Let’s Talk about Evening Routines

Routine is key in our household. If we stray a little too far to the right or left, everyone feels it! But in all seriousness, after having Kaiden, I’ve become a full fledged believer in the power of routines for children. They thrive when they know what’s coming. I’m not saying a little spontaneity shouldn’t be added to the mix every now and then, but I do think having a pretty predictable evening routine whenever possible sets the foundation for good sleep. Welllll….maybe, maybe not. We’re still working on that sleep thing!

Anyways, I thought I’d share our evening routine, not because it’s perfect or the way everyone should do things, but because I’ve gotten a few requests to share things like this more. I’ll admit that I also love reading about the behind the scenes of people’s lives. It’s the little nosy person in all of us coming out!

So here’s a breakdown of our weekday evenings from start to finish…

4:30 pm – Vishnu or I pick up Kaiden at daycare. If Vishnu goes, I use that time to clean up around the house, fold laundry, and/or start dinner prep.

5:00 pm – We arrive home, drink some milk (Kaiden), and start to pull out all our toys (also Kaiden).

5:30 pm – I begin/continue prepping dinner. If Vishnu’s not home, this is a hit or miss for me because when K doesn’t have my full attention he basically attaches himself to my leg. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to pay attention to him and get stuff done. Work in progress!

Anyways, the main entree is usually done for the most part, so this is mainly roasting/chopping veggies. After I’m doing that, we continue playing some more until dinner time.

6:15 pm – Time to eat! I’ll be honest, dinnertime still gives me some anxiety. It’s hit or miss in terms of how much he eats. But I’m trying to trust the process in that K will eat however much K needs to eat. I do find a lot of relief in the fact that he eats a lot at daycare. So he’s definitely not starving!

6:45 pm – Bath time! This is one of my favorite parts of our evening routine. Kaiden loves the water and splashing around, so it’s a great time to let loose and have a little fun.

7:00 pm – Kaiden is usually in his PJs ready for story time. We turn off all the lights and settle in on the couch to read at least 10 books (some all the way through, but most only partially because K gets bored!).

Right before we sit down, I also quickly set up his room for bedtime – humidifier on, air purifier on, lavender oil dabbed all over his crib, etc.

7:25 pm – Time to brush K’s teeth! He doesn’t love this but he tolerates it because he likes the toothpaste. Ha!

7:30 pm – Kaiden’s down for the night. 9/10 this is a pretty easy process. I put lotion on K’s face and some Badger Balm on his nose and neck. Then I hold him in rocking position, sing “You are My Sunshine” a couple of times, ask him if he wants to be put down (he nods yes) and that’s that! Very rarely he’ll put up a fight which requires more rocking, shushing, etc.

8:00 pm – Vishnu’s usually home by this time (he’s been staying at work to study until about 7:30 most weeknights). The kitchen is clean and everything else is usually in order (i.e. K’s toys!). We sit down to catch up, do work, watch TV, etc.

9:30 pm – I brush my teeth, go through my skincare routine, and get into bed to read for 15 minutes.

10:00 pm – Lights out…time to SLEEEEEEEPPPPPP!

So tell me, what’s your favorite part of your evening routine?