Mum Of 3 Evening Routines – To-Do List

Hi!

Let’s talk about routines. 🙂

Now I’m someone who needs organisation and routines to keep on top of everything I need to do. I’m actually paradoxical in this because, although I am organised and methodical in certain areas, I’m disorganised in other areas.

I guess because I have learnt to be organised in the things that are my top priorities and our frequent needs as a family, but I haven’t extended my organisation skills to all areas of life.

Anyway, one thing that I have found that helps me as a mum of three is to have certain morning and evening routines on school days.

This really helps me to keep on top of the school prep, the housework, and the meals and I’ve found that once I gain a habit or routine, I do it without much thought and that results in fewer decisions to make and a lighter mental load.

So here goes my evening to-do list:

Evening To-Do List

• help kids with showers
• get kids to do chores
• clear clutter in the kitchen
• water plants
• make dinner
• prepare my husband’s lunch for the next day
• wash pans, tidy the kitchen
• unload the dishwasher
• set the table for breakfast

Evening To-Do List Explained

So my evening starts at around 6.00 and this is when I help my kids with starting their showers, and getting the ones who are waiting for their shower to do their evening chores (feed cat, tidy laundry, etc.)

Then at around 6.20 p.m., I start getting dinner ready. As I’m preparing the food, I usually have a glass of water with vinegar (for health reasons), tidy the kitchen, and water the kitchen plants.

We eat at 7.10 and then at around 7.40, I wash the pans while my family helps load the dishwasher, then I tidy the kitchen and organise my husband’s lunch for the following day.

Usually, the kids will start going upstairs to get ready for bed while I’m doing this. Then at around 8 p.m. we’ll do bedtime stories and then at 8.15 it’s lights out for the younger two. (My oldest goes to bed slightly later.)

As I spend most of my early mornings having quiet time and exercising, having the kitchen clean and tidy helps me not to feel overwhelmed with things to do in the morning.

After the children are in bed, some evenings I do some life admin tasks or work stuff and other evenings I just relax with my husband. Sometimes we pray and read the word together, other times we watch a series or a film.

Then, at about ten p.m. I unload the dishwasher and lay the table for breakfast, before heading up to get ready for bed. (This usually takes me about 15 minutes)

How about you? What are your evening routines? Let me know in the comments below 😉