I enjoy reading the questions and answers when other bloggers post the “ask me a question” on Instagram. I try to do it myself now and then. It’s fun to see what people are “wondering” or want to see more of. This time the questions I got centered around 2 themes: renovation updates (after photos coming!) and more about life with 5 kids. I think i’ll answer most of the questions throughout the post, from chore charts to sports in what will sort of be a day in the life with 5 kids. It’s crazy but this is the first time since our fifth was born that we are back to busy days and hectic schedules.

I don’t share too much about our daily life on the blog and Instagram. Two reasons really… one being I like privacy and two we’re busy living daily life and enjoying it to post too much more than I do. But I love my followers, especially those of you that have been coming here for crafts, travel etc for 10 years, so I’ll share a bit today in hopes of answering questions and sharing some info that might be helpful for your daily routine.

It’s strange to be settling in to our true “routine” again after an 18 month break. When I was pregnant with Teddy I remember trying to think ahead to our routine, daily lives and adding a newborn. I never imagined we wouldn’t get back to a routine until he was a toddler.

This year we are back to school full time, back to all our sports, activities, etc. It’s been an adjustment for sure. Last time I had to make lunches I only had to to make… now it’s 3 -4 depending on the day. We also added some athletes to the sports mix… which adds to the need to be more organized and firm on how many activities we sign up for.

Getting Back to a Routine

Early Morning Routine:

Our mornings are pretty crazy. I am NOT a morning person… I try to get up before my crew and prep but it’s not realistic for me. I’m a night owl that stays up way too late. I’m sure the mornings would feel more put together if I set my alarm an hour earlier…. I just can’t do it. So I embrace the insanity and just do my very best to get everyone out the door on time.

All 4 school aged kids start school at a different time. We have 1 in middle school, 1 in the upper elementary, 1 in the lower elementary & 1 in PM Kindergarten.

When I get up: coffee, start laundry, make lunches (with Teddy in tow).

We have our 2 oldest set their own alarms. They’re responsible for all of their own AM tasks (get ready, pack bags, get water bottles, make breakfast etc). If there’s extra time they’ll also help with Teddy.

Since Miles doesn’t have to leave until the afternoon, that just leaves me Tommy to get all ready for school. One big change since 2020 is that while we added a baby we also added Tom working from home. This makes a huge difference in the mornings and sports. He used to leave before the kids even woke up and get home around 7pm.

So to sum up the early morning part of our routine: there is a lot of noise, chaos, missing socks, papers to sign, masks to locate, etc.

Late Morning Routine:

Once 8:30 hits…. 3/5 of the kids are out the door and Tom is working. Some mornings our sitter arrives for a few hours and I work. Some mornings Miles has “am” programs and some mornings we get stuff done around the house. Now that Teddy is 18 months, he’s becoming a good little playmate for Miles.

Lunchtime:

Miles is off to school and Teddy and I get some time just us. We hang for a little while and then he naps. It took me 18 months to have some quiet time with just my last little babe, and we sure are enjoying it.

After School:

Let the chaos resume! While all start at different times…. all arrive back about the same time and that’s also when Teddy wakes up. So I go from a quiet 2 hours of working to everyone ready for after school action at once ha! I try to have everyone meet up at home, have a snack, do homework and chat about what we have later on. Then if some want playdates, friends over, etc we can do that.

Recently I added some “musts” to walking in the door after school. Water bottles at the sink and lunch boxes in a bin that’s in our kitchen island. Then all 4 are in the same place ready to go for lunches the following morning.

Activities:

Question I get all the time: How do you manage sports and activities for 5 kids? It’s not easy. I want to make sure they can try different things without over scheduling. Also the 2 oldest are at a point where some sports and activities require more of a commitment. The good thing about having the girls a year apart and then the boys a year apart, is a lot of activities (and playdates) they can go together. I’m not going to share too much more (privacy) but the girls each have a sport they do together (same class) and one they do apart. They also have activities/clubs AT school which are my fav… no driving anywhere! Tommy gets 2 activities, Miles gets one and Teddy none.

There were lots of requests for chore charts… I am working on a new one that I’ll share soon. I recently made this one:

You can download and print one for free here if you want. This one was something I could tailor for their different ages and I like the idea of a goal vs a specific $ amount.

Evenings:

We try to have dinner all together every night. This is something that is really important to me. Two kids set the table each night and everyone helps clear. Afterwards, boys head upstairs and girls finish chores. Then boys get a show & books and off to bed. Then girls get a show, read and off to bed too. I am a stickler for bedtimes because at the end of the day Tom & I need some kid-free time before going to bed.

As I mentioned, I am not a morning person but rather a night owl. So before I head to bed, I try to always: fold a load of laundry and get the morning load in the washer ready to start. Empty the dishwasher. Put all lunch boxes out, cereal boxes and bowls.

Another question I get all the time: what’s the laundry situation with 7? It’s a real situation….

I have not perfected a system but would love to. That’s a winter goal this year. I have discovered that if I do at least 2 loads a day, I can somewhat keep up. Of the 7…. Tom does his own, Maggie does her own, Alex folds hers and puts it away… and I have mine and all the boys all to myself.

I was also going crazy with how many towels that were showing up in the wash. So I ordered each kid a towel and had their name put on it. Now I can easily spot who leaves theirs on the floor and doesn’t hang it up! They also are less likely to grab towels, use and toss in the hamper. They know to use just their own and hang it. After a few days, I wash them all and just put back on their hooks.

Weekends:

Weekends have sports, parties but always some family time. I know a time will come that doing stuff all together will not happen as frequently. So while we can, we add something each weekend. It might just be to grab bagels or for a walk or sometimes it’s a fun event in town.

A weekly routine staple: Boden

I shot all of these photos in our long time favorite for pajamas and school clothes: Boden. Boden is a brand that has been part of our daily routine for so many years it felt fitting to share the photos in this post. Even the stickers for our chore charts and water bottles… we really love all things Boden. If you follow me on Liketoknow (please do!) I have a few fun Boden collages – gift ideas, tween looks, travel essentials, photo shoot ideas & looks for mom.