I go to bed by 8:30 but the secret is I don’t stay up “putting my kitchen back together.” I don’t care if there’s dishes in the sink. I’m going to bed.

Can DH take turns driving to some of the activities? Have him bring the youngest in the car to free you up to work out once a week? Obviously not ideal for a 5/6 year old to sit around in the car, but it happens in my family all the time when DH is traveling. The kid and I will read in the car or go for a walk.

Simpler meals and/or takeout for dinner once or twice a week and have one of the older kids occupy the youngest for half an hour while you work out and wait for dinner to arrive.

Skip cleaning up after 9pm and just go to bed. Seriously, a messy house isn’t the end of the world. Spend 10 mins doing whatever is absolutely required for the next day and then catch up over the weekend, or on a work from home day if you have time. Laundry can stay in the clean baskets, just live with more clutter if you want to prioritize working out.

Work harder to find carpools for team sports. There’s a family in our neighborhood that has a daughter on a team far away with practices 5 days a week and no other kids live nearby. They spend one evening driving all over the county to pick up and drop off 4 other girls, but then the other 4 evenings, they are free! And this girl is old enough to be home alone to wait for her ride, so they can go to younger kids activities during this time.

This will be an unpopular opinion but I’d dump the nightly scratch cooked dinners to find time in my day. Note this does not mean eating unhealthy processed food every night. You can do sandwiches, salads or healthier take out once in a while. On the weekend you can cook some things for later in the week. And I would even use paper plates to minimize cleanup if DH or my kids couldn’t clean up. There is only so much time in the day and you need to prioritize what is most important to you. I’m heading back to work and DH does nothing in regards to the household. DS plays soccer an hour away a few nights a week which means I don’t even get home until 10:30 which means the earliest bedtime is 11. Thus I won’t be up before 6. I will not sacrifice my exercise or sleep (I need 7 hours). For now my plan is a 6 am workout which will free me up for dinnertime before heading out the door. It that doesn’t end up working, the first thing to go will be fancy meals.

Anonymous wrote:You don’t prioritize exercise and it is what it is. If you did, you’d make it work. You have kid(s) in high school, make them make dinner and do laundry sometimes.

High schooler does their own laundry and empties the dishwasher -- they can't cook because they get to home for the rest of the family to eat.

I want to prioritize exercise, but the only time I can carve out is in the morning, but trying to figure out how people do it, but clearly its going to bed way earlier than we can manage. Maybe once the kinder is less hands on we can get a handle on things; they usually occupy one parent entirely even without having an activity -- the older kids don't need much when it is their night at home.

We prioritize our kids health and development, hence the constraints on our school commute and activities. Sure we could leave them in SACC till 6pm while I hit the gym, or tell them they can't play any sports they can't walk to, but that isn't why we had kids, to just ignore them.

I admire those who get up so early to work out. I have showed up for my CrossFit class at 6am a few times to shock my friends and make them laugh. I end up needing a nap around 11am. I am not a morning person, and I work-out after work.

You don’t need much equipment for a home gym. A bench and dumbbells is fine. Be sure you’re buying heavy enough dumbbells - the 5 and 10lb ones are too light.

You don’t prioritize exercise and it is what it is. If you did, you’d make it work. You have kid(s) in high school, make them make dinner and do laundry sometimes.

This is a simple calculation: figure out how many hours you need to sleep and count backwards, and then try to be in bed at least 30 minutes before the time you need to be asleep. So if you usually sleep 7 hours, then then you need to be sleeping by 10, so best to be in bed by 9-9:30.

I wake up at 6 and I am in bed usually by 10 (but then end up sometimes reading or watching Netflix till 11:30 and totally sleepy the next day).

How are you working two ft jobs?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I missed the 2X WFH. Are you driving your kids to school? You can work out at 7 when they leave.

Yes we drive our kids to school, so 7-9 is spoken for with kids.

Spouse has the more stressful job, so usually works 8am-6pm; I finish at 430 to pickup kids, make dinner, and get them to sports/music/adhd tutor. Each individual kid only has about 2 activity a week — it’s just the older kids activities run late and the combination means I’m running around all week.

When spouse gets home at 7, handles the kids at home with their homework etc.

Don't drive them to school.

Do you mean 7-9am is taken with kids? What on earth are you doing?

Anonymous wrote:What kind of answer do you want? We can’t change your schedule for you. Quit your job?

Cut out some of the kids activities that apparently take like 4 hours every night.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of answer do you want? We can’t change your schedule for you. Quit your job?

Very helpful thanks!

It’s the only answer. Your welcome.

What I’m really asking is what time most 5am exercisers are going to bed.

I'm in bed by 9pm and up at 4:50am. Sleep is essential and I need a minimum of 6.5 hours, with 8 being ideal and 9 would be Heaven.

+1
I’m in bed by 9pm. Awake at 4 or 5, depending on the day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you go jogging while kids are at their activities?

This or bring a jump rope

That is a great suggestion thank you.

Anonymous wrote:Does anybody workout after work and miss family dinner occasionally?

I go to yoga at dinner time 2x a week. I hated it at first but I’m home for bedtime (kids are young) and we still have family dinner 5x a week. It works for us.

On the days when my spouse is not traveling: Bed by 9 or 9:30pm. Up at 5:15, in the car by 5:35am for a 6-7am workout. Home by 7:25am. Out the door for work by 8:30am.

I am still trying the motivation to workout in my house, which is not something I can do consistently.