I’m going to attempt to publish my daily time logs, even if they are sparse. I hope it will hold me accountable, and maybe at the end you can help me analyze the ways I can streamline and use my time more wisely.
MONDAY
5:30am – Up with my son
6:00 – Write morning pages
6:30 – Read with my son
6:45 – Wake up my daughter / Read a book
7:00 – Morning routine: breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, put on shoes, finish packing lunches and backpack
7:45 – Drop off daughter at school
8:00 – Drive to work (listen to podcast)
8:45 – Arrive at work / Start teaching
9:45 – Drive to other campus
12:05pm – Work through lunch
12:40 – Start teaching again
2:30 – End school day / Make copies
3:00 – Drive home (listen to music)
3:45 – Arrive home / Change clothes / Get on bike
4:00 – Return / Check-out books at library (for daughter’s homework)
4:20 – Pick up son (talk about attempted biting)
4:30 – Ride bike to daughter’s after care
4:45 – Pick up daughter (talk about not taking art supplies without asking)
5:00 – Ride home
5:10 – Arrive home / Start daughter’s HW
5:30 – Start dinner / Get on elliptical (kids watch TV)
6:15 – Kid’s dinner
6:30 – Finish daughter’s HW
6:45 – Start son’s bath; wash his hair and body
7:00 – Get in bath with kids
7:30 – Shower (without kids)
7:45 – Start son’s bedtime
8:15 – Finish daughter’s bedtime / Start new book
9:00 – Revise story for work
9:30 – Dinner with husband (in front of TV)
10:00 – Create activity for story
10:30 – Get ready for bed
11:00 – Sleep
TUESDAY
5:45am – Up with my son / Snuggle and read books
6:45 – Wake up my daughter / Read book
7:00 – Morning routine : breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, put on shoes, finish packing lunches and backpack
7:40 – Drop off daughter at school
8:00 – Drive to work (listen to podcast)
8:45 – Arrive at work / Start teaching
9:45 – Drive to other campus
10:00 – Arrive at work / Get ready for classes
12:00pm – Work through lunch
12:40 – Teaching
2:30 – School’s out / Prep for tomorrow
3:00 – Staff Meeting
4:00 – SCTA Meeting
4:30 – Drive home (listen to music)
5:15 – Pick up daughter
5:30 – Arrive home / Start laundry and dinner
5:45 – Daughter’s HW
6:00 – Daughter watches TV while I respond to comments
6:30 – Dinner with daughter
6:45 – Son home from grandparents’ house / Kids in bath
7:00 – Move laundry / Start this blog post
7:30 – Son’s bedtime : Brush teeth / Read books
8:00 – Son uses potty / Wash daughter’s hair
8:10 – Snuggle son
8:40 – Daughter’s bedtime : She read’s a book / I read a book
9:10 – Fold laundry / Chat with husband / Snack
9:30 – Finish blog post
9:50 – Start PowerPoint for tomorrow
10:00 – Snuggle with daughter who is still up (WHY?!) / Fall asleep
10:30 – Wake up / Get ready for bed / Pack car / Schedule blog post
10:45 – Go to bed
This is interesting, mainly because it’s not all that different from my day. I think that I spend a LOT of time on dinner (because I like to cook) and on bedtime (because I dont know, people are trying to torture me?). I hate that. Also, whenever I read one of these, I’m surprised at how little time is devoted to housework. Though I wonder if some of that is just assumed, i.e. “Dinner” includes washing dishes and wiping the table.
I spend very little time on dinner because I don’t like to cook and my kids don’t like to eat so it’s a no-win situation. Lately we have been eating dinner in the living room (sometimes even with the TV on — gasp, horror!) because I just can’t with the constant fighting and power struggles at the table at the end of a long day. We eat all our weekend meals at the table, but week day meals, not so much. I know this means I’m failing as a parent in some fundamental way, but right now I’m okay with it.
As for housekeeping, it just hasn’t happened in the last two days. I’ve been bringing so much work home that I haven’t had time lately. So my house is a disaster area. I was just thinking that this was a particularly busy week, and I might do this time tracking exercise for one more week to see what comes after a particularly busy week, otherwise I don’t think this will be a very accurate portrayal of how I spend my time. We’ll see.
Why isn’t after school program getting the homework done? At least ask the question. Frankly this is daunting. And I remember running this race as a single parent…. and actually doing it as a single was easier than in the marriage where there was this false illusion that someone else would be helping but he wasn’t.
Best I can offer is that it does get easier over time……. This is daunting, flat, simple and true. I AM SORRY.
She does three pages at aftercare, but still has three pages when she gets home. If she were to do it all at aftercare she’d be “the last one in there” doing her work. This is mostly because she has a really hard time focusing and it just takes her a long time to do relatively simple tasks if they require focus. I told her she had to do half at aftercare and could do half at home, where she can chew gum while she works (a productive inventive).
Why would happen if she didn’t do her homework? Or only did a part of it. Six sheets per night seems like a lot for a 6 year old.
I’m not really sure. But as a teacher, it’s important to me that she believe that doing homework is a priority, and we find a way to get it done. When she is in high school, she can start looking at how much homework is worth and deciding if she wants to do it, but right now, we’re telling her that you always do your homework, because I’d like to start with that foundation instead of the, “homework is optional,” mentality. It’s hard to get out of that once you start.
Makes sense. Probably don’t want to instill in her a sense that she is above the rules. I just think that homework in first grade should be very minimal and certainly not a source of stress. But that is probably a bigger fight than you have time for.
Unless dinner is some complicated recipe, I try to make it in 20 minutes or under. Hard but doable. Maybe this will give you some extra time for you at night time. Also, major props to you for going on the elliptical AND riding the bike.
You are busy, running and always going!
Your morning is very long. Ours is: 7am wake up, 7:15 actually out of beds, 7:40 me & LM leave for work & childcare, kid walks to school. But I hate mornings ever so much & the girls mostly honor that.
Whoa that’s an awful lot going on! Hang in there.
How on earth do you manage that? It takes me 2 hours from the time I wake up to the time two kids and I walk out the door. I wish it took less time, but j also can’t imagine starting the day in a frenzy. Although we’re not exactly dawdling as it is.