Every activity we can think of is more successful when your kids (and you) are properly rested and fed. Yet we are constantly running into parents who plan events that cut through naps and meals, or that keep kids up way past their usual bedtimes. Then these same parents wonder why everyone is so cranky. We think you are better off acknowledging your family’s schedule. Then make the choice to participate in events and activities that fit into your schedule, rather than pushing your kiddoes’ limits and hoping for the best.
We break our day into two sections for most planning purposes: morning and afternoon.
The morning section starts early, as our kids are usually up by 6:00a.m.! And it extends out until about 11:00a.m., when we start getting ready for a nap. Since many stores and events aren’t open when we begin our day, we typically use this early morning time for walking and triking around town, or as travel time to get to a nearby event. Our goal is to be home, or on the drive towards home, for Bluey’s napping time.
Tip: We don’t schedule doctor’s appointments, repair services, or attend events that fall between 11:00a.m. and 1:00p.m. And we only rarely break this rule. Kids respond best to structure and consistency.
The afternoon section is from 1:00p.m. until about 4:00p.m., which is a nice wide window to do all sorts of things. Typically, we eat lunch at home, and then head out and about. We try to be home no later than 3:30 p.m., but we could push it out to even 5:00p.m. if we had a really good reason.
We find that having dinner at a regular time each day, typically 5:15 p.m. at our house, helps to set the tone for the evening and makes it easier for everyone to relax. Bluey has (and has had for a long time) a firm understanding of what his afternoon/evening is like. He doesn’t expend energy trying to get his bedtime pushed back, because his bedtime doesn’t change. Likewise, Plum doesn’t try to stay up until 10:00p.m., because she knows that bedtime is non-negotiable.
Sure, we end up passing on a lot of social invitations because so many events start in the early evening, or they run straight through Bluey’s naptime. Even if kids are ‘welcome’ at these happenings, we usually choose not to mess with our family’s schedule. We know our time frames will expand over the years, and eventually we’ll be able to attend such events. Until then, we’ll be gracefully bowing out. It is what works best for us.
Again, keep the expectations low. Postcards are great. Two sentences and, boom, put it in the mail slot. My daughter has started to letter swap with local children’s author/artist Nina Laden (
