Daily Routines?

I don't particularly have a routine for my 4 year old son either. Tuesdays and Thursday are my gym days and they have a play area for kids to hang out in until the parents have finished exercising. Then we go looking around the shops until our bus arrives. One day of the week we put aside for the libary and errands to do downtown Vienna and then the rest is just filled in with whatever he feels like doing. I like to make sure I get him out of the house at least several times a week.

I think routines are great,not only for the kids, but for you too. They shouldn't be too rigid though. What I would do, is write down the day in hour increments, and block off the time you already have scheduled, breakfast, lunch and dinner and naps and bedtime. you can fill in the other slots with bathtime, snack time, video time and play time together and play time apart. (children need both time to bond with one another and time to play alone.) Also, if some of your kids are not taking naps, have them have a quiet time during the younger one's naps, where they can read or do puzzles. Also, make sure to add some outdoor time, where you can all go for a walk or you can let them run around out doors. I don't think you need to have every hour scheduled *unless you want to* and you should remember to keep it flexible, your schedule is there to serve you, not vice versa. GOod luck!

I actually watch kids at my house during the day, some days I have as many as 8 at a time, but it's never a problem because of the routine. I get up 6:00 (my first kid arrives at 6:45)This gives me 45 minutes to shower, dress (I have my clothes picked out before I go to bed at night) apply make up, fix my hair (I have very long hair, so I apply gel, scrunch, twist and throw in a clip). I am usually justing starting the washer with the first load of laundry as he arrives. He'll usually lay on the couch or play quietly until my kids get at 7:30, and so during this time I'll dust and take out the trash. 8:00 is breakfast . . . I do dishes and clean the kitchen while they are eating. Once everyone is done eating, They get play time in the play room, I then vacuum the rest of the house, this usually ends up being a train, while the little kids follow and giggle behind me. Around 9:00 we have music time, this lets the kids dance around and be goofy. I sometimes join in too for a little while, and then sneak off the switch the laundry. 10:00 is snack for everyone. This is when I get to eat too. After snack is movie time, the younger kids take a nap at 11:00. So this gives us the quiet time we need, I can usually finish other house cleaning at this time also, or come in here and answer a few questions on myLot. 1:00 is lunch After lunch we have craft time. Or if I don't have a craft set-up for that day, they will color, draw pictures. For the older kids I will give each kid a piece of paper, draw a few differant shapes on them, and have them make a complete picture using the shapes. The younger kids practice writing at least a couple times a week. 3:00 another snack and the bus arrives with my bigger kids After snack The crafts and coloring (or homework) continue with the big kids, while the younger ones go back to playing in the playroom. 5:00-6:00 The kids all leave (except my 2) I then start dinner, bring in the wood, finish folding any laundry that didn't get done. Serve dinner, throw my son in the shower (5), clear the table and start the dishes. Once he's done I bathe my daughter (2). 7:30 My daughter snuggles with my husband while I either play cars or video games with my son until 8:00 8:00 My son will sit with my husband on the couch, or they will wrestle while I play horsies or dolls with my daughter until 8:30 8:30 We all sit and unwind while snuggling on the couch until bed at 9:00 9:00 I tuck the kids into bed, then pick up the house of toys or anything left on the table. get ready for bed, and pick out my clothes for the next day then get into bed by 10:00 I'm sure everyones routine is different, you have to find one that works for you, I save Sunday for my deep cleaning day..you know the bathroom, mopping ect.

I don't really have a routine yet, my daughter is only 5 months old. We wake up around 9am then we play for a while, she still nurses every 2-3 hours. I try to get some house work done and feed myself in between nursing her. She takes a nap usually around 12, 3, and 5pm. I give her a bath around 9pm and she falls asleep around 10:30 or 11pm.