Quality time after daycare

Hi Girls ,

Just wondering how you enjoy your evenings with you little ones after a long day of work and daycare.

I normally have Kaitlyn home around 530pm ( this is about to become 6pm) Dinner and bath and ready to play around 6pm. But she is soooooo tired as sometimes she will have been up since 6am and only had 45mins sleep!!!!!!! . So she can be quite grumpy.

Things we currently try to do are :

Read books
Play with her Bubba doll
sing ...sing...sing
I just get her to lead me in play.

So my question is ..when your little ones are tired how do you try and enjoy quality time with them?

That's a hard one. We have the same thing with our DD on some of her kindy days depending how busy they've been. She's recently just suddenly stopped her day sleeps so she's quite grumpy by 5.30 & 7.30pm is her normal sleep time so have a bit of gap to fill so to speak.

Anyway, one thing we recently purchased is one of those magnetic drawing boards which are also brilliant to keep them occupied in the car. We will quite often sit down quietly and draw together. She's just started to be able to draw faces but loves to watch me draw on it and loves to have me draw all the members of the family over & over. So you could try that. I got mine from Kids Central & it was about $39.

Cass sometimes I just laid down on the couch with Indah so she could be with me in my arms & she'd snooze!!!
I got no dinner cooked etc but i just didnt care!
I honestly have seen an amazing change in her now I have spebt 2 wks on mat leave with her & no more care!

But I also found it hard as she wanted me, but was so exhausted!!!

Tracey can I please ask what you mean when you say that you have seen a big change in your DD since you have been on mat leave and you aren't putting her into daycare?

I am currently trialling daycare with my DS before I return to work and the quality time after daycare issue has been on my mind too.

Ok I used to have to wake up at 5:45am to get myself ready for work, but Indah would wake early too as she'd heard the kettle shower etc, so often was awake by 6:30am, having brekky getting dressed & constantly hugging my leg needing attention & Mum, but I was also trying to get maddison up & ready for school, make all our lunches, pack bags etc for Care, School, my work etc, do hair, makeup.
Then outta the door by 7:30am, take maddy into my parents as they took her to school on their way to work, Indah to family day care (by now she'd already been up over an hour) then I'd head off to work..
My Mum would collect her at 3:30pm just before getting Maddy from school & we'd get home around 5pm, take the girls home & Indah would be grizzly, clingy, just hanging off either DH or myself & so, so tired!
We both need to work & really it left us with little choice! We had to do it..

But at day care Indah would sleep max 1 hour with the other kids & then be full on playing & running around! Yet if we had days off, or on weekends she's wake at 7:30am, be back in bed by 9:30 & sleep til 11:30-12, then go back to bed at 2pm & sleep til 5! I asked the carer to put her down twice a day but she siad she always wanted to paly...

I think the lack of sleep really made her throw tantrums, be clingier etc...

Since I have been on maternity leave she sleeps til 8:30am, she settles in her cot (wont move out of it for the new baby but oh well!) easily, she is happy when DH gets home from work, she laughs & is not as clingy & needy & is just a happier soul!

She now has only 1 day sleep but it's from about 1:30pm til about 4:30-5pm... I let her sleep til she wakes & she has no prob going back to bed at 7:30pm!

She has stopped her morning sleep, but she will lay on the couch & we read books for an hour or so...


I am not at all against care, we had no choice, as we both need to work, but I am glad I have wangled evening work for my return after having this bubba til I am ready to take on a role like my previous one again... Because having 2 like indah was would have been really hard!

After a day of work, where I had a fairly high intensive job etc to come home to her was really tiring!

Hope that helps & as I say, I am not against care, it was good for her too, she's very confident in front of others & enjoys playing with other kids!!!

Trace I cant believe you are almost 38weeks and on leave!!!!!!!!!. My goodness it has been to long since I have chatted to you!.

I am so glad that Indah is doing so well with her fulltime mummy at home :-).

I know Kaitlyn would much prefer me be at home. As much as she LOVES daycare and believe me she does , I know it tires her out . And like Indah she one really short sleep , only has 45mins sleep a day there!

I am so nervous as she is always so clingy and upset when we get home from work , and currently I pick her up around 4-430pm. I have just changed jobs and now wont be able to pick her up until 530pmish!!!. Mind you DH usually drops her off anywhere between 830am and 10am so at least she starts a little late.

Really need to win lotto hehe.

Yeah Cass,
It's hard, I'd do it again if I have to, but at this stage I will go back 4hours at night so the littlies will already be in bed & not even know I am gone!!!

I can see how much more sleep she has been getting & needing & how happier she is!

But like you we both HAVE to work & so if work werent going to be accomodating I'd have to put both her & Zy in care!

I dont hate care, I just PREFER to be at home!!!

She will be fine!!!