Originally Posted by
bisous
I don't know if this helps at all and every family has a different rhythm but what has worked for us is to gradually develop after about 8:30 as our own "adult" time. Normally that isn't as spicy as it sounds, lol. Most nights we watch "A Closer Look" with Seth Meyer and then I fall asleep with the lights on, lol, so super romantic, lol. But over time the kids have learned to respect that we're unwinding together. It helps because we've drawn lines for our own time together that the two teens have learned to respect and also it has helped me over time to learn to unwind and relax fully. I crave that time now! It helps that the teens are only allowed to watch shows or play games at the same time (their bedtime is 10:00). For us part of the reason it really works is that my teens are excited to have this time when the two little kids are asleep to do their teenage thing. It took some time to put that routine into place. It has also helps DH get to bed on time! We've only been doing this since the pandemic but it has been one good thing to come of the whole thing!
That would so not work here. Our kids are at ages- specifically the 18yo and 16yo- that they are coming and going all hours of the evening. If they aren’t at work or hanging with friends then they are running between activities. there is no rhyme or reason to it. And we are trying to catch each other with reminders in-between activities, “hey Joey don’t forget this” or “Johnny, did you see the email with the time change for this”, etc. Likewise they catch us when they can with reminders not to forget to sew this or having something ready for an activity or did I order that piece? The kids are like ships in the night with us already. I could be in the middle of a phone call while hauling in groceries, food boiling on the stove and my hair on fire and someone would say, “mom, ya got a minute?”. There is no way they’d respect, “adult time.”
Last edited by gatorsmom; 01-22-2022 at 11:48 AM.
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