https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:57:47 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658334 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 21:04:47 +0000 MrsADS 2658334@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's tiring and I only have 1 (15 months old). I usually get home about 5 or 5:15pm.</p> <p>First nurse DS, then we play outside or go for a walk together. We feed him about 5:45 or so, sometimes we eat then, too. Depends. Dinners are ultra quick (i.e. eggs) or something from the freezer premade, or sandwiches or something. I basically don't cook on weeknights. </p> <p>Then play/snuggle/read books with LO for a little while. Then go upstairs about 6:15, LO runs around like a crazy overtired little dude for as long as we'll let him, then bath, at this point he's usually hysterical from being so tired, then nursing and he is usually asleep by 7 or 7:15.</p> <p>Then we clean up dinner, wash lunch stuff (like tupperware), wash sippy cups, pack lunches for us and DS, then do a quick pick up of toys and random stuff (like sweep all the food from under the high chair!). And maybe throw in a load of laundry or something. </p> <p>I'm usually so exhausted by this point. I try to go to sleep by 9:30 since LO is still a crappy sleeper and I know I'm going to be up during the night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658109 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:54:38 +0000 snowjewelz 2658109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only have one right now, so it's slightly more manageable...</p> <p>I work 8-6 (including commute time). DH's schedule is much more flexible than mine, so he is usually home by 4-4:30 and he'll make dinner. I get home and we all eat dinner together. DD's a slow eater, so towards the end of her meal we'll leave her at the table and clean up. Then we kinda take turns cleaning up while the other plays with DD till bath/bed time. I've been passing out with DD way more since I'm pregnant, but usually when I put her to bed I'll give DH a few chores to do and when I come back down I'll quickly finish the rest and we usually still have an hour or so to relax. I try to keep everything clean on a nightly basis so we don't have to any huge cleaning to do. If I know I have to solo, or we have a busy weekend, etc I'll adjust chores accordingly to try to chip away more of it during the week, or save a bunch for one free weekend, etc... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658106 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:49:01 +0000 looch 2658106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Shannon: and then just as soon as you have it down, it will change again! Be flexible, that's my biggest lesson learned. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658103 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:45:21 +0000 shabang 2658103@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Give yourself time to build the routine - in 6 weeks, you'll have it down. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658102 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:44:32 +0000 shabang 2658102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The only thing I can add to what's above is to have a staging area for items you need to leave the house the next day and when you get home and unpack, repack immediately. If something can't be included at that time, write yourself a note. </p> <p>Weeknights are the worst. I get home late after an hour+ in traffic w/ two kids. First task is always walking the dog with both kids. Then, quick dinner or snack dinner. Everybody is tired and sometimes cranky. My husband comes home sometime during that routine and jumps right into the fray. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658064 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 14:10:18 +0000 Anagram 2658064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm out of the house from 6:45 am-4:30 pm (give or take) each day, so my schedule is shifted earlier. My husband and I have a good balance of household duties right now.</p> <p>In the morning, I wake early to shower and dress for work. my husband sleeps a few minutes later and gets up when the girls get up. He does morning potty for the oldest and diaper change for the youngest and lets them play while he makes breakfast. I am always gone before they eat, but before I leave I usually set out their clothes if I haven't done it the night before.</p> <p>My husband dresses the kids and then our nanny comes and she usually does their hair. </p> <p>In the afternoon, I'm home at 4:30 and I play with the kids until about 5:15, then I start dinner prep. They eat at 6 and while they eat, I pack their lunches and snacks for the next day. After they eat, usually my husband gets home and we split cleaning up dinner, bath time, and bed times.</p> <p>We have the routine down pretty well. On weekends we clean. We don't have a cleaning service. My husband does his own laundry, I do my own laundry, and the nanny does the girl's laundry 1x a week (sometimes we do an additional load of their stuff on the weekends).</p> <p>I grocery shop on weekends, but if I need something random I just stop on the way home from work and run in to get what we need.</p> <p>I'm usually solo with the girls from 4:30-7:15 or 7:30, so I feel like I get a good amount of time with them. They are early risers, so DH usually gets from 6:00-8:00am with them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658041 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 13:54:05 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2658041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My weeknights are pretty much pick up the baby, make an easy dinner while LO takes a catnap, feed the baby, play with the baby, and then go upstairs to sleep. It's the longest three hours of my day! On the nights DH is home I make more of an effort to make a decent dinner. All chores are saved for the weekend. Anything that absolutely must get done (ie work stuff) is left until the morning when I wake up extra early while LO sleeps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658031 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 13:45:18 +0000 Mrs D 2658031@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I WOH and do most daycare drop offs and pick ups.</p> <p>I get the girls (3.5 and 9 mos) at 5-5:15 and am home with them by 5:30/5:45. We aim to have dinner on the table at 6, 6:15 at the latest. Bedtime routine starts at 7pm. Its not much time.</p> <p>I single parent occaisionally and when I do I aim to just have to re-heat dinner. </p> <p>What I do that helps: make food on Sunday that can be reheated throughout the week, save all chores until after the girls are asleep (bedtime is done around 7:45 - so I have lots of time), spend our car rides talking/singing - taking advantage of those precious moments.</p> <p>We usually have one weekend morning where we focus on cleaning the house collectively. I also hand;e the grocery shopping on Sundays and meal plan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658007 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 13:17:25 +0000 winniebee 2658007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>They look like a shit show, if I'm honest. I work out of home about 50% of the time (sometimes more, sometimes less). We used to have a nanny but since that relationship ended laundry piles up like crazy, weeknight dinners are quick or takeout, and cleaning is for weekends (or for the birds). I also make lunches the night before, and try to get up before my kids in the morning and make sure I'm dressed and breakfast is ready to go so that we can fly out the door. (I'm solo in the morning). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2658003 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 13:13:11 +0000 Canoli 2658003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't really have much to offer other than what other posters said. We do have a cleaning service that I begged my husband for every 2 weeks and it is the best money I have spent. Honestly I don't really even do clean up in between because I just don't have time other than cleaning up the kitchen and occasional running the vacuum. We have 3 kids (ages almost 7 months-5 years) and my husband and I both WOH. We leave around 6:40am and get home around 6:00pm and make some sort of food when we get home. Honestly I'm embarrassed to admit that sometimes my kids eat snacks for dinner and they seem happy and content and I just go with it. My littlest is begging to go to bed by 7pm and we just don't have time to do anything other than get kids ready for bed, wash dishes and get lunches/wash bottles for the next day before my husband and I crash too. I do all laundry, food shopping and picking out outfits for the week on the weekend. </p> <p>I always tell myself if I just do one little thing during the week the weekend won't seem so hectic but I just can't figure out how to do that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657837 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 10:00:15 +0000 Modern Daisy 2657837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh and I get home at 5:30, and by then the nanny has already fed the boys dinner so we just do bath and hang out until bed time at 6:30/7. I fight hard to resist the urge to clean up the house or prep our dinner during this time since it's the only time I see my boys during the week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657834 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:57:52 +0000 Modern Daisy 2657834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I order groceries online through peapod or fresh direct, amazon prime everything possible and do laundry on Friday nights so I can pick out my outfits for the week on sundays, head to toe. I also caved and hired a cleaning lady to come twice a month so we can spend more family time on the weekends instead of cleaning. I see it as an investment in my sons well being instead of money that could be used in a 529 account or other savings. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657763 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 07:41:39 +0000 Adira 2657763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The only cleaning that gets done during the week is just cleaning up dirty dishes after dinner!</p> <p>We usually get home around 5:00 (I go in early so I can leave at 4:00). Dinner is around 5:30. Then someone will do the dishes while the other plays with the kids or gives them a bath. Bedtime starts at 7:15. All kids in bed by 8:00. I veg out for an hour before I go to bed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657740 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 01:29:03 +0000 catomd00 2657740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We get home around 6. I nurse the baby and play with DD for a bit. Around 6:30 I either start cooking an easy meal or order takeout. We eat around 7 and I go upstairs and put the baby to bed while DH and DD finish dinner and hang out together. DH gets DD ready for bed and I do dishes. Around 8 we all snuggle in bed with DD and watch something. At 8:30 she goes to bed. DH puts her to bed most week nights. By 9 we are all in bed and almost asleep. Lights out at 10. Not much changes on nights DH isn't home, except DD has to hang alone after dinner for a bit while I out baby done . She usually gets to use the iPad to keep her occupied! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657662 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 19:12:11 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2657662@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup. Same here. It's an odd night that we are able to steam mop or do another chore on a weeknight. If we're really feeling up to it, I can was and dry a load from 6-8pm and then fold after kids go to bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657660 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 19:04:47 +0000 muffinsmuffins 2657660@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Echoing what others have said about meal planning. We know what lunches we are taking and I meal plan to cook 2 larger meals (one crock pot) to last 2 nights each, one easy and quick like breakfast for dinner, and one frozen pizza to take care of the week. I grocery shop during nap on weekends. I go in late to work for 11 am twice per week so I vacuum one morning after DW and DS are gone, clean bathrooms one morning, and keep laundry going. We tidy after bed and don't do much else in the week. Weekends we fold laundry and all get outside to do yard work and whatnot together as a family. The two mornings I'm by myself allow me to save stuff to do that's harder with DS clinging to us, so definitely get your DH to take advantage of that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657618 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:32:43 +0000 looch 2657618@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One other thing...my son is in a dress code for school, but the concept works no matter what...I make sure to have 5 days of outfits pre-sorted for all of us (even my husband). </p> <p>I have a hanging organizer in my son's closet, it has 6 compartments. When I do the laundry, in goes a bottom and a top, plus socks and underwear. This way, he knows to just get one of those and put them on. For myself, I have 5 outfits ready to go, down to the tights in the winter. I just don't have the time to be thinking about what I am putting on, but I don't want to look like I didn't think about it at least a little bit. I also keep extras of stuff at work, like another pair of tights and at least a pair of basic flats, just in case I have to wear snow boots and forget my shoes to change into. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657582 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 13:28:04 +0000 catlady 2657582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not sure how helpful this will be since DH and I basically have the same schedule, but we currently do this:</p> <p>5:30 - I get LO from daycare and we walk home<br /> 5:45 - I play with LO while we wait for DH<br /> 6ish - DH is usually home, and he starts dinner (usually heating up something we made the night before)<br /> 6:15 - Dinner (can take a long time b/c LO eats very slowly!)<br /> After dinner and cleaning up, we read books or play a bit<br /> 7:15 - Head upstairs for bath/bed routine<br /> 8ish - LO is usually in bed<br /> After that, DH and I get small chores done (laundry, make dinner for next night) and relax or work a bit<br /> 10ish - We're in bed</p> <p>Deep cleaning - we hire someone every other week<br /> Groceries/meal planning - we plan the whole week in advance and shop on Sunday mornings</p> <p>We're expecting LO2 in a week or 2, so I imagine we will have to be more flexible, but this schedule has worked for us for the past couple years (LO1 is 3). I think just having a routine in general is the way to go, especially so the kids know what to expect each day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657569 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:33:58 +0000 Mrs. Sketchbook 2657569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I'm on my game I do a lot of make ahead and crock pot meals. When I'm not on my game I do a lot more rotisserie chicken, or the easy meals (I love Publix premixed meatloaf). I do all my cleaning on the weekends. I will say without kids at home my house is naturally a lot cleaner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657568 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:30:19 +0000 DesertDreams88 2657568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I only have a 10 month old, and my husband gets home at 3:30 and I get home at 4:30. We also have a (grand)nanny that helps out with some child-centric chores (dishes, baby laundry, vaccuuming.) So, take this all with a large dose of salt.</p> <p>3-4: snack time with finger foods<br /> 4-5: independent play for baby, DH and I chat, organize milk and food for the next day, start a load of laundry and the dishwasher, prep dinner<br /> 6-7: dinner, usually finger foods for baby, play together<br /> 7-8: finish playtime together, bath, bedtime<br /> 8: I work from home or clean up clutter<br /> 9: pump and finish work or cuddle with DH<br /> 10: Bed</p> <p>What I do between 4 and 5, maybe you could do between 8 and 10.</p> <p>Like others have said, I leave the chores for the weekend during nap time, and we do grocery shopping all together as a family on the weekends. My husband and I also prep all of our work lunches on Sunday evening. Luckily we don't get bored of eating the same things.</p> <p>I use a lot of convience meals that require little prep. I also don't worry about having, like every food group with every meal... As long as everyone gets their food groups by the end of the day, I'm happy. </p> <p>Cheerios, rice chex, squished blueberries, bananas, avocado, cheese slices for baby ( I would do frozen veggies too, but he doesn't like them and only does veggie puree)</p> <p>Apples, bananas, oranges, cold cut sandwiches, quesadillas, tacos, frozen veggies, scrambled eggs, stir fry, basic pasta for adults. </p> <p>We don't eat a ton of meat so I can think that helps with cooking time? Maybe?</p> <p>I also use Amazon Prime Pantry and subscribe and save to do a lot of my regular purchases. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657564 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:01:58 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2657564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsRoo: yeah I really can't expect to get much done on weeknights. Even forcing myself to do some homework kills me because my brain is just dead from working all day. We save a lot of weekends and frankly, if we have plans, then stuff gets missed and we miss vacuuming for the week. Oh well. Our house isn't dirty, but it's lived in haha, and I've learned to be okay with it because I'd rather keep time open for spending together than keeping a super tidy home. We get the major stuff done and DH helps a lot.<br /> I'm a big fan of meals that make more than one dinner (like big pots of soup or crockpot chicken that'll last 2 meals), because it saves so much time.<br /> Good luck as you start out! It's a big transition. I was working only weekends up until January of this year and then switched to full time days as well. It was a huge adjustment, but overall it's better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657563 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:43:48 +0000 yoursilverlining 2657563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think "getting the most out of weeknights" is also about expectation resetting. Cleaning and laundry generally get done on the weekends only, because there just isn't time and energy to do them during the week. I meal prep and shop on Sunday, and doing meal prep on the weekends helps a ton. </p> <p>Give yourself time to figure out a routine, too. Remember, you're essentially working now from 8 until whenever you go to bed; it's exhausting to work FT and have energy in the evenings for kids. I just try to get through the week to be honest, I don't often try to make the most of each day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657562 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:42:49 +0000 MrsRoo 2657562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pajamas: that's a good idea. I already have a rotation of freezer crock pot meals, so I can definitely expand that for most of our weeknight meals </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657560 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:40:18 +0000 MrsRoo 2657560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: @looch: no, that's actually very helpful! Maybe I need to lower my expectations for the weeknights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657559 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:40:15 +0000 hellobeeboston 2657559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Me and DH both work an hour + away full time. We have a 4yo and a 1yo. He leaves around 6am, and is home between 5:30/6. I leave around 8:30/9, and get home at 6/6:30. </p> <p>We have a nanny that comes from 8:30-6. M,W,F my older son goes to preschool so I take him and drop him on my way to work at 9... nanny picks him up at noon. Her only responsibility is the kids, she doesn't do any cleaning or cooking (except for the boys lunch) and of course, cleaning up as the day goes. </p> <p>Nighttime is usually pretty nuts. We start making dinner as soon as we get home, easy stuff to eat, then baths, head for books and bed by 8, 8:30 for the older one. Sometimes we fall asleep with them so it's tough at night to do anything at all. Bedtime for the older done by 9ish, we take turns but since I handle most of the morning stuff, DH usually handles a lot of the evening routine.</p> <p>Mornings I'm up with the boys early so I do dishes and get everyone dressed and fed with enough time before I go. </p> <p>We do have a cleaner come 1x a month so we don't have to deal with deep cleaning, it helps relieve some of the stress. </p> <p>I grocery shop 1x on the weekend and will pick up a couple things during the week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657558 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:34:49 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2657558@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: same- I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. 5-6pm rolls around and I'm absolutely exhausted. And it's been worse since being pregnant this second time. Like I just want to plant myself on the couch in the evenings and watch tv or read. So really, not much gets done in the evenings here- just the essentials like dinner and dinner clean up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657557 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:32:07 +0000 Mrs. Pajamas 2657557@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My biggest survival strategy is to prep dinner and lunch the night before so when I get home with dd from daycare I can just heat dinner up instead of having to do actual cooking. Then I have time to relax and play with her for a bit. Good luck! It's not easy but you'll find your rhythym. Decide what's most important to you and focus on those things first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657555 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:30:55 +0000 looch 2657555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't do much at night, probably not much help either. I outsource cleaning twice a month, laundry gets done on the weekends (5 loads more or less), grocery shopping and meal prep is Sunday morning. I pack lunch in the morning, I wake up a half hour earlier than my son and it's enough to get the lunches, my smoothie and me showered/hair and makeup done).</p> <p>I am just too tired to make the most of a weeknight. I occasionally have events at my son's school and on those nights, I can barely make it to 8 pm before the chronic yawning sets in.</p> <p>Oh and my husband is very easy to please when it comes to dinner. He will happily eat a cold dinner (cold cuts, cheese, bread) as long as he didn't eat the same thing for lunch, so we do that at least once a week, plus I keep the freezer stocked with easy to defrost things like shrimp and stir fry vegetables. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657552 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 11:26:27 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2657552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm afraid I'm not much help. I work M-F 8-5 pretty much and cleaning really only gets done on weekends.<br /> We'll get J from daycare by 5:30, come home get the mail, DH starts dinner while J plays. Eat around 6:30-7, then do cleanup and bedtime which takes a reallly looooong time with a 4.5 year old. We're usually not done with this until 9.<br /> I'm in school so then I work on homework for a short while and DH cleans up the dishes. I'm in bed by 10.<br /> Any major cleaning other than just casually picking stuff up doesn't happen until Saturday or Sunday. We grocery shop on Sunday afternoons. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/wohms-what-do-your-weeknights-look-like#post-2657538 Sun, 27 Nov 2016 10:10:14 +0000 MrsRoo 2657538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm getting ready to transition from working weekends to a M-F 8-5 job. I'm mostly excited about it, but trying to figure out logistics is daunting. My kids are 3.5 and 7 months, so thankfully there is no nomework, but I struggle to get everything done with 4 days off a week- how the hell am I supposed to manage a household working 5 days?<br /> DH works 1pm-1am so he will take over a lot of the cleaning and probably grocery shopping, in addition to the yard work during the days when I'm working and the girls are at daycare.<br /> Please share your schedules/tips for making the most out of weeknights- especially anyone she solo parents during the evenings! </p>