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Right around five p.m. each early evening we all start to feel the pressure of the day coming to an end. It's crunch time. I am usually trying
to cram in meal preparations and unfinished chores while trying to pay
attention to each child. They are, in turn, doing the things that they each need to do and want to do before the dinnertime and bedtime routines lock them into a schedule. And all the while their bodies are getting out excess energy and accumulated emotions from the day are reacting in (sometimes) predictable, age-appropriate ways. Their things inevitably involve my comments or assistance.
Up until recently I felt like this was the most chaotic time of the day. I've had a recent change in perspective. Now I realize that everyone is just quickening their pace as their deadlines approach.
I realize that to the outsider it might seem like bedlam. Call me at five and you might not hear my voice through all the background noise.
Here's a glimpse of yesterday's crunch time. J worked feverishly on his spelling so that he could fit in more time reading before dinner. A repeatedly showed off the portrait she created of me and then she sang me verbatim the words to the song she learned in nursery on Sunday--someone had "get Mom's attention" on her "To-do" list.
E raced and bounded through the house blurting "enemy invader!" and "pysche!" (something J taught him) and admiring his recently-handed-down watch (something J gifted him.) He was fitting in his extra exercise session.
Minnestrone soup simmered in the crockpot, bread cooled on the counter, and then I ran down to the basement finding a lovely mess and I started calling for kids to help to clean this up pronto.
Some families are trying to figure out if they can fit in an extracurricular activity and I wonder "how do you fit in floor clean-up time" because it's not uncommon that we're sliding in that event at the very last moment.
Tell me this: do you feel the crunch each evening just before dinner? Is there anyway to restore sanity to this very full block of time with young children?
6 comments:
We have the same situation at our house. It is chaos, we are trying a new thing, which is wet chalk on the back. Our kids don't get to play outside very often because it is too hot but by 5 pm things start to cool off a bit. They are fine out there without my attention (mostly because they don't want me telling them they are using too much water) and I get to finish dinner and getting it at the table.
I just hope the idea doesn't wear off before I come up with something new. I am thinking a trampoline...
Oh Yes! We totally have crunch time. It all depends on the time that I can get home from work...that determines how sane Joe and I are by the time 7pm rolls around. Joe is cooking dinner..AJ wants to be held. NCL is exhausted but starting to really wind UP because he doesn't know what else to do. I walk in the door and have to open my arms before I can take my shoes off - AJ gets handed over, I run back to the bathroom w/ him, try to change my clothes. On my way back out to the kitchen/livingroom, I immediately start picking up toys, start some laundry, kiss Joe on the way to the washing machine. When we finally sit down for dinner - I am not even hungry because we have been moving a MILLION miles a minute. It's nuts! :) I am thankful for Fridays -- I get to work from home and don't have to deal w/ all the extra stuff!
I've always called 4pm-5pm the "witching hour." Things just seem to get spooky. With three kids in school now, after school/dinner-making time is pretty crazy. Four kids needing something is a lot of little voices. I've found firstly keeping a calm head/voice about me helps eliminate added tension to the room. Putting them all on a project together (Playdoh, coloring), or watching an educational show can seriously cut out all the craziness. Those are last resorts. Normally I just try to prevent it altogether. Get them busy with something BEFORE that crazy hour hits.
More than any other's...your day-to-day glimpses of your 'now' take me down the path to my 'yesterday.' I often feel double tweeks of joy and melancholy for the visits back in my brain from the visits you share from yours. XOXO
I think realizing what's going on is half the battle. I have to admit, I kind of like that hour. I help with homework while I finish dinner, someone is setting the table, and someone else is helping cook. Or they are all outside, and I'm doing their chores because I hate to break up a good time. Any minute dad will be home, and we're alla bit excited about that - he can also fix any problems we are having. :). although I have to admit, our floor often goes uncleaned until Sat (or I pick up when everyone is in bed). there's just something great about everyone gathering home though.
i definitely always feel that crunch before dinner time...and i only have two kids. sometimes the crunch time is lessened if I have prepared a crock pot meal earlier in the day, or, very very rarely, prepared dinner earlier in the day and all I need to do is stick it in the oven...but that is few and far between. mostly--it is just chaotic and I am still getting used to it/figuring it out. lots of times Curious George steps in to help.
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