Working Out of the Home Moms, Tell Me Your Routine

I wouldnt actually call my life routine-
Time to bed between10:30( really early) or 11:30(closer to usual)

Up at 6:45 am- oldest boy up and out the door by 7:35
youngest boy out of bed 7:45 out the door by 8:15-8:20- In between breakfast and running them to school I get ready ( usually less than 30 minutes) am at work by 8:30-
The oldest takes longer than the youngest so I let him sleep until I get home from dropping off oldest Much easier doing morning one at a time.

Home from work by 5:15 dinner usually around 6:30-7- Homework, reading chores are done before I get home with dad home.

youngest shower by 8:30 bed by 9 - Oldest bed at 10 showers in the morning

gather up backpacks clean up a messes and start all over again tomorrow.

I have a great job that lets me come and go as I please and work from home. I thought your question was about working from home, I was going to say I work from home for about five minutes, smile at Troy leaving him with the kids and go into the office. :p For some reason my independent children become very needy as soon as they realize I am working.

On the days my kids are with my ex I get up at four and am in at five. Takes me about 20 minutes from shower to finish to get ready, 25 if I draw the short straw and have to make coffee. On those days I usually work till five or six. On the days I have the kids I get them on the bus, leave for work, come home and get them off the bus. I used the terms get them on and off the bus to denote time not that I am that mom that drives down to the bus stop. *shudder*

In the summer I work an 8 on Monday, off Tuesday, work two 12s and don't care about the last ten unless they need something done. I try to work from home in the summer but see 1st paragraph, it just doesn't work. Maybe this summer I will buy some good rope and see if that helps. :p

Oh yeah the secret. I have long curly hair that has to be dried in a diffuser. I scrunch it up, and hold the diffuser with my left hand while putting on my makeup with my right hand. By the time my hair is dry all I have left to do is eye makeup. :D

This is what "worked" after my last son was born (I'm going back to work with a similar schedule here, which should include a little more time once I don't have an infant--I go back in three weeks leaving an 8-week-old, my 4-year-old, and my 2 1/2-year-old with daddy during the day):

Wake up around/by 6:45 a.m., nurse baby, get him back to sleep.
Get dressed for work, bring bottle upstairs (breast milk so it can sit out until my husband needs it).
Eat something fast.
Grab lunch and work bag and breast pump.
Leave for work no later than 8:15 (depending on weather).

After work: Home by 6 p.m. (The schedule here depends on what day it is--my husband works 3-11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, so Fridays he's home and usually makes pizza dough before I get home.)
Make something to eat (easy dinners).
Bathe kids, depending on the night.
Wash breast pump.
Hang out with kids. My toddler still naps, usually between 6 and 8:30.
Daddy's home by 11:15/11:30.
Oldest in bed by 11:45/12:00 a.m.
Middle child in bed by 1:00 a.m. (depending on when the oldest falls asleep).
Hang out with husband for a few minutes to remember I live with someone else. :)
Me, asleep with baby by 2/2:30 a.m. Start Over.

I have "lots" of time, but it is crazy time since I'm alone with the kids and exhausted. (My kids sleep in since they are home with my husband, so I'm the only one really sleep-deprived. Once I'm working again he'll be trying to send me to bed before 1 I'm sure, but sometimes I get distracted or we start talking and I enjoy it so much I don't want to sleep.) Before I had the baby I had less "prep" for a work day since I wasn't washing a pump or making sure to leave enough bottles. I averaged about 4-5 hours of sleep a night.

The things that help me out are to do everything possible the night before. I set out my clothes, shoes, any earrings or anything I want to wear, and if I am ambitious enough for make-up, I set that out, too. I set out clothes for the kids, make my lunch (or my husband does--he makes the best deli sandwiches), set up my coffee pot, shower at night, shave if I'm wearing a skirt or something sleeveless, etc. In the mornings I just have to dress (I don't usually wear makeup, but do it fast and minimal if I do--I always put sunscreen on though), I turn the coffee pot on before I brush my teeth and can eat in the car if I have to. I make sure my work bag is packed and ready to go the night before so I just have to grab it and run. The major adjustments I have are if I MUST shower and don't get it done the night before, or if it snows and I have to wake up an hour early to shovel the driveway out.

So, as far as getting ready, I cannot imagine taking 30 minutes unless I am including a really long shower. :) I keep my hair very short so don't have anything to do except get it damp, towel it a bit, and flatten it with my hand if it is standing up. Good luck with your adjusting! I'm hoping to turn into Superwoman in a few weeks but I am sure it is wishful thinking!

[Oh, and thanks for sharing your schedule--you can insert waking up with the baby for my night as well, but thankfully he's only needing to nurse a couple of times and I end up keeping him in bed with us, so at least I get a little more rest!]

I am working at home right now. I had the chance of a life time present itself to me one day while my kids were playing at the indoor toy at our mall.

I met a Professor at the CC near me. She was knitting, I was just blown away with her work..we got to talking and I had shown her some of my art work. She got me in touch with the english department and the rest is history.

This is our daily routine..
Big boys to school by 845 Tuesdays and thursdays my middle guy goes to prek from 9-1130. I get my youngest out to do something while he is gone.

Lunch at noon.
naps for those who need them
Get big brother from school at 315
outside or play for about an hour then homework (i get my emails and updates done now to the profs via lap top so i can be with the kids)

dinner between 5 and 6. If it is nice we skip bathes this time of year..unless they are smelly so after dinner we hit the hood and play with the neighbors for a good while
During the busy parts of the school year they are in bed by 7..this is starting to get later as the sun comes out more and we are given the chance to be outside.
I do most my work work between 730 pm and 930pm. I am in bed by ten.

We are normally rushing out the door in the morning. I can do it in a half an hour. hate it though. I get so flustered when busters dont want to move faster!! I keep telling myself that if i want to be able to sleep in and only give myself 30 to 45 minutes to get everyone ready I have to have their stuff pack i.e. lunches and they need to load up the backpacks the night before clothes laid out and everything so they literally eat and get ready..this too never happens though. So my early morning schedule is still a work in progress. Probably will be until i go back to school.

What time do you retire to bed?
~10 p.m.

What time do you wake/leave for work?
wake -- 6:30 a.m.
leave for work/daycare drop off -- 7:30 a.m.
start work -- 8:15 a.m.
30 min lunch break
leave for home -- 4:45 p.m.

Time home after work?
~5:15 p.m. (Dad does daycare pick-up)

Hours available at home after work (ie get home 5pm, bed by 10, you have 5 available hours)
5 hours

How much time spent getting ready in the morning? If less than 30 minutes -
~30-40 minutes. I set out clothes the night before for both me and my daughter and I pack my lunch. I gave up wearing make up years ago. Sometimes I shower before bed. I also get ready before my daughter wakes so by the time she gets out of bed it's a matter of getting her dressed, brushing teeth, combing hair, grabbing her snack (packed the night before) and hitting the road. I also set out ingredients/utensils/pots/pans etc. for the following day's dinner so when I get home from work everything is ready to make dinner (I attempt to make only 30 minute meals). I had a friend who spent Sunday cooking for the entire week so all she had to do was heat up her dinner when she got home. I also know a few people who are into once-a-month cooking--too much effort for me at this stage in my life!

Good luck!

When I work from home - I get dressed for work every day - not sweats - but clothes. I LOOK like I'm going to work so I have the "working" mentality. I start working when my kids get on the bus. I usually stop working when the boys are off the bus - I do recruiting from home - so I shouldn't have kids running around like heathens!! :)

When I'm doing my ebay stuff? I am in sweats - pony tail, the like. Notebook and camera in hand.

I usually go to bed at 10PM. I am up at 0700.

I can usually get ready in less than 30 minutes - while my cream rinse is in my hair - I am washing my body - I don't shave my legs every day.

On "work" days - hair is flipped over and dried. On ebay days - pulled back in a pony tail.

What time do you retire to bed? Some nights as early as 8:30 pm after the kids are asleep, dishes are done, and house s picked up, other nights around 10:30 (or after the important stuff on the news) if I have the energy to stay awake. Once in a blue moon i will be up later than that, but it's pretty rare.
What time do you wake/leave for work? I go to the gym 4 days a week, wake up on those days at 4:35. On non-gym days, usually around 6:00. On the weekends (if the kiddos let me sleep in) as late as I can, but usually by 7:00. I leave for work by 6:30 so I can drop both off at daycare.
Time home after work? I leave work at 4:30, pick up kids by 4:45-5, and am home by 5:15 at the latest.
Hours available at home after work (ie get home 5pm, bed by 10, you have 5 available hours) 3 minimum, usually 5 maximum
How much time spent getting ready in the morning? Usually around 35 minutes. I have always been a low-maintenence girl. Hair and make-up are minimal and simple unless something major is going on.

I will be interested to see your other responses. Great post!

*What time do you retire to bed? 10pm
*What time do you wake/leave for work? wake up 6:30 leave for work at 7:30
*Time home after work? 5:20 if no gym, 6pm if gym
*Hours available at home after work (ie get home 5pm, bed by 10, you have 5 available hours)? between 4 and 5 hours. I get home make dinner. I try to precook meet on the weekend to use during the week. I then clean up and bathe one of the kids per night (I have 2). Then its stories and bed at 8 for them. Hubby and I watch TV together until 10 and hit the sack. We make everything we do family time, make dinner together and everything. With a baby its different though. those days were tough!
*How much time spent getting ready in the morning? I spend probably about 30 min or less on myself. I shower in the morning, get dress and either do my hair or put on makeup. It's one or the other rarely both.

I have been trying to get up at 6:00 to make a healthier breakfast for everyone in the morning and allow a little more time to do both hair and makeup, but i don't actually get up that early everyday. I try. :)

I work from home now, so it no longer applies, but when my kids were younger this was my schedule:
What time do you retire to bed? 10:00pm
What time do you wake/leave for work? 5:30am
Time home after work? 4:45pm after picking up kids
Hours available at home after work (ie get home 5pm, bed by 10, you have 5 available hours) 5:15 hours
How much time spent getting ready in the morning? 20 - 30 minutes including shower - I wore my hair up a lot ;)

Current schedule:
What time do you retire to bed? 9:30pm
What time do you wake/leave for work? 4:45am, at my desk in home office by 5:15am. I take an hour or so when the kids get up at 7 to feed them and get them off to school.
Time home after work? Officially off at 3pm, but usually end up working off and on for another 30 - 60 minutes after the kids get home.
Hours available at home after work (ie get home 5pm, bed by 10, you have 5 available hours) 6.5 hours - and we fit homework, cleaning, soccer practice, school activities, snacks, dinner, & playdates in there somewhere.
How much time spent getting ready in the morning? None, lol. I roll into the office in my pjs and take my shower around lunch. Since I don't go anywhere during the day except soccer practices & the grocery store I only spend about 20 minutes on shower/hair/makeup.

What time do you retire to bed? Sometime between 11:30 PM and 1 AM; probably later once every week or tow
What time do you wake/leave for work? Wake up anywhere from 5:30 - 6:30 depending on if I am well enough/awake enough to go the gym. Leave for work at 8:45 on a good day. Got in to the office at 2 PM today but worked from home on the morning, etc.
Time home after work? If I go straight home, sometime between 6 and 7. If I teach/tutor at night, 9 or 10 PM.
Hours available at home after work (ie get home 5pm, bed by 10, you have 5 available hours) 0-5 hours depending on the night
How much time spent getting ready in the morning?
2-3 hours I guess but that's because school here starts at different times so that dictates my schedule - older kids at 7:30, younger ones at 9. Otherwise I can get out the door in an hour from start to finish, but it's a mad dash hell ride to get there.

i look forward to all your answers b/c i wonder this ALL the time! i wonder what i could change, do better, etc...
my bedtime - 11p
wake up - 6:30a-7a; leave for work - basically an hr after wake up
get home - approx 5-5:30p
scrounge around for supper (this is where i need BIG HELP!) b/c i didn't plan it the day before. all responsibilities fall on me (single mama) and i fall short on things, i really do.
i try to do bathtime/bedtime routine starting approx 6:45p or 7p to about 7:30p - 8p. this takes too long in my opinion b/c i'm EXHAUSTED!
after he's in bed, i really don't know what i do! i wonder that all the time.
i don't think i helped much, sorry, but i don't really like my routine...it's kinda hodge podge so i actually need help my damn self! :)
what is it you don't like about your routine?

I used to work 8:30-5:30 with a long commute. I would typically get up at 6 to start my day - nurse the baby, start waking the older kids, etc. I left the house no later than 7:30, earlier if I had something to tell the daycare. I picked up the baby by 6PM and we were home before 7, but the actual timeframe depended on traffic. I would try to be in bed again by 10:30PM, so really very little "available" time in the evenings. My husband would often beat us home and start dinner. Actual time spent in the AM depended on who was home, what they needed, etc. If it was just me and the little one, I could get out the door much faster, actually. People asking me where their shoes were slows me down and my husband is the master of "one more thing...it'll just take a minute". To get out faster, shower at night (everybody), set out clothes the night before, check and pack bags and lunches before bed.

On days when I don't have a business trip...
Up between 04:00 and 05:00
Leave the house by 06:00
Drop daughter at preschool 06:30
At desk latest 07:15
Leave work between 17:00 and 17:30
Pick up daughter and home in an hour or so
Dinner, bath, in bed latest 20:30
I am ready to hit the sack by 22:00 at the latest. Later if I have brought home work.
Officially, I work M-TH. In reality, I usually am working at least part day on Friday too.

Go to bed: 11:00
Wake up: 6:15 snooze until 6:50, leave at 7:20-7:30
Time home after work: Some days 5:00 p.m. some days 10:30 p.m.
Hours available at home after work: Either 6 or none.
Getting Ready: 10 min

Shower at night, I can wear anything to work from a suit to sweats, so in the morning I just brush my teeth, put on a min. amount of make-up, straighten my hair and out the door I go. Kids are still sleeping and hubby fixes breakfast. I eat breakfast as I drive to work so I can sleep in a few more min.

Is this question for working moms in general or just those that work from home? I'm a little confused by your wording. If it's for the common working mom...

I go to bed between 10:30pm-12:30am. Depends on if I'm working on a personal project or not.

I wakeup around 7:15am but don't really get out of bed till 7:30.
I brush my teeth, throw on clean cloths, brush hair, kiss hubby and kids and out the door by 7:45.

At work by 8:30am.... back home by 6:15pm.
Nurse baby, cook dinner, play with 3 year old, and watch a little TV with hubby. I take a quick shower after the kids are asleep and then crawl into bed.

My secret to getting ready in 15 minutes? I don't wear any type of makeup to work. (never been the makeup type.) I'm sure I'll have to put more time aside in the morning once my children start school, but right now they are still sleeping when I leave for work. I also save time by eating my breakfast at work while I read my E-mails.