What do you do in the evenings?

[julifish]

I'm kind of curious. After dinner is done and cleaned up what do you do at night? Clean the house? Take care of your kids? Read? Scrap?

We've fallen in such a rut at my house and I"m looking to shake things up with a new night time routine - so inspire me. How do you spend your night? If you don't love your own routine what would prefer to do between dinner and bed time? (No answers that make us blush please )

[britaneejean]

I'm either going to a group fitness class, a church youth group activity (on Wednesday nights), working, or scrapping. I'll throw in cleaning too. I never sit and just watch TV. I have to have my laptop with me or folding laundry. I also try to read with all of that too.

[jak]

Depends what day it is... Thurs & Fri nights I usually scrap (after the kids are in bed), Sat we have family movie night and sometimes I scrap after that, Sun maybe scrap... but Mon-Wed is taken up with kids' out of school activities and two of those nights I need to go to bed early because I get up at 4.30am the following morning to commute to work. Most nights I will read a little once I climb into bed and until I fall asleep (and more often than not I only get a couple of pages read before I drop off seeing as I am so chronically tired these days). So no exciting night life at my house!!

[crystalbella77]

Usually we hang together as a family for a bit. Play a board game, watch a movie, go for a walk...etc. but at 8:30 it's quiet time so the older kids can watch Netflix in their room or play their iPods. Hubby usually watches his stuff and I scrap or we watch things together. Not super exciting but i love it. I'm a homebody.

[MamaBee]

after dinner, kiddo plays his violin for 30 min or so... then he gets ready for bed. Hubby heads to the office to do some work and I usual am scrapping or working on lessons plans... at 9, hubby is done with his work and we spend time just talking or watching netflix - we pick one series and that is what we watch together... right now it's Small Town Security - such a silly show! And another round of Arrest Development - I think we have seen the whole series twice, already...

[nietis]

Talking to hubby, scrap and sometimes watch a movie on my computer. There's time I play with my son, but evening is usually the time hubby plays with my son, when he's home from work...

[mariewilcox]

It depends on the time of year for us - from November through February we're usually at a basketball game until 7 pm, unless it's an away game and then it's later.

Once Bball is over most nights we are home - Cheyanne in her room studying/watching TV and me in the living room watching TV and scrapping or reading at the same time. I get up really early in the morning (usually between 4 and 4:30 am) so bedtime for me isn't long after supper. I try to be in bed by 8:30/9 so I can read for 30 minutes. Cheyanne is up later usually just chilling out with the TV.

Once it finally warms up (late April/early May) Cheyanne is out riding her bike or jogging and I'll be in the garden or out walking until 7 pm or so, and then it's TV and bed.

It's just the 2 of us and I work long hours during the week, so not much excitement going on here!

[littlekiwi]

Because I don't get home til after 7 most nights its generally dinner, spend time online then bed by 10pm as I am up at 6am for uni the following day

[rach3975]

We're boring, LOL. I feed the kids dinner at 6:30 then clean up while they play. DH gets home around 7:30, then we start bedtime for the younger kids. After they're in bed DH and I eat dinner. Then I spend a lot of the night scrapping while listening to audio books. Or at least that's what I want to be doing. Some nights I have work to finish, emails to answer, etc. Sometimes DH and I will watch a show together and I don't scrap until he's asleep.

[Valgal]

Ours is different every night of the week but the overall theme is I clean the kitchen after dinner and straighten up the house a bit. Switch laundry over or whatever. I don't usually do much with the kids because (esp. since I started homeschooling) I'm generally ready to be done with all that. Dh and I snuggle in the chair or go out to dinner or watch a movie and I like to be in bed reading as early as I can. I looooooooove taking a shower, snuggling up in my bed and reading.

[marlathrall]

Mine depends a lot on the time of year and if my husband is home from the farming yet… When he is home early, we tend to watch tv together. Often, I will work on my embroidery or do something crafty with my hands. I'm horrible at just sitting and watching tv. When I'm home alone, I either scrap or edit pictures or work on my blog. He's getting busy again and I'm suddenly realizing how productive I can be at night when he's gone. lol.

[britaneejean]

Originally Posted by marlathrall

He's getting busy again and I'm suddenly realizing how productive I can be at night when he's gone. lol.

LOL! I've realized I can get so much done when DH is gone at night.

[annet83]

I work some evenings as well, so I'm not at home every night. And when I am I spend my time mostly catching up on tv shows, scrapping or reading a book.

[Sherri Tierney]

Evenings here just fly by. Dinner at 5:00. Most nights DH is going to work by 7:00 which means he starts his shower at 6 and is out the door by about 6:40 so he can stop for a fountain drink on his way to work. - Between there is homework and chores for the kids. Some nights they have activities. These days they are spending as much time as possible outside with their friends between dinner and bedtime too. Bedtime for the kids is 8:30 so bedtime routine starts at 8:00. If DH is working early then I usually go to bed shortly after the kids go to bed. Typically by 9:00. I have to be at work at 7:15 and I require a lot of sleep. If DH isn't working early then he has to be to work at 11:00. On those nights I stay up until around 10 or 10:30 and spend a little time with him after the kids go to bed. We either watch TV or he watches TV and I play on my iPad, read, clean up the kitchen or spend time on the computer (scrapping or surfing or whatever). - Weekend evenings are much more relaxed. There is a later bedtime, more time for chores to be done earlier in the day, etc.

[SeattleSheri]

Exercise
Homework with the kids
Scrap
Kids activities (sports practices/games, go to the park, etc ..)
Read
Cook
TV (infrequent)
Work

[jacinda]

I pretty much either scrap or read in the evenings.

[catgoddess]

*snort*

[Neverland Scraps]

Editing to add what we do from dinner on...
After dinner, I do the dishes. Then once dishes are done, I bathe the little man. Depending on the time, I play/read to him until his bedtime. Once his bedtime rolls around and he's in bed, I work on getting my middle ready for bed. If she needs a shower, I remind her. If she needs to get her stuff ready for school in the morning, etc. As she's getting in bed, I start working on my oldest! I remind her to get her clothes out of the room since they share a room and she gets up at 6am. Then we go through her nighttime ritual. After she's in bed and I said good night to all three children again, it's almost 10pm.

Well hubby is currently overseas so once 10pm rolls around (that's when all the kids are in bed), that's MY time--my only ME time to think and get things done! First, I work my Jamberry business. Afterwards I check our bank account so I can pay bills and set up future bill payments. After the important things are out of the way, I get caught up on emails and if I'm lucky, I get to scrap a layout or just chat with my best friend on Messenger!

This is my every night dilemma about this time: it's almost 11pm and I'm debating about scrapping another layout or going to bed! Last night, scrapping won and I was up until 2am when I finished my layout. However this morning and every morning since he's been born, my 2-year old got up at 5 today. So I'm kind of exhausted and still debating if I can muddle through the day on a few less hours of sleep!

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by marlathrall

He's getting busy again and I'm suddenly realizing how productive I can be at night when he's gone. lol.

So true! Mine is rarely gone in the evenings, but he goes to bed 2-3 hours earlier than I do. I LOVE having that time to myself once everyone else here is asleep. Good thing I've been a night owl all my life!

[kristijoy]

In the evenings we often do something together as a family (like play a game, hang out in the family room, play with some toys). Sometimes my son decides to save his video time so he and Dad can play a few games together.

We rarely watch a movie. Night time movies tend to keep my son (& Me) awake all night.

Now that we've had the time change though we'll switch more to our summer routine. Evenings are nice when it's hot in the daytime. We often go for walks, work on an outdoor project, play catch, swing, etc...

Oh...and after kids in bed I usually work on my computer: scrapping, paperwork, lesson planning etc...

[lingovise]

as little as possible.
seriously. by the end of most days, I'm blissfully happy to collapse on the sofa and fall into a lovely catatonic state.

[olivesparrow]

Evenings are for relaxing in our house. We watch TV, read, play games etc. we go to bed with house looking like a bomb site! (I do all the housework first thing in the morning) My other half starts work at 4am so he goes to bed early as do the kids. So I watch TV, scrap etc ... Basically just relax and do what I want!

[Valgal]

Originally Posted by lingovise

as little as possible.
seriously. by the end of most days, I'm blissfully happy to collapse on the sofa and fall into a lovely catatonic state.

I'm so glad to see this, lol! I love how many of you girls are spending family time and playing with your kids, but I'm so ready to be loner by the time evening comes around.

[britaneejean]

Originally Posted by Valgal

I'm so glad to see this, lol! I love how many of you girls are spending family time and playing with your kids, but I'm so ready to be loner by the time evening comes around.

I'm so ready to be by myself but it doesn't happen blah!

[nun69]

we don't do alot, eat, pick up and then depending on what is going on the next day, get ready for that

[kendallt]

Like many of the others have said, it depends on the day of the week, but there is almost ALWAYS something going on; I rarely am able to just spend a quiet night at home without some obligation. My daughter has gymnastics three nights a week. I try to get to the gym on Monday and Wednesday nights for group classes, and the other nights, I'll usually go for a walk or to the gym to work out with my boyfriend. Many nights, I have work or social commitments.

By the time we get home and get done with dinner, showers, etc, it's usually pretty late. Depending on how tired I am, I'll sometimes try to get some scrapping done or watch a little TV.

[ChristineF]

After a long, hard day at work and picking up the kids from daycare before dinner we don't get much time together after. The kids are so little (2 under 3) so they go to bed around 7. This leaves us about 2 hours from when we walk in the door to their bedtime. In this time we have to make and eat dinner, then play for a bit and start the bedtime marathon. After the kids are in bed we only have energy to sit and relax with some tv-shows while I scrap.
I really wish we weren't so tired and exhausted so we could play more with the kids, but I'm sure this will get better as they grow older.

[kelley]

Mine depends on the day too. Monday through Thursday we are gone from right after dinner till 8:15 - 8:30 with either taekwondo till church, so we don't do much aside from that. The kids get ready for bed right after, and then Chris and I usually watch an episode of something together. Friday-Sunday we don't have extracurriculars, so it really varies. Usually we do our "partying" before dinner though, so after dinner is usually relax/chill time - movies, reading, scrapping, etc.

[jacinda]

Originally Posted by Neverland Scraps

Editing to add what we do from dinner on...
After dinner, I do the dishes. Then once dishes are done, I bathe the little man. Depending on the time, I play/read to him until his bedtime. Once his bedtime rolls around and he's in bed, I work on getting my middle ready for bed. If she needs a shower, I remind her. If she needs to get her stuff ready for school in the morning, etc. As she's getting in bed, I start working on my oldest! I remind her to get her clothes out of the room since they share a room and she gets up at 6am. Then we go through her nighttime ritual. After she's in bed and I said good night to all three children again, it's almost 10pm.

Well hubby is currently overseas so once 10pm rolls around (that's when all the kids are in bed), that's MY time--my only ME time to think and get things done! First, I work my Jamberry business. Afterwards I check our bank account so I can pay bills and set up future bill payments. After the important things are out of the way, I get caught up on emails and if I'm lucky, I get to scrap a layout or just chat with my best friend on Messenger!

This is my every night dilemma about this time: it's almost 11pm and I'm debating about scrapping another layout or going to bed! Last night, scrapping won and I was up until 2am when I finished my layout. However this morning and every morning since he's been born, my 2-year old got up at 5 today. So I'm kind of exhausted and still debating if I can muddle through the day on a few less hours of sleep!

Any chance the kids could be in bed by say 9pm? That would give you more time to yourself. Even if the older ones just read for a bit, at least they're quiet. My girls are 8 and 11, and they're in bed by 8pm-8.30pm at the latest, with lights out at 8.30pm for the youngest and no later than 9pm for the oldest.

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by Valgal

I'm so glad to see this, lol! I love how many of you girls are spending family time and playing with your kids, but I'm so ready to be loner by the time evening comes around.

We do early bedtimes here. My 9 and 6 year olds have lights out at 8:15 and my 11 year old at 8:45. That way DH and I still have some kid-free time. Much as I love them, I'm an introvert and am all peopled-out by the end of the day. DH has suggested it may be time to let our oldest stay up a little later, and I'm resisting it. I'm not sure what we'll do when he starts staying up late. I like Jacinda's idea of having the kids read in bed after a certain time, but even doing that I'll eventually have to let him stay downstairs into "my" time. Fingers crossed that's still a few years off!

[jak]

My kids (almost 7 and almost 9) are usually in bed between 8.00-8.30pm. The oldest reads a bit... I reckon it will only be a few more years and I'll be going to bed before them! (at least on the nights where I need to get up at 4.30 the next morning).

[clearskies]

We generally eat late, so once dinner is over it's bedtime for the kids. I help with jammies and teeth while DH cleans the kitchen. Then we divide and conquer for stories. Usually we're done around 8:30. He usually watches TV for an hour and then goes to bed.

I'm a night owl so the 9:00-1:00ish is my productive time. I find I use it best when I have a schedule of sorts, so I know what I'm doing before the time begins. My current schedule is recopying journal entries on Monday, Project Life on Tuesday, sewing on Wednesday and scrapbooking on Thursdays & Fridays. Saturdays are a free night and Sundays are earmarked for reading, although sometimes I'll do something else that perhaps didn't get enough time that week. (I hardly ever watch TV...I find it zaps my energy...)

[adi&co.]

watch tv sometimes... scrap sometimes..... play my pokemon video games (yes I still do that at 27, haha, I'm a lifer!)

[Neverland Scraps]

Originally Posted by jacinda

Any chance the kids could be in bed by say 9pm? That would give you more time to yourself. Even if the older ones just read for a bit, at least they're quiet. My girls are 8 and 11, and they're in bed by 8pm-8.30pm at the latest, with lights out at 8.30pm for the youngest and no later than 9pm for the oldest.

Right now how we have it set up is the oldest (almost 14) has to have lights off at 9:30 because she now shares a room with her sister (almost 11) who has to go bed earlier than the oldest. The middle has to be IN bed by 9, but she can read until lights out at 9:30. The oldest doesn't have to be in her bed, but the lights have to be off. From 9:30 until 10 (sometimes earlier if I have a migraine and can't deal with the constant chatter), she's usually getting her stuff ready for school (clothes in the bathroom, backpack organized and cleaned, etc. for the following morning, or if she's done all that, she is on her iPad listening to music or reading a book, but most nights she is with me talking to me until I make her go to bed at 10!

Could I make them go to bed earlier? I'm sure I could, but the girls are already having a hard time transitioning from this move, putting all their belongings in storage, Daddy being gone, living with my parents, sharing a room and now going to school, I don't want to change things up TOO drastically incase the chaos we already have gets worse--I couldn't handle it

[LeeAndra]

What I Do: Hang out at the house & take care of the baby. [DH & DD usually play a video game together.] Run dishwasher/laundry if necessary. Get DD showered & ready for bed. Get baby ready for bed. Put kids to bed. [Sometimes, DH will put DD down & I will put the baby down, but sometimes, I do both.] Bedtime is usually between 8 and 8:30 p.m. although I might let DD stay up until 9ish on the weekends. Finish dishes/necessary chores e.g. just laundry, room tidying up, and/or dishes. Put the dog out 4-6 times to pee. Get groceries 2x/wk (currently only have one car that DH has at work during the day). Check Internet/read/scrap (if the computer is working). Watch TV. Go to bed. [Get up with the baby at least once during the night.]

What I Would Love to Do: Attend my church's monthly praise & worship gathering. Go to the park/family walks. Take a class. Take DD to a class. Take a bath. Scrap.

[MommaTrish]

for starters - I don't do housework. I'm taking care of kids and housework all day long and everyone else in my house gets a time when it marks they're done doing things that they have to do, so why can't I? Anything left undone by the time kids go to bed will just be left undone.

Usually I knit and watch Netflix or scrap and watch Netflix.

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by MommaTrish

for starters - I don't do housework. I'm taking care of kids and housework all day long and everyone else in my house gets a time when it marks they're done doing things that they have to do, so why can't I? Anything left undone by the time kids go to bed will just be left undone.

Usually I knit and watch Netflix or scrap and watch Netflix.

That has always been my philosophy, too. When the kids were younger and there was no "after bedtime" break for me because I had 1 waking up and needing me all night long (sleep apnea and a genetic disorder, though we didn't know it at the time), taking that time for myself was the only thing that kept me sane. DH never got that because he was done with parenting at 8 pm and didn't have any more responsibilities until he left for work at 7 am. Now I work part time and sometimes have to give my evening to that, but I won't do housework unless I spent some of the kids school hours doing something for myself (which wasn't even an option while they were your kids' ages). Take your evenings, and don't feel guilty!

[EmmsCreative]

Once the kids are in bed, i either switch on the laptop and do some scrapping, watch a dvd with other half or read x

[julifish]

I want to start playing a game or cleaning up a part of the house or doing something together instead of just sitting and watching TV or a movie each night. However, to be fair the kids are pretty busy a few nights a week and often don't get home until 8:45 from their activities. It's hard to be a good mama some times.