What’s a “Day in the Life” like of a mom with two toddlers, ages 2 and 3? Well, sometimes it can be hectic! But we’ve got our routine down to a science that minimizes the amount of friction throughout the day — if that’s possible.
I’ve received a lot of questions like, “How do you survive the day?” and “What’s your crazy day look like?”, so I thought I’d take a post to share a “normal” day with you all — enjoy!
**Disclaimer: we were MUCH more strict with our sleep and daily routine when the kids were babies. Now that they’re a bit older, we’re more flexible. But I think we’re able to do this comfortably because of how rigid we were when they were younger.
6 am: Wake-up Call
If I’m lucky enough to sleep even that late, Miri usually comes creeping in to our bedroom around then. She stands like a ghost by my bedside and starts whispering to me. When I eventually come to consciousness, I always get freaked out, and send her downstairs to get a yogurt out of the fridge and play alone **leave me alone** for the next two hours — wishful thinking.
I get 30 mins max of shut-eye over the next couple of hours. Azi wakes up before 7 and now refuses to go back to sleep because he wants to play with Miri. I usually come downstairs and proceed to pass out on the couch while they play.
8:30 am: Nanny Relief
We’re very fortunate to have found a nanny who has become part of our family. She’s a second mother to my kids, and she’s my right hand. A nanny isn’t for everyone, but I wanted to keep my kids at home when they were little, and we’ve been able to make it work for our family.
So Martha comes at 8:30 to help me finish getting Miri dressed (although she usually takes this task on by herself) and ready for school so I can take 20 minutes to get ready for the day myself. Did you know I have a full-time job in addition to A Glass of Goldwater? #MomTruths I hustle hard. But I couldn’t do it on my own. #KnowYourLimits
9 am: Off to school
Between the two of us, Martha and I manage to get Miri off to school and start Azi’s day. In just a short month, he’ll also be starting camp and school, and I’ll be an empty nester **cue tears here. I can’t believe it really. Martha will likely adjust her hours to come a bit later and stay a bit later, because while we’re fancy people (LOL) we can’t afford to have a full time housekeeper. I’m hoping to have her longer afternoons when the kids are home from school. Pray that it works out!
It is SO HARD to find someone to care for your kids. Someone who loves them like their own, and someone who you can relinquish complete control to. That’s our Martha. Also pray that my kids will be on time for school when I’m doing it on my own. And please don’t judge the yogurt on their faces or Miri’s outfit choices. Kthanks.
9:30 am – 2:30 pm: Off to work
This mompreneur life really is a more-than-full time gig, but I’m usually out of the house or at my desk working by 9:30. Like I said, I work late nights (as I type this), weekends, early mornings and more. But this is dedicated work time for me. Oftentimes I’m in the office, but my job allows me a lot of flexibility to work from home in my own space, which I love.
A normal workday involves a lot of juggling and multi-tasking. This is the timeframe that I take client meetings, schedule photoshoots (if I only need Azi or just me) and attend influencer events. But most days are just me working at a desk.
2:30 pm: Martha leaves
Miri comes home from playgroup at 12:30 pm, and the kids nap from about 12:30-2:30 pm (for now). I know that I’m so lucky to have two kids at these ages who still nap AND who nap at the same time. But I’ll take it for as long as I can!
Martha leaves at 2:30 on Monday and Wednesday and 4:30 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. So when I have the kids for long afternoons, it’s even more juggling when I have to be on call for work.
2:30-5 pm: After naps and witching hour
I don’t know about anyone else, but this period of the day is certainly my least favorite as a parent. For some reason, both of my kids decide to be super whiny, kvetchy and likely to get into fights from the time they wake up from their naps until at least dinner time and sometimes bedtime. It really depends when Adam gets home from work. And how thin my rope is that day. I think there’s something scientific about being a child’s mother and how it’s directly coordinated with how well they listen and how much whining they do. Now how about that for the Nobel Prize?
I do my best to get the kids out of the house during this time, even in Winter. Check out my post of activities to do around Chicago with kids. Or this post of my Summer Bucket List of things to do with the kids. We love going to museums, parks, the pool in the summer and even Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s is one of the only stores that I’ll let my kids into because they’re generally happy to ride in the cart and as much as I love trying new TJ products, they’re not begging me for every little thing, like when we go to Target, LOL. Just like mama.
I also schedule the kids’ extracurricular activities during this window. We have at least one per week, like swim lessons. Structure = success, for us.
I also find that the afternoons go by more quickly when we have playdates scheduled. We’re in the stage of life where I can pick the playdates for my kids, and the mom is my friend also. It works for everyone. Even if your kid won’t stop whining or throwing a tantrum, it’s always better when you’re in good company. Always.
Of course, there will be the occasional afternoon where I’m so wiped out or I have too much work, and I pray that the kids will be entertained by shows. At their ages (2 and 3 yrs), it works about half the time.
4:30-6:30 pm: Dinner time
Anytime from 4:30-6:30 ends up being dinner time. Meaning that sometimes the kids get hungry around 4:30, but I’d rather feed them dinner instead of giving them another snack. If they get hungry again before bedtime, they’ll either have what I’m eating for dinner or I’m happy to give them a snack then. But I try to push the protein first.
If we’re going to be out, I’ll often bring dinner along with us to the park, pool or museum. That makes getting home, having baths and going to bed that much more seamless.
I know some families really thrive on sitting down together as a family to eat dinner, and I hope that we’ll be able to do that one day. But it just doesn’t work for our family right now. Adam often doesn’t get home until 6:30, and that’s just way too late for the kids to eat. I like to choose my battles.
7 pm: Glory to G-d on high…it’s BEDTIME!
Most days, our bedtime routine goes pretty well. I give a 5 minute warning, and around 7 we all head upstairs together. If the kids didn’t already have a bath, we’ll take quick baths to wind down and clean up. Miri (3) is great at getting in her PJ’s, going potty and waiting for me in her bed — even though sometimes it takes me *asking* her a few times. Then we say Shema (nighttime prayers) and sing a song that I made up for our family when Miri was a newborn in the hospital, and it’s kind of stuck. Our babysitters even know it now.
Thank goodness, my kids go right into their beds. No nonsense. That’s never been our issue, and I’m very thankful. Bedtime takes 30 minutes max to get both of them down, quicker when Adam is home to help, and then I am D-O-N-E.
7-until I can’t keep my eyes open: Work, work, catch up on shows, work some more
No rest for the weary is definitely true here. Adam and I will sit in our living room and both try to get work done. Since I’m with the kids all afternoon, I usually have a lot that I have to finish up after they go to sleep.
We try to go on date nights once a week, and I also *need* to watch my weekly shows on Hulu — The Bold Type, Grey’s Anatomy (been going since I was in high school), How to Get Away With Murder, A Million Little Pieces, Law and Order: SVU, and the occasional Netflix Series here and there. It’s our time to unwind and be together since we’re so preoccupied with the kids all other times of the day. So even if Adam’s working and I’m watching a show, it’s still nice to be able to sit together in the same room, in peace, without whining and crying (unless someone dies on Grey’s…then there’s crying).
So there you go! A little glimpse into A Day in the Life of a hard-working mamapreneur, wife and mommy. Look out for specific morning routines and bedtime routines for toddlers coming soon.
I’d love to hear some of your daily mantras! How do you make it through the long days?? Share in the comments below!
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