How do you fit it all in?

[Mrsh3103]

I'm struggling to find time to fit everything in. We go out every morning to toddlers, rhyme time, gym etc. Get home at around 11.30-12ish, have lunch, kids nap until around 2ish then we leave for school run at 2.30ish.
Its only been in the last week that we've been going out every day. Before the summer holidays we only had 2 days where we did something specific.
I'm now thinking I may need to drop 1 or 2 morning activities so I can do some things at home. We've had no messy play at all this week & I haven't really been able to follow any of the kids interests as everything is already set up at the different groups we go to.

How do you all do it? Do you think it would be a good idea staying home 1 or 2 days a week?

[smurfette]

I do a mix really,, like to be out most days but sometimes a free play day is called for, either by me or a tired or cranky little one! Mine are all 1 year olds and in Ireland we don't have to do all the paperwork you guys do so can go with the flow more. My routine is similar to yours. Leave for school run at 150 for my own girls then I find the little ones are happy to free play for the afternoon while my girls get their homework done if they have been out in the morning. Mine mostly aren't picked up Til 5ish., can you fit specific activities in the afternoon? Or plan your week to be in one or two mornings but vary what days they are so you can get the variety of different groups? Just wondering If your little ones do an activity at a group can that be included in your paperwork or does it all have to be done at yours by you?

[JCrakers]

I stay in Mondays and Wednesdays. Otherwise I'm just rushing about like a mad woman half the time.
Tuesdays,Thursdays and Friday mornings I go to toddler group.

This morning I had to drop 4 school children off at 8.50am
Take 14m old out of buggy to take 4yr old mindee inside so she was settled in her classroom
Go in another classroom and speak to a yr5 teacher about another mindee who was having stomach pain
Then 10min walk to meet 2 other mindees at 9.10am
Then I walked into town to starbucks with the 3 mindees, just about found enough time to drink my coffee whilst feeding 14m old breakfast and sorting milk and snacks out for older ones.
Walked to toddler group around the corner for 10am. Rushed around there watching the 3 of them for an hour and 15mins and then walked back home (25min walk), after taking the 3 of them in sainsbury's for milk and something for tea.

Got in at 12pm absolutely shattered and then had to do lunch and wipe two bums after a poo on toilet and change a nappy . Now I'm sitting down and refusing to do anything.....They asked for the tent out to which I said no........they can play for a while

[Mrsh3103]

All my under 5's go home by 4.30 so no time after school run to do anything either.
I use things that happen at the groups in obs but I can't do any planning based on interests & I haven't found a group yet that does messy play.

[westbrom44]

I go out most mornings to various playgroups, softplay, library, park etc. I meet my childminder friends as I dont like to stay in and I like the children to meet their friends to socialise. I still seem to have time to follow the childeren's interests as they are here until 6.15pm.

Why dont you suggest messy play activities or offer to set some up.

[Rachel6]

As mine are all part time I try to do something with them each morning,Monday music,Tuesday French,Wednesday library/park,Thursday toddlers & Fridays toddlers I don't mind if we miss toddlers but I pay for all the other classes termly. Then in the afternoon we have free play,arts crafts,writing. Then 3pm school run x

[wellybelly]

I've cut back on the amount of toddler groups I go to, we still go to one but I really like the messy play / arts and crafts / mark making (which I do at home) and a lot of the activities I plan are based around children's interests and next steps. I used to find some of the toddler groups really repetitive - the same singing and the same toys.

[CLL]

I couldn't go out every day it would be too much. I prefer to go out 2-3 times a week and spend the rest in the house and garden. Otherwise they spend most if their time in the buggy or the car and no real learning takes place.

[Mrsh3103]

The furthest we travel is 15min car journey. All the groups are really good but I think I will have to drop atleast 1 of them & have a day at home each week. Maybe a rolling outings rota so we stay at home a different day each week. I need to sit down & look at what they are getting out of each group.

[Maza]

I do a rolling rota as you put it. There is so much on offer around here that we can pick and choose which days we go to a group depending on our mood. Other days we do stay at home and do outdoor play in the garden. Also, as mine are quite young, a lot of focus activities only last about fifteen minutes and so we can squeeze them in. A target for one of my two year olds is to consolidate his counting by rote to ten and so we do that wherever we are - climbing up the steps to the slide in the park, counting the acorns we collect etc. etc. Some weeks we might not do very much in terms of focused activities but other weeks we seem to do loads. You can't fit everything in all the time, so don't stress, you're only human. x