EVENING ROUTINE
My evening routine would have to be what helps my mindset for the following day. To not wake up to a messy kitchen and make a start on cleaning the dirty washing. Adding a few of the tasks that may take up too much time in your mornings to your evening routine, may just be all that’s needed for a less chaotic morning.
My evening routine has not changed over the years, it seems to work well for me. However, remember like I mentioned in the previous task create and find a routine that suits you and your family. One thing that I may do differently to a few households would be that I put a load of washing on in the evening and hang it on the line before dark. As I live in QLD the sun shines early and strong, if it’s put on the line the night before (providing it doesn’t rain), it’s usually dry by 10am. Which allows me to get another load out if needed.
This was my routine when the kids were in primary school, now they are older we don’t do readers, they clean their own bathroom and go to bed a little later.
My Evening Routine
5.30pm – put on a load of washing
5.35pm – start making dinner
5.50pm – hang washing on line
6.00pm – serve dinner, eat together as a family at the dining table
6.30pm – do dishes, put on dishwasher, wipe bench, quick vacuum under chairs
6.45pm – watch TV with the kids
7.30pm – read with kids
7.50pm – straighten up the kid’s bathroom
8.00pm – kids lights out & relax and chat with hubby, watch more TV
9.00pm – get ready for bed
I don’t dry my dishes, instead, I leave them to dry overnight and I put them away in my morning routine. We will talk about the dishes in more detail throughout the challenge.
It’s a good idea to switch off from work, chores or the computer at a reasonable hour leaving time to unwind in the evening. I find that if I check emails, facebook or look through Pinterest before I go to bed my mind starts thinking and I find it hard to sleep.
Create your evening routine
Use the blank evening routine list create your own routine. Be realistic with your evening routine, don’t fill it with too many chores as the evening is the time to rest and relax.
- Perhaps if you don’t have time throughout the day to clean add an additional cleaning task each night to your evening routine (preferably before dinner).
- If you are time poor in the mornings consider making lunches the night before.
- Having your meals planned for the week ahead will reduce the amount of stress during a busy evening.
Create an evening routine for the kids
Kids benefit from a regular routine, knowing what is expected of them soon becomes a habit. Create tasks within their routine which will teach them about responsibilities they have has a family member as well as it helping you, ie. tidying the bathroom after they brush their teeth, or picking up toys in their bedroom.
This chart is available in my shop in a range of colours, along with an option to personalise with your own tasks.
[wlchecklist name=’PreTask4Kidseveningroutine’]
DOWNLOAD
Print the evening routine lists to help you create your own evening routine that suits you and your family to help make tomorrow calmer.
- EVENING ROUTINE – file behind ‘Routines’ divider – click to download.
- BLANK EVENING ROUTINE – file behind ‘Routines’ divider – click to download.
213 comments
I am finishing this off tonight … I need this routine to get me to bed earlier too!
Great idea Tanya, it will help you to you will find that you will get through your tasks quicker knowing what you have next on your list to do 🙂
Had this one semi-sorted already too, just needed to fine-tune the timings.
Enjoying the challenge of figuring out a routine for myself, have not long ago set up ones for my preppie. Although it is difficult when ours changes slightly depending on the season as hubby works later in summer due to daylight hours and cooler time of the day, so dinner is later due to this. I much prefer winter as we can eat dinner earlier and night routine is not as rushed and hectic getting kids in bed. Although morning is more rushed in winter as it is harder to get up and out of bed! Also my washing schedule changes too as hate the clothes hanging out in the sun all day in summer so hang them out late in evening and take off in the early morning. How do you go in Winter Kat, do yours get damp during the night from the dew?
Sounds like you may need different routines for the seasons Christie. No I find my washing is fine to put on the line the night before all year round, but then again I do live on the Gold Coast so it’s usually warm most of the year. I would suggest if you do find this a problem wake 10 minutes earlier in this season to allow yourself time to get the washing on the line, but I don’t see any issues with putting the machine on the night before. Hope this helps.
Already had in place, as with the morning routines, for myself and our daughters, is woring very well ATM, so am leaving it as it is 🙂
Perfect if it’s working don’t mess with it!
done… hopefully it will help me get to bed earlier!
I hope it will Alison!!
Done!! This one is tricky, our little one can take a bit of time to settle of a night, which sometimes means late dinner, but I think I might try doing dinner prep earlier in the day!!
Slow cookers are great Jessica, making a chicken mix that you can put into a tortilla with some salad, chopping the vegetables or making a pasta/oven bake during the day that can be placed in to oven later in the evening. Here are some of my bakes recipes: http://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/category/recipes/pasta-bakes/
This is where I struggle BIG TIME. My Miss 9 is too slow in the shower to fit it in in the morning and at night we have after school activities. By the time we get home it could be 7pm which is then too late by the time we have tea. Any suggestions would be appreciated. She is practising reducing shower time…it is a process lol!
Hi Belinda, Maybe try getting Miss 9 in the shower while you are getting dinner ready once you arrive home or even getting her up 5 minutes earlier in the mornings.
Again done and done
So simple when someone gives you a much needed guiding hand!
Thanks Kat and Kate!
You are very welcome Julie, happy we can help!
Going to have to work on this one. I work 3-4 nights a week, often starting at 5pm, so therefore I don’t have a routine and am not in control of the kids routine! Will chat to hubby about what we can do to have some sort of normality every night!
Belinda, this challenge allows you to do the tasks to fit in with your lifestyle and remember you are now a lifetime member so you can always come back to tasks on the nights you are home.:)
Done – so need an evening routine and to go to bed before midnight! Thanks Kat 🙂
Yes, you need a good nights sleep Michele!