It is 6:49pm as I type this — evening routine time — and I’m sick in bed. (Just a cold, but I’m wiped out.) I can hear Jeff reading Prince Caspian and I can also hear Heidi running circles around the house announcing that pixie dust is making her fly. I’m not sure if this is exactly what Jeff has intended for her to do but I’m too tired to get up and check. Jeff’s voice continues, the Narnia narrative unbroken, although she now has an egg-shaker and has broken into a gibberish song. I can envision exactly what Dutch is doing: Leaning close to Jeff, listening, in a trance as Jeff reads the story. He loves story time, and Heidi loves to run circles around the house singing nonsense.
Sometimes it really is a circus around here.
But for all the glorious circus-ness, I do love love love our routine. The chore cards are helping our mornings and our evening routine is a sanity-saver to be sure. The kid’s nighttime routine has been in place for years now:
- Bath
- Put on jammies
- Snack
- Brush teeth
- Rock, read, pray
I’m pretty sure most parents of youngsters have the ole’ bedtime routine down pat.
But what about for us?
Do adults need their own bedtime routine?
Tsh says absolutely and I think it’s not a bad idea.
She suggests establishing a simple 5-part evening routine, little things that you’ll be glad you did in the morning. This, coupled with your 5-part morning routine, provide bookends of order for every single day. A little routine to frame whatever circus-ness your day has held. And, although it might sound appealing to flip on the TV or settle down into some serious Facebook time, consider how some evening intentionality might seriously simplify and beautify your life. Tsh’s ideas include:
• Take a shower • Clean the kitchen • Yoga, or some other stretches • Read your Bible • Journal • Make the kids’ lunches for school • Set out your clothes for tomorrow • Dump your brain (project 19) • Write your to-do list for tomorrow (project 38) • Do a quick, 15-minute clutter pick-up
So, my evening routine:
- Clean kitchen
- Quick 15-minute clutter pick-up
- Look over tomorrow’s to-do list
- Talk to Jeff
- Pray
You may have noticed that I am in fact blogging right now and not talking to Jeff or praying. That’s because I’m sick so I can do whatever I want. Plus it’s only 7:07pm. My goal is just to have the computer off by 8pm so I can wind down and be prayed-up and well-rested for the next day.
Here’s why I love an evening routine: Mornings are hard. Whether or not your a morning person it’s still hard to get up and get going and get everything done before the break of day. Starting the night before sets yourself up for success. Laying out clothes, programming the coffee pot, making sack-lunches, laying out Bible study materials, whatever will help you wind down, rest, reflect, and prepare for the next day — that what should be included in your evening routine.
{So what will you include in yours? I’d love to hear … and now, I’m off to bed. Thanks for reading.}
Bonus: A little humor for your Friday …
13 thoughts on “#4 Establish Your Evening Routine {52 bites}”
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oh kari – i’ve set the morning and evening routines as my ‘bites’ for this month! i just find it so hard to be disciplined and actually do it – although i know i feel a whole lot better!
my ‘work in progress’ routine: tidy kitchen/dining room/living room (whatever we’ve used that night, remember there’s only two of us, this is never a big deal!), a warm bath/shower/self-care (body butter, a face mask, whatever feels good that night), light stretching/wind down yoga poses (legs up the wall is my favourite and feels SOOOO good!), prayer, chat with my husband…
many nights i do none of this, and i am going to make a concerted effort in feb to remedy this! thanks for the continued inspiration!
Ah, your evening routine sounds glorious! I’d like to go get out the body butter right now and put my legs up on the wall! For some reason the evening routine is harder for me too … but glad you’re doing it! Bless you my sweet London friend — thankful for you!
I love the idea of having an evening routine.
Mine for this month:
– a cup of hot green tea
-stretches
– turning off the computer at 8:00 (I like that idea a lot)
– journal (“dump my brain”)
Ooh sounds wonderful! I love green tea … Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
I hope you feel better soon, Kari. 🙂 My evening routine includes all the things that I can’t easily do when my kids are still awake. We pick up the house together before they go to bed, so once they are out, it’s mama and daddy time. 🙂
Love love love this. I’m going to work on getting the other things done earlier so it can just be us when kids are done. Thanks for sharing … your marriage is beautiful! 🙂
Love, love, love your ideas dear friend. I struggle with mornings SO much, that I really need to sit down and get focused on attaining a more structured routine in the AM. As for evenings, I am a night time gal.
*De-clutter
*Clean up the kitchen, not fun, but so glad I did it when I get up the next morning.
*Try to have the ihatelaundry pile put away
*Pray with Pat
*Read: Bible and other books
Wonderful, inspiring post Kari! Thank you!!
Thank you, sweet friend. I keep thinking about you guys … someday would love to catch up, here what God is doing… love you.
Get better and rest as much as you can.
Thank you! (I’m all better now!)
My sweet 8 yr old daughter told me this week that she loves to listen to me sing while I make her lunch. I put her to bed and sing old old hymns from when I was a kid. I didn’t even know she noticed. She said she likes it because it helps her get sleepy. There goes my heart!! So blessed….
Kari,
I also am working through “… 52 Bites”, and it’s been so surprising to me all of the little things that I had not even thought of, sadly. Like you said, most of us who are mothers, have our munchkin’s bedtime routine down to a science, yet lack one of our own in any shape and/or form (me, raising my hand… very high!).
The bedtime routine “bite” was one of the first I began working on, after reading through Tsh’s AH-Mazing e-book, and in all honesty, I am still working on it… months later.
It seems I always have one more thing to do before bed, would like to read one more chapter, etc. And, then not only am I up much later than I should be, but my mornings are filled with chaos and frustration.
I am happy to say that, although in no way is my bedtime routine down to a science, it is to the point in which I am getting my 5 important things accomplished at least 5 out of 7 nights, and I can happily say that our mornings are becoming so much more routine and relaxed. Along with getting things done and set out the night prior, I want to thank you for inspiring me to follow in your footsteps in making my son (who just turned 4) some lovely little “responsibility” cards, as you showed you had done for Dutch. They have worked WONDERS for our Jackson. It is so much easier to get him moving in the morning, and he is genuinely proud of accomplishing all of his “responsibilities” (and, like you… all include, for the most part, my assistance – as the responsibilities are things like: making bed, brushing teeth and hair, getting dressed, eating breakfast, being responsible for his coat (if we are heading out or it’s a preschool day) )…
I can’t thank you enough for sharing your wonderful idea. We had tried charts, handmade ones, spendy store bought ones, but in all honesty…. I think it was all too overwhelming for him. Whereas his little cards that are “laminated” (aka: covered in clear dollar store contact paper :p) with the words and a little clip art photo, all punched onto a ring are the simplicity we all needed.
So…. to end this wordy and lengthy comment, I think Tsh has hit the nail on the head in the simplicity of having a bedtime routine and a morning routine. It doesn’t need to include an expensive planner or handmade chart/list. It just has to be the simple things you need and want to have done, and simple enough to keep up top in your noggin. I think it’s brilliant! And, am learning quite quickly that most things in life that are simple are exactly that, brilliant!
Thanks for sharing… I love reading your words daily, and they have inspired me, taught me, and guided me in being the mother, wife, and woman that I strive daily to be!
Blessings to you and your sweet family.