This topic has come up a lot, and it took me a while to sit down and write it. Why? Because I always say that no day is exactly the same. Especially if you’re in the boat like me where you have multiple jobs, you do a lot of batch working, and you’re incorporating that all into your baby’s first year of life, where their schedule is ever-changing. Maybe I also have Laura Vanderkam in the back of my head too, saying that when we talk about a “typical day,” we tend to gravitate to talking about our weekdays, even though we have lots of weekends and holidays throughout the year. On top of that, we probably also talk about the most productive days. But regardless, I’m here doing it…I’m going to attempt to tell you about a day in my life at this exact period of time.
Right now, in the middle of a pandemic, my days actually do look quite similar, as I am in one place consistently, not travelling, and the only thing that distinguishes my weekdays from weekends is if I can teach more of my students during the day or in the evening. Also, with my husband travelling, and no childcare, bedtime routines look different if my husband is home to watch little C, if I’m bringing her into the music room with me, or if I have the evening off! Okay, here it goes, I’ll try my best.
Morning
I wake up when my sweet, little alarm clock (my daughter) wakes up. This is normally between 6-7am. This first wake window for C is 2 hours [She naturally follows 2-3-4 currently…meaning she’s awake for 2 hours, naps, awake for 3 hours, naps, awake for 4 hours, bedtime], and I can tell you that those 2 hours go by in a hot second. For us, it’s go time! This is what we try and accomplish:
- Breakfast – If you’ve read my morning routine (pre-baby, even though it’s still quite similar now), includes lemon water for me!
- Prep Food – The Crockpot has become my best friend since having a baby. I usually try and get something in the Crockpot, or do some chopping or a little cooking or baking, for later!
- Clean the Kitchen & Throw in Some Laundry
- 30 Minute Play – I’ve loved incorporating this into our mornings…I set a timer for 30 minutes, where I just get on the floor and play with Collins, knowing that we’ve already accomplished quite a bit, and allowing myself to be mindful and fully zone in on her (this playtime always includes some books). When that timer goes off, she crawls (or walks now) over to me and knows it’s time to go upstairs for…
- Mama Gets Ready – A quick shower and ideally some makeup. Washing my hair only once a week makes getting ready super easy – have your tried making [my] dry shampoo yet?
Nap Time No. 1
We do all contact naps, so I get little C into her carrier and she goes to sleep on me. Anyone who has a baby knows that naps can vary, but this nap can be anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. More often than not, it’s around 90 minutes. This is the time that I set up shop with a tea and a snack, and sit down at my computer to work. I also try to not be on my phone while C is awake (minus all the FaceTimes that we do to see family during a pandemic), so this is that time for me. During this time, I try to:
- Phone – Now that C is sleeping and I can pull out my phone, I answer text messages and get that social media in!
- Meditate – You can learn more about all things meditation from me here
- Work on the computer – This includes things like scheduling students and invoicing/doing expenses, etc., making lesson plans, writing for my blog (what you see right here), fulfilling Pampered Chef and cookbook orders, scheduling and planning and making edits to our Kids Who Explore Mamas Edition podcast (and all other things Kids Who Explore), emails, and whatever else I need to do at the screen!
Afternoon
I realize that up to this point I haven’t talked about my breastfeeding schedule, partly because I nurse on demand, but anyhow, that’s been in there…at this point of the day, little C has woken up and I’m so happy to see her sweet, little face and nurse her again. This is the point of the day where there can be a lot of variety, depending on what we have planned! Here’s some things:
- Visit with someone – We will try catch up with someone via FaceTime or on a walk
- More house work – This might look like more laundry, or some cleaning and tidying
- Lunch – We both have lunch, which is likely something that was in the Crockpot, or already prepped for the most part, so it’s relatively easy to put together
- Activity – Afternoons are always a happy time for an activity, which could be our swim lessons, a workout for Mama with C, a hike, a walk, some sensory play, playing in the basement with various balls and mini sticks (hockey), making music in the music room
Nap Time No. 2
We’ve arrived at nap time number two for my little sweetie, so we contact nap it up again, with another snack and drink for mama, and it’s back to work for me. This nap time and work time looks very similar to nap number 1, unless we are on-the-go. There is:
- Phone – Again, I catch up on messages and social media
- Computer – Again, I work, work, work
- Part (or all) of this nap could be on-the-go, if we were hiking, or out on a walk, which means I may miss work during this time of the day, or get less of it in, or just appreciate that I can finish my visit with someone or get some podcast-listening in!
Evening
This is C’s longest wake window of the day, which is great! If I’m not teaching, I really get to soak up all that time, but often I’m teaching a chunk of it and through her bedtime. So, evenings we:
- Play – We do any more play we didn’t do already, so maybe it’s music, maybe it’s running around in the basement!
- Cook – Time to make dinner or finish up what we’ve already prepped
- Dinner – We eat!! We love our food over here
- Bath Time – C also absolutely loves her bath time. If Daddy is home and I’m teaching, this is Daddy time. If I’m done teaching, this is Mommy time. If I’m teaching and daddy’s not home, we will change up the whole bedtime routine and do a quick bath and jammies much earlier than usual, so she’s already set for bed, while I work…
- Teach – I teach! This is all virtual currently (voice, piano, and ukulele, & I have a preschool eCourse coming out soon!). C has gotten really used to playing while I teach, listening in and watching the musicians, and trying to play/sing along (thank you, mute function!)
- Bedtime – After work, C is already fast asleep (we do safe bedsharing…I highly recommend the book Sweet Sleep, if you’re interested), and I use that time with her sleeping to finish up some work on my computer or phone in bed (not the best thing to do before bed, I know…), so after that, or longer if I can, I get my own reading in! Getting a little bit of reading in before my zzz’s is my favourite way to wind down!
Alright, that does it! Thanks for tuning in.