problem. I need to start using my crock pot more. Which reminds me - what is your recipe for roast with dill that you were cooking the other day? That sounded delicious!
Add me as another vote for not liking that time of day. Most of the time I just make it easy on myself and let someone else cook dinner. You know, Papa Murphy, Dominoes, Wendys, Bajio Grill... :) That's healthy, for my sanity anyway.
OMG...your girls get their homework done in 20 mins??!! Count yourself lucky...my 10 year old took almost 2 hours! Talk about losing patience.
Besides raisins and granola is much healthier than a yucky cookie...lol
Even Donna Reed was a scripted character. I try to remind myself often, no one on this earth is perfect. I am sure your girls will remember all the cool things you did for them while they were growing up. And I promise that you aren't the only one who feels this way during what I like to call the after school shuffle. I can totally sympathize.
when i look back on my kids after school routine, it's hard to remember the hassles and late night arguments about last minute projects! i think they look back more happily too. i agree with terri and kiddlebug. what is perfection? just a lot of love and patience!!
oooh. late afternoon until bedtime is just EVIL with little ones. now you're telling me it doesn't get any better??? oh, who am i kidding? i'm sure i knew that, it's just that i'd always secretly hoped......
Mine aren't in real school yet but late afternoon is also rough. Oddly enough we just got 'Grumpy Cat' from that same book order. Don't get it ;)
Dana, I also do a weekly menu. Helps me shop, and prepare a little easier. You don't have to have it in order, but at least you have all the stuff for a few meals. Otherwise, I stand in front of the fridge/freezer staring for a bit. :-P I also split snacks up, every other day, homemade. Too much work otherwise! You are doing great girl!
You are sooooooooooo *cute*!
I love you Dana! :)
yip Iknow how you feel, there are quite a few of my routines that I wish I did better.
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