This post is sponsored by Ivory, however, all of the opinions expressed here are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who support Kozy & Co.
I have to admit something… I often wonder how other big families make it through a typical day. I may be a bit nosey, but I’ve always loved hearing about people’s routines, because I love to learn what works for other parents who have young kids like we do, and because I love to compare and contrast what other families do that works for them, versus what we do in our home. I don’t think I’m alone in this, because one of the questions I get asked the most as a blogger, is about what a regular day looks like for us. I think seeing how other people survive their chaotic days can be comforting in a way. It helps to know we’re not alone, and sometimes we learn things from seeing how families operate outside of our own.
I thought it might be fun to share about some of the ways that we tackle our nighttime routine, since I know for a lot of people with kids, this time of day is considered the “witching hour.” For us, some days are better than others, but if there is one thing we have found since we became outnumbered (three kids, soon-to-be four, versus two parents), it’s that consistency is key, and using a tag team system is the way to go!
Early Evening
My oldest usually gets off the bus sometime between 3:30 and 4:30 in the afternoon, and as soon as he walks through the door, he wants a snack. Naturally, if he’s having a something to eat, my other two kids want something too. I try to jump on this right away, seeing as dinner time is fast approaching and I still want them to eat a good meal. We stick to healthy and light snacks, like an apple, a string cheese, or some yogurt, just to tide them over.
The time between when that snack is finished and dinner/when dad is home can be one of the craziest parts of our day. I try really hard during this time to keep my kids occupied with some sort of calm activity, even though this doesn’t always work. My kids really enjoy arts and crafts, so if I can get them to sit down with some watercolors or play dough, it’s usually smooth sailing until it’s time to eat. Some days they just have way too much energy for sitting still for an activity. It’s been a really long winter around here, and since it’s finally starting to get warmer, we’ve been making a solid effort to get outside and play again. If my husband manages to come home early, we like to go for a walk as a family. I know as the weather continues to get nicer, this will become a more regular routine for us.
Dinnertime
Next, it’s on to dinner. I’m one of those people who believes sitting down to eat as family is super important. I love the opportunity for us to chat about each other’s days and have found this is when some of our best conversations take place. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, so preparing meals for our family is my happy place. My kids can be picky, and I used to find myself making two separate dinners, one for me and my husband, and one for my kids, but it started to get out of hand. In an effort to simplify things, I’ve learned making one meal is the way to go. My kids will either eat what I make, or they don’t. When they do, they get dessert, and since like most kids, they’re motivated by rewards, so this has been working for us for the most part.
Bath time
After dinner is done, and the kitchen has been cleaned up, it’s on to bath time. This is where the tag team effort really comes in handy. If it’s getting close to bedtime, and we’re short on time, we often still bathe our three kids together. The alternative is my oldest takes a shower while the younger two get a bath. When this happens my husband and I split the duties. If they are all getting a bath together, one of us does the bathing, while the other one does the drying, dressing, and tooth brushing. Teamwork at its best. Awhile back, I shared about how we have been using Ivory. We’re pretty big fans of the Ivory Original Body Wash because it cleans our skin gently without over-stripping essential moisture. We also like the fact that it has a super subtle scent and isn’t overly perfume-y, which is part of the reason it’s gentle enough to use on our kids and their sensitive skin. We have also been regularly using Ivory’s Original 3-Bar (it has a new gentle formula). Ivory has been around for 138 years, and their products are 99.44% pure, which means a lot to me as a mom.
Bedtime
After baths, it’s time for bed. We aim to get all of our kids tucked in with the lights out sometime between 7:00 and 8:00 PM on weeknights. It’s important for them to get some rest, and it’s essential for my husband and I to get a little “chill time” before we turn in after a long day. Bedtime for us entails reading and snuggles for each of our kids. Sometimes we read as a family, and other nights each child chooses a book of their own. Max’s current favorite book is this one, Ella has been loving this book, and Theo can’t get enough of this classic. This has been our routine for so long now, and when we stray from it-it can really throw us off.
Adult Time (aka de-stressing)
In the last few years, it has become my routine to shower at night. Mornings are just too busy in our house and taking a shower in the morning is nearly impossible. I have found showering at night helps me to relax, and I love the feeling of climbing into my bed all fresh and clean. I have been regularly using, and totally loving, the Ivory Free & Gentle Body Wash with Pear & Sandalwood, which includes the #1 Dermatologist Recommended moisturizing ingredient. This body wash smells so good, and it makes my skin feel amazing.
You can probably imagine after a nightly routine like this, it doesn’t take me or my husband long to fall asleep. I know it can sound like a lot, but honestly our routine is pretty simple at this point and it totally works for us. Like they say, “the days are long, but the years are short,” so I try to enjoy this time that we get to spend together as a family every night.
Do you have a nightly routine you follow with your family? I’d love to hear about it.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ivory. The opinions and text are all mine.
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