What is your daily schedule if you WFH/have kids?

[Anonymous]

I am trying to be more intentional with my time and also be sure to fit in working out at least 5 times/week. I am trying to dedicate work time to work time and not do household chores, work out, etc. during work hours. If you WFH and have kids, what does your daily schedule look like?

[Anonymous]

I've found it's easiest to put my personal time during the time I would otherwise be commuting. But you have to just stick to it. It's easiest for me in the morning. I drop my kids off at 7:30am for school and then I do some exercise. If you have help with drop off, even better.

The days I convince myself I'll do it at 4 or 5pm I almost never do. Either work bleeds into that time or I've shifted into "what's for dinner" mode and I put my own needs on the back burner.

[Anonymous]

Right now it's not good. It was easier with younger kids! I used to go for a walk every am before work. Now my teens are home until 7.30 am, then often back at 1pm (dual enrollment college class), then back out again, then back home, then out, then unknown arrival time for dinner...So it's a whirlwind of work/chores/meal prep and I am constantly interrupted (which is partly my fault, but I'm not willing to not pay attention to them when they are home and want to chat). By the time I can theoretically work out after dinner is done and everything is clean, I am tired.

[Anonymous]

I drive one kid to school, home by 7:30. Run every day around 8:00. Usually sitting down to work by 9. I don’t take a lunch break, just eat at my desk. Might get up to do some dishes or a load of laundry if I have some downtime. Log off at 5.

[Anonymous]

Get up at 5am and workout, sometimes DS (12) comes with me and then I drive him to school. Sometimes he stays home and DW makes sure he gets on the bus. Then I work 9-1. Have lunch. Maybe take the dog for a walk if I don't have a meeting right away. Maybe spend some time with DW if she's awake and home (she works nights 3 days a week). Then I work 1-5. Take dog out for a 20 min ride to decompress and then come home and cook, relax, or manage an activity with DS. If it is a light day with work, I'll try to get some laundry done. But between meetings and actually working on projects I am generally busy the entire day.

[Anonymous]

We wfh but kids have aftercare 2 ce a week and a grandparent taking them to playground/play at home another day a week. They are ES and cant really be independent and not in the way and we have critical work and meetings 3:30-5 on many days. The other 2 days DH or I meet the bus and take them to activities.
DH gets at least an hour of work done before the kids are up at 7:30. I work more the days we have care and he gets them from aftercare.

[Anonymous]

7:30-9pm after dinner only once a week.
Wake up early on Friday for a 7am once a week.
Are a Saturday morning class (zoom Pilates) and take a long walk on Sunday with the kids.

[Anonymous]

Up at 5, make breakfast, read paper, get everyone else up, do morning chores, make their breakfast. Spouse takes kids to bus at 7, while I run/work out. Shower. Go into my office and start work. Snack at 10. Lunch at noon. Snack at 3. Spouse makes dinner. Kids metro home. Dinner. Watch some TV. Read a book. Go to bed. Weekend mornings are for my part of the laundry and yard work and grocery shopping and longer workouts.

[Anonymous]

I WFH but only about 30 hours/week. 2x/week I work out during "lunch" and 3-4 out of 5 afternoons I take a long-ish walk before walking to kid's school to walk them home. Not this time of year, but when it's still somewhat light in the evening, we walk after dinner. And at least one weekend day we get some kind of exercise.

[Anonymous]

6am - Wake up
6:20-7:20am - Workout - Pelegon or run outside
7:20-8am - shower, dress, eat breakfast (while spouse makes coffee and feeds kids)
8 -9am - Pack lunches and backpacks, walk kids to school
9am - 4pm - work, lunch at my desk. Sometimes I flip laundry from the washer to dryer or unload the dishwasher between meetings, but most days I only work.
4-6pm - wrap up work emails, do simple document review/approvals, and other administrative tasks I save for this part of the day. Also greet kids as they arrive home, point them to their task list to complete before they go play, check kids have items for activities and are standing outside for car pools, pre-heat oven for dinner, etc.

1-2x a week I drive a car pool and that takes roughly an hour round trip. On those days my spouse makes dinner or we have leftovers.

6-8pm - homework, instrument practice, family dinner, engage with kids, do family chores like helping kids sort laundry.

8-10pm - wrap up any work items if needed, talk to my spouse, work on home projects or hobbies, tidy house for the next day.

10:30pm - bed time.

[Anonymous]

I could WFH five days a week, but choose to go in 2x per week. 40 min walking commute. Two kids, full day preschool plus aftercare. Husband WFH 2x a week, in office the other 3 days (opposite schedule to me):

7:30 - wake up, get ready
7:45 - help one kid get dressed and ready (husband does the other)
8 - feed kids breakfast
8:20 - commuter goes to work, other parent walks kids to school
9am - start work
On my in office days, I take a 30 min break at some point to do strength training in the gym (2x a week)
5pm - stop work. Commuter walks home, other parent gets kids
5:45 - everyone is home. Family time. (Thurs - I give kids a bath)
6 - husband cooks dinner
6:30 - family dinner
7:10 - quick family toy pickup
7:15 - bedtime routine
7:30 - kids in bed
Relax, clean kitchen, fold laundry, hobbies, time with spouse, whatever. I aim to do Pilates 3x a week in the evening (just a 10-30 min YouTube video) and prob average 1-2x per week
11pm - in bed, reading
11:30 - lights out

One morning a week when I’m WFH, I have an all staff call that I can be off camera for and basically never talk in. I gather and sort all the laundry during the call and move it into the washer and dryer throughout the day (only takes a minute). I’d say most other WFH days, I take 20 mins or so to do a task around the house.

I used to think like you did - work time is for work only. But honestly, I’ve learned that’s a mistake. EVERY desk worker is taking breaks in the day. Taking a break to exercise or hang a picture or sweep a floor is both restorative and helpful to you. You’re much better off doing that than spending 20 mins on DCUM or tooling around on the internet.

[Anonymous]

I know myself; if I don't get the workout in first thing, other things will push it off my schedule.

5:50-wake up
6:20-7:10 - work out (YouTube walking videos, a 30-minute one and a 15-minute one)
7:10 - shower
7:30-4 - work (some days I drive carpool in the AM and don't get back until 8:30, so I work 8:30-5 on those days)
Then I might make dinner, clean the house, pick-up kids, etc.

My youngest is almost 12 so I don't need to help anyone get ready for school; they do it on their own.

Two days a week, I use my lunch hour to go to the gym and do weight-lifting. If no one else is on the machines, it takes me less than 30 minutes to get through my circuit. If I have training or something else, I will move one of my weight-lifting days to Sunday or another weekday. I started this just a few weeks ago and I've made a habit of thinking about it before the week starts, so that I don't miss out on my weight-lifting sessions.

[Anonymous]

6 am - wake up, dress, walk/jog the dog (except on days I have a 7 am call or a commute to the office, then I don't walk the dog). DH is up and getting breakfast for kid, getting kid ready for school.
7:30 - DH takes kid to school, I do minor chores around the house/yard or start laundry. This morning I overseeded the lawn.
8:00 - start work, unless I started earlier.
noon - 30 minute lunch, let the dog out, move laundry if any.
3:30 - go get kid from school (no bus). This is part of my schedule, approved by boss.
5:00 - log off work, start dinner prep or take kid somewhere if that's what's on the schedule. DH and I trade dinner prep and dishes, alternating nights. We all eat together and then kid showers.
7:30 or so - family TV time, unless we're out at an activity.
8:30 - kid bedtime
11:00 - my bedtime

I am usually on camera for calls, but if I'm off camera I can do squats, lift hand weights, or do minor things like let the dog out. I do not otherwise do chores during my work day - I work in a dedicated room, and I'm busy.

[Anonymous]

Morning: breakfast, get kids ready for school and drop off
9-10: workout and laundry
10-12: deep work
Noon: lunch and clean up/prep dinner
I'm usually at a lunch and learn webinar for work at this time too
1‐3: deep work
3‐5: pick ups from school and drop offs at activities
I do call-in meetings at this time
6‐8: dinner, baths and bed
8‐10: deep work/prep for tomorrow
11: bedtime

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could WFH five days a week, but choose to go in 2x per week. 40 min walking commute. Two kids, full day preschool plus aftercare. Husband WFH 2x a week, in office the other 3 days (opposite schedule to me):

7:30 - wake up, get ready
7:45 - help one kid get dressed and ready (husband does the other)
8 - feed kids breakfast
8:20 - commuter goes to work, other parent walks kids to school
9am - start work
On my in office days, I take a 30 min break at some point to do strength training in the gym (2x a week)
5pm - stop work. Commuter walks home, other parent gets kids
5:45 - everyone is home. Family time. (Thurs - I give kids a bath)
6 - husband cooks dinner
6:30 - family dinner
7:10 - quick family toy pickup
7:15 - bedtime routine
7:30 - kids in bed
Relax, clean kitchen, fold laundry, hobbies, time with spouse, whatever. I aim to do Pilates 3x a week in the evening (just a 10-30 min YouTube video) and prob average 1-2x per week
11pm - in bed, reading
11:30 - lights out

One morning a week when I’m WFH, I have an all staff call that I can be off camera for and basically never talk in. I gather and sort all the laundry during the call and move it into the washer and dryer throughout the day (only takes a minute). I’d say most other WFH days, I take 20 mins or so to do a task around the house.

I used to think like you did - work time is for work only. But honestly, I’ve learned that’s a mistake. EVERY desk worker is taking breaks in the day. Taking a break to exercise or hang a picture or sweep a floor is both restorative and helpful to you. You’re much better off doing that than spending 20 mins on DCUM or tooling around on the internet.

You only bathe your children once a week?!!!