7 tips to simplify marathon end of day

7 tips to simplify your end-of-day marathon!

In mommy circles, we call it "the tunnel of death". If you have children aged between 0 and 5, you know exactly what I'm talking about: the 2 hours before bedtime when you have to try to wash, feed and put toddlers to bed, while trying to revive the living room and get the laundry going. And all this with the fatigue accumulated throughout the day in our legs. Ours, but also our children's, who don't always show it in the quietest way. So how do you survive the tunnel? Here are 7 tips to simplify your end-of-day marathon.

Routine is your friend
And your children's too. An established routine means that repetitive tasks can be completed in less time and with less difficulty. And when our hands know what to do reflexively, it frees our minds to enjoy the moment and not focus on what to do next. By finding a routine that works and applying it consistently, children know what steps they're going to go through, and transitions come more easily. So don't reinvent the wheel every day.

Simplify meals
Dinner is often the evening headache. Be realistic about how much time you (and your partner, if you're a couple) really have on your hands, and plan meals in advance that are consistent with your energy level and available time. I advise you to make your menus on a weekly basis, or even to prepare meals in Batch Cooking mode if you have little time to devote to meals in the evening.

Don't spread yourself too thin
Try as far as possible to schedule activities other than bathing, eating and going to bed at other times of the day or week. 6 p.m. may not be the time to run errands, check e-mail, make calls or pay bills. Sanctuarize these tunnel hours as much as possible to avoid spreading yourself too thin and exhausting. You can do your online shopping at another time, for example, or do your paperwork at the weekend when the kids are napping. My extra tip: put your phone on airplane mode, or at least go offline.

Empowering older children
It takes time and patience, but the more they can do, the better for you. One less table to set, one less child to put in pyjamas. Little streams make big rivers.

Divide up the work
If you're a couple, the tunnel is THE time of day when you really need to play as a team. I suggest 2 defense techniques: by zone (I'll take care of meals, you take care of the bath, I'll do the stories, you tidy up the living room, etc.), or by player (if you have more than one child, each one has his or her own child and we change every day). It's up to you

Don't put pressure on yourself
Some days are harder than others. Do we really have to bathe every day? To cook meals worthy of a Michelin-starred dietician? Do we have to tidy up the living room every night? As long as our children are clean, fed and cuddled, there's no need to add extra pressure.

Putting the joy back in
The tunnel is often the only time we get to spend with our children during the day. So let's try to enjoy it. And if there are things to do, like folding laundry, let's do them together, with music and games. Our little ones love to be with us and have fun together. Whether they're doing it by finding the single socks or putting their toys away in a crate, they don't care. We can combine business with pleasure and show our children that we're not just slaves to the house.