How to break the monotony of the same routine day in day out...
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Anonymous
| DH here who like many others has the family that I love so much but need ideas to break the monotony of going to work, coming home, preparing lunch for the next day, playing with the little ones, giving baths, reading books, finally sitting down to have a beer and then being pooped by 9:30, only to do it all over again the next day. DW is awesome but we don't have any family close by to take a load off. Also, most of our friends don't have kids yet. I do try to make time where I can, stopping for ice cream on the way home, squeezing in a walk on a Saturday night, just looking to vent and see how others dealt... |
Anonymous
| Family is unglamorous and monotonous, but a source of tremendous support and meaning. You can take weekend family trips, pick up a hobby, and push the kids' bedtime back to go out to eat as a family on, for instance, Fridays. But on some level you have to make peace with the routine of family just as you make peace with the routine of work. |
Anonymous
| I absolutely agree, for me its also about carving out time for myself, which is how I recharge... |
Anonymous
| Hire a babysitter. |
Anonymous
+1 date your wife again and plan things to look forward to |
Anonymous
| Look for kid friendly activities you can do on the weekends. Kidfriendlydc.com has some good ideas. Or take a picnic dinner to a local playground once in a while on weeknights. Take turns going to happy hour with friends while the other watches the kids. |
Anonymous
| agree. get a babysitter -- much cheaper than letting the marriage go stale and having to divorce. |
Anonymous
|
When you have young children in the home, this is all par for the course.
I agree w/the above poster that you should make it a priority to find a good babysitter so that you + the wife can get out and have some date nights every now and then. Since most of your friends do not have kids, perhaps look on Care.com and Sittercity.com for a babysitter in your area. Then schedule a few date nights a month and the number one rule is: No talk of the kids!! Ready, set....GO! |
Anonymous
| Or if your kids are in daycare, keep them in and both you and your DW take the day off and spend it together. |
Anonymous
|
Start some traditions. Get a babysitter every other Saturday night. If you know for a fact this is going to happen you can look forward to it and the anticipation will be half the fun.
You can do the same tradition thing with the kids. Make every Sat morning a trip to the library, zoo, museums, park, and then lunch out at a place the kids pick. Money spent on a baby sitter is buying peace of mind and contentment...priceless. |