A Day in the Life- Evening Routine

Our Evening Routine

Once three o’clock rolls around, I consider the evening to be underway. I know it is still the afternoon, but all of our evening prep begins around 3.

Our nights are busier now that our kiddos are older. They have nighttime activities, but we do have some nights that are kept just for us to spend together.

Supper Prep, Outside Play

Three o’clock with when I’m working hard to get supper prepped and cooking. The kids grab a light snack and head out the door for lots of fresh air and play time.

I truly believe this is what makes them sleep so well at night. They work their brains for several hours and then they play for several hours. It’s a great combination.

Supper

Supper is around 5:30 at our house. We gather at the table and eat whatever I’ve cooked that night. I have shared some of our favorite meals if you want to check out the post on Weeknight Meals. If you need a “dump it in the pot” and leave it recipe, make sure you get my French Dip Sandwiches. They are delicious!

Once supper is over, we all have our own chores to get the kitchen tidied up for the night. I shared how that works in my Fall cleaning post and my Top Tips for House Cleaning. We all share the responsibility for cleaning the kitchen, which makes my evenings so much better.

Once the kitchen is clean, the lamp is turned on that sits on the counter and the kitchen is closed. I run the dishwasher one last time for the day and sit down to enjoy the family.

Family Time Evening Routine

Once the kitchen is clean, we have family time. Mark will throw the football with Liam, I will water my roses, the girls follow me around and we chat about all of the things.

Many times, the conversation revolves around the spiders hiding in our shrubs or something funny the dogs did.

Depending on the evening, we might take a side-by-side ride, a family walk, or go fishing at our local lake.

There are also times that Mark and I just sit on our patio while the kids play.

Bath Time

Around 7:15, the kids go in to bathe and get jammied up. This is one of those areas that I no longer have to help with. I loved bath time when my kids were little ones, but I also love not having to do it, too.

This gives Mark and me some time to chat, which we both look forward to after a full day.

Family Discipleship Time Evening Routine

I get asked about this the most on Instagram, in regards to our evening routine. Every night, we sit down together as a family and Mark reads the bible to us. He, usually, reads a chapter and we slowly work our way through a book of the bible.

Afterwards, he answers any questions the kids might have about the scripture and he prays. Our process isn’t anything fancy, but it’s what we have done for years and years.

We used to use a Jesus Storybook Bible a long time ago, which we liked, but now he just reads from his bible.

I love that our kids will have memories of this time together. We have done this for years, so I know they will remember it and it makes me so happy. Our hope is that they will do the same with their kids, one day.

Bedtime

Mark and I tuck in each kiddo at 8 o’clock. The little girls go to bed once we turn the lights out, but Ella and Liam are allowed to stay up and read for an hour, if they want.

Mark and I tuck each kiddo into bed. It’s a sweet time of the day because we each get to chat with them individually for a moment.

At 9 o’clock, the older kids have to turn their lights out.

Mark and I hang out from 8 to 9:30 and chat about our days or what’s going on in the world. It is a time for us to reconnect and just be together. I look forward to this all day long.

For those with little toddlers, this time used to also be filled with a lot of, “back to your bed,” as someone was always trying to sneak out of their room. lol Rest assured, at some point, your kids will stop doing that and you will get uninterrupted time with your spouse.

During the fall months, he oftentimes starts a fire in our fire pit and we will sit out by the fire. This is one of my favorite things to do.

Mom and Dad Bedtime

At 9:30, Mark and I turn in for the night. We both read our bibles, turn out our lamps, and rest.

How do I get ready for bed?

I love getting up early in the morning. I’ve shared so much about this both on Instagram and in my Morning Routine blog post.

Loving mornings means I have to go to bed at a good time. If I don’t go to bed early enough, I will be tired all day the next day, which I don’t like.

There are a few things I do to make sure I go to bed on time. Most of this happens after the kids are tucked in.

Getting Ready for Bed

• Drink a cup of tea– I love having an evening cup of tea, especially during the cold months. I don’t do this as much during the hot months.
• Stay off of my phone– I like to put my phone away at 8. Do I always do this? Nope. But, I can tell that my brain shuts down much easier when I limit my screen time at night.
• Read a book– Reading always puts me to sleep, so I never get very far in whatever I’m reading. This means that I don’t make it through very many books/year, but that’s okay.
• Wash Face and Brush Teeth– I don’t know about you, but I cannot go to bed if I haven’t done both of these things. For some reason, I don’t feel settled until I’ve brushed my teeth and cleaned my face for the night.
• Use Lamp Light– Lighting matters in so many areas, but it really matters when it comes to getting your body ready for bed. Soft, warm light is what I prefer.
• Cool the House Down– Don’t laugh at me, but I like to be cuddled up in my bedding with the room super cool. I sleep so much better when the bedroom is cool, but I’m cozy.
• Go to bed on time– My body gets used to a certain routine very easily. When we travel, it always messes with my sleep and then I have to completely reset my body when I get home. If I go to bed at the same time each night, my body will naturally get tired around that time and it won’t be much effort to fall asleep on time.