https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:48:41 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1421289 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 16:10:22 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1421289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel like it's not enough, but either DH or I will spend at least 30 min with her while the other is getting dinner ready or cleaning up the house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1421284 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 16:09:16 +0000 lizzywiz 1421284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Home at 5 ish. Dinner at 5:30-6ish. Bath at 6:30-7ish, bed at 7:30.<br /> We usually play for 15 minutes when we first get home or stop at a park on the way home. Then I am distracted, 'getting things done' until bath and we REALLY play during bath time. Bedtime is routine.<br /> So, I would say 15min-30min good quality time when I am not doing anything but following her lead. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1421272 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 16:07:06 +0000 Raindrop 1421272@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It is kind of interesting that strangers / other people spend more time with your kid than you do. We are lucky that grandparents take care of LO for now but yeah we only get like about an hour or two before he goes down to sleep for the night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1421230 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 15:54:29 +0000 mrs. tictactoe 1421230@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so lucky. I am home by 4 and spend at least 1-2 hours just doing whatever he wants. Sometimes we have to run an errand, but I try to make sure he gets play time, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1421203 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 15:48:00 +0000 looch 1421203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>About 2 hours, which I think is decent. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419917 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 10:07:41 +0000 QueensBee 1419917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Right now, I get home by 4:00pm so LO and I have about 2 hours together before bed. I have to fit in his dinner, bath, and usually some errands but we do get a nice chunk of playtime together. </p> <p>Next month, we are moving to the suburbs and my commute will be longer. Our playtime is going to get cut back by 30-40 minutes. Not looking forward to it but hopefully the new house will be worth it.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419879 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:51:10 +0000 LuLu Mom 1419879@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I try to play for at least 15 minutes. No picking up toys/doing dishes/ect. just playing with my girl. We will play ball or play with blocks, anythign she wants to do before bath. And then while bath is happening the other adult cleans up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419834 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:36:21 +0000 cascademom 1419834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We get about a half hour or so of playtime with him at night. It's tough when he's tired or cranky. It also takes awhile for him to eat too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419823 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:33:24 +0000 NovBaby1112 1419823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would say anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. We usually go home, walk dog, get dinner ready, bath time, and then its play time/books for about an hour and then bedtime! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419755 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:17:55 +0000 yellowbird 1419755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We usually play from 4:30-5 then I male dinner. We eat from about 5:30-6 then play for maybe 20 more minutes then bath and bed! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419715 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 09:01:44 +0000 swedishfish 1419715@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I get home with R at 4 and she goes to bed by 7 so I get about 2.5-3 hours with her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419708 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 08:55:35 +0000 Bookish 1419708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Probably 30 mins - an hour. We try to give her lots and lots of attention during dinner, and we either read or play with her before bed, so there's definitely some quality time there every day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419654 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 08:09:24 +0000 Adira 1419654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Usually 15 minutes, but sometimes as much as 30, depending on when we get home and how quickly he eats dinner. But it doesn't feel like enough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419585 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 06:36:50 +0000 blackbird 1419585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Depends on the day. Sometimes it's 90 min, sometimes it's 3 hours. We eat as a family, she gets a bath, then we go into her room and we read and play for anout an hour. I definitely consider it quality time </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419538 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 01:45:54 +0000 BoogieBea 1419538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're lucky that both my husband and I work east coast hours. We live in the west coast. So we get a good about of time to spend with the kids after their school since we don't have to put them in after school programs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419518 Thu, 13 Feb 2014 01:07:56 +0000 Corduroy 1419518@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I get home with LO at 5:30, she nurses and then we play until about 6:30. Then she eats dinner and goes to bed at 7. I think it's about 45 minutes of quality time per night.</p> <p>Good or bad, LO wakes up at 4:30 or 5 so we have lots of time to play in the morning before I scramble to get ready for work at 6:30. I'm too tired to do anything but play with her at that time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419463 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:50:56 +0000 katsupgirl 1419463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're on a later schedule than most so we get a couple hours of quality time before bed. It's exhausting some days when she's just a ball of energy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419451 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:39:26 +0000 babypugs 1419451@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>About an hour. I have to make sure I don't get distracted and start washing pump parts or something, because that time is far too precious to waste! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419434 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 23:20:47 +0000 Freckles 1419434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pick LO up a little before 5 and we take the train home. We chat and interact fans get home around 5:30. Her bedtime is 8:30 so we do get at least 1-1.5 hours of quality time. Less time if I don't have dinner ready to preheat. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419378 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:40:00 +0000 Smurfette 1419378@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>By the time we get home, she eats, we play for maybe 15 mins, then bath, bottle, and bed. It sucks </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419369 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:36:20 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1419369@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It depends on the day. DH gets a lot more quality time with J than I do. But Wednesdays are probably the only day I get quality time with him, and it's about an hour (of actually reading books, building with legos, trains, etc..). You're right, it is hard!</p> <p>My work schedule changed again so now I'll be home Thursday nights and that will be nice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419366 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:34:34 +0000 JennyD 1419366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Not a lot. Depends on what is going on. Daddy tends to be better (and more patient) about playing with her and doing what she wants in the evenings. I am all about getting stuff done. </p> <p>But 15 minutes seems do-able! Maybe she would be less whiny and go to bed with less hassle if I spent 15 minutes every night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/working-parents-how-much-quality-time-do-you-have-with-your-lo-in-the-evening#post-1419350 Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:23:55 +0000 Mrs. Bee 1419350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've read that you should try to spend 15 minutes of quality time with your child every evening doing what they want to do. That doesn't sound like much, but in reality it's hard to do!</p> <p>I leave to go pick up Charlie and Olive at 5pm and I get home about 6pm. I cook dinner ahead of time so it's ready to eat as soon as we walk through the door. So we eat from 6 - 7:00... they're slow eaters that hate eating. Then we give them a bath until 7:20, do the bedtime routine and they're asleep (hopefully) before 8pm.</p> <p>So the kids really weren't getting any quality time during the week (weekends are 100% focused on them though). I don't think the bedtime routine really counts as quality time because it's a routine and not something they're choosing to do.</p> <p>How much quality time do you spend with your LO every evening? </p>