4-5pm Crazies...What are your tricks?

[Happygrl]

Now that DH is back to work, I'm doing the 4-5 o'clock crazies by myself. My kids are anxious for DH to get home, I'm trying to get dinner started, they have short attention spans, I'm out of steam...its definitely crazy-making.

So how do YOU keep things running smoothly then?

[klpmommy]

that is when I have P&E play with S. It's just enough variety for all of them as they act crazy running around.....

that or tv. :blush

[swimming with sharks]

we do quick pick ups....cuz daddy doesn't like to be inundated with clutter upon his arrival. I've got the older helping me with kitchen duty...cutting cucumbers for salad, going and getting and toting, etc. We have our play kitchen in the 'eat in' part of our kitchen as well as the easel and a table and chairs so they're normally playing while I'm working in the kitchen. :hugheart Some days I just call dh and tell him that he can pick up something for dinner.

[Mum2Es]

If the kids are being needy and I'm trying to get dinner ready, I turn the TV on. :shrug3

[Aerynne]

In restaurants there are prep cooks and line cooks. The prep cooks come in very early and chop vegetables and get everything ready to cook. Thus when you order something, the line cooks can get it to you in ten minutes. Be your own prep cook. Sometime earlier in the day (naptime is my favorite time for this) do everything you possibly can to get dinner ready. This is when I assemble lasagnas or pans of enchiladas(then put in the fridge until ready to bake), make salads, frate cheese, chop veggies for stir fries, etc. Then I can make dinner quickly when it's time to make it. I'm not always perfect at doing this, but when I do, things go much more smoothly while I'm trying to make dinner.

[HindsFeet]

In restaurants there are prep cooks and line cooks. The prep cooks come in very early and chop vegetables and get everything ready to cook. Thus when you order something, the line cooks can get it to you in ten minutes. Be your own prep cook. Sometime earlier in the day (naptime is my favorite time for this) do everything you possibly can to get dinner ready. This is when I assemble lasagnas or pans of enchiladas(then put in the fridge until ready to bake), make salads, frate cheese, chop veggies for stir fries, etc. Then I can make dinner quickly when it's time to make it. I'm not always perfect at doing this, but when I do, things go much more smoothly while I'm trying to make dinner.

This. Or cook in the crock pot so that the work is done earlier in the day.

I also tend to kick the kids outside if the weather is nice, or pull out something they really like to do, like play-doh.

[WingsOfTheMorning]

Dd either plays at her play kitchen (in the kitchen) or sits up on the counter to do water play in the sink and/or watch me cook. She also likes to sit on the floor nearby and look at books, especially if I talk about them with her.

I also try to prep earlier in the day. I like naptime to be downtime for me, so what works for me is to do dinner prep just after lunch or just after her nap, which are usually times she's in a pretty good mood. I find that even if I haven't prepared the whole meal, just having ingredients set out, vegetables chopped, salad made, etc. really helps things to go faster. I also try to leave the kitchen cleaned up after each meal, so that I'm not starting with a big mess.

I try not to cook things that require me to stand uninterrupted at the stove for a long time unless I can do that earlier in the day and put it in the fridge.

I also just try to start dinner early enough that a few interruptions won't stress me out a lot.

And I try to keep some quickie foods (mac and cheese, canned soups) on hand for bad days when DD is grumpy and none of the above happened. :lol

[TuneMyHeart]

I try to have the bulk of dinner ready to cook by that time, we do a quick clean up, and then we take baths. They're too grumpy and tired do do anything else. Plus if they're in the tub, they can't mess up the house again. ;) AK usually watches a DVD if I need to get her out of the tub while E plays in the tub alone a little longer.

Sometimes cookies help too. :shifty

[Lady Grey]

We have started doing baths then sometimes. The grumpies usually disappear if I stick the kids in water. :yes

Outside time is good, a short video, non-messy art (stickers, paint with water, threading cheerios on pipe cleaners) I also keep the kids magnets in a container on top of the fridge and pull them down if I really need to get stuff done in the kitchen. I also like to do as much meal prep as possible earlier in the day. Having their help in the kitchen is honestly not my favorite thing, but I'm trying to have more patience.

A decent afternoon snack is a must here. Their current favorites are peanut butter balls and popcorn. I started using my air popper again and it is great entertainment! It's also the easiest way to get coconut oil in them. :)

[J3K]

Tv..especially if it is OFF during the rest of the day. It worked like a charm , like a magnet. I could put in a video , or turn on PBS , or sometimes just let them watch fluff.



Those days are long gone for me , but even looking back I'm not the least bit ashamed at using the tube as a babysitter during that stressful hour.

[Marsha]

trampoline; TV; outside if weather was nice and moods were conducive; baths; crockpot...though that didn't really help, since the crazies coincide with my downturn in energy andmood and kinda drove me bonkers .

To.this.day.....my 7 year old has the 4 oclock crazies. If we are out somewhere and her moods are disordered, it si ugly and not fair to her, me or the rest of the world. Really.

[mum2abby]

I'm kind of glad that there are other people that have this in there house too!

Sometimes we do playdoh or blocks...sometimes she'll play in the playroom nicely but usually its bribing her with one of her favorite show...its on from 4-5pm so she usually gets to watch Olivia then. I'm not huge on TV but when they are grumps for whatever reason its just easier...

Today has been a TV day...thanks to last nights craziness! But its naptime now so hopefully they'll all wake up happy and we can do something fun this afternoon!!!

[WanderingJuniper]

That was the hour they would have a snack and watch a movie.
OR
They would have an activity set up so they could be near me in the kitchen but focused on their activity. We still do this. They either color, craft, lego, play doh or play a simple board game while I prep dinner. I found it really made a difference to keep them close to me during that odd hour and focused.

[~yogamom~]

-tv
-baths
-make dinner ahead of time (i often start cooking it at 2:00 pm) so i can be fullya vailable for 4-6 pm crazies

[MomtoJGJ]

4 o'clock lately has been activity time (running around the house in some ordered fashion because it's way too cold outside) and then we eat at 5 and get them in bed asap

[Ellen]

If I can manage it, we go out for a walk. If I need to fix dinner, something like playdough works for awhile. My kids also tend to snack while I make dinner. I try to cut them off before it would ruin their dinner--I don't always succeed.
I agree with getting some dinner prep done ahead of time, use the crockpot when you can . . . I also try to always make enough to have leftovers the next night. Fortunately, DH likes having leftovers. That way I don't have to do the dinnertime scramble every night :).

[Living My Dream]

great post. i do alot of whats mentioned here too.

[Snowflake]

I have a great children's yoga dvd which they love to do and it really helps to rebalance their moods (also useful on rainy days when we can't get out so much). I also try an early bath-time with their toy babies which always cheers them up!

[Happygrl]

Thanks for all the replies!!

TV at that time doesn't work...they just end up fighting. Over who is standing where or who is sitting where or who is breathing who's air. :giggle

I do the bulk of my prepping earlier in the day already. Or using the meals I prep into the freezer. I use the crockpot liberally. And rarely make anything that requires constant attention. And incorporate the kids as much as I can. So its not like I'm standing in the kitchen totally focused and can't leave. Anything I need to do can genearlly be done in increments of just a couple minutes, at the most (turn the oven on, pull X out of the fridge, etc.)

I do try to send them outside but they spend a LOT of time outside already and aren't always eager. Still have to manage a lot of fights but less so than if they are inside.

Playdoh & small art activities were always good for DD but DS just destroys them/throws them on the floor that time of day. :banghead

Making that bath time may work. They generally do well in the bath. DH could get them out and ready when he gets home and I'm finishing up dinner. :think I think I'll try that today.

[ValiantJoy07]

snack and a video.

OR dd2 on my back and dd1 at the counter with small tubberware containers, spoons and straws- she pours them one cup to the next and takes sips and has a blast...Usually buys me 15-20 minutes to get supper together...for now. :heart

[BlueWaterAnnie]

My almost 10 month old dd gets the crazies 4-5 p.m. too. What IS it about that time? My normally happy-go-lucky-go-with-the-flow kid turns into Miss Whiny McWhinster.

I find what works best for me is to pop her in the Mei Tai and go about picking up clutter, checking email, starting dinner, reading the mail and letting her chill out with her pacifier and lovey.

[illinoismommy]

Tv..especially if it is OFF during the rest of the day. It worked like a charm , like a magnet.

yup yup!

in the summer I keep them outside... in the winter the TV is a life saver with more than one small child... with one, take them into the kitchen with you

[klpmommy]

I can't wait until it is nice enough to throw them outside during that time...........

[MomtoJGJ]

I can't wait until it is nice enough to throw them outside during that time...........

yes yes yes!! and all other times too!

[Carmen]

I thought I was the only one whose kids did that.

We do tv a lot in that time. Sometimes the older girls will help me cook.

I try to get as much chopped, washed, and prepped early in the afternoon. I don't mind having to stand in one spot for a while, because dd3 is in the stage where she wants to pull up and hang onto my pants legs. It's hard to walk when she does that, she's perfectly happy as long as she has a handful of my pants (and sometimes skin OUCH!), so I go with it.

[hey mommy]

Around here it's the 6 -7 pm crazies.. DH doesn't get home until after 6:45(last week it was more like 7:30).. S wakes up about 7. The cat wakes up about 6:30. Both flipping out b/c they want attention, food, etc. C is usually playing a video game or watching TV, but wanting me to play/watch w/him.

What do I do? I sit down & cry... Okay, really. I throw the cat outside so I don't have to step on/kick him while in the kitchen or get him down from something 8 million times. I convince C that he needs to play by himself. And I sit and feed the baby while the food burns..



please tell me it'll get better... I dread the 5-9 time at my house....

[sienna]

Slow cooker (which is really just a variation of "do prep earlier.") That way we can go to the park during crazy time, which coincidentally, is when all the school kids are NOT there b/c they are at home driving their parents crazy. :).

Another trick i use is to feed the kids their vegetable course then. No worry about spoiling their dinner.

TV is good in theory, but they always wind up fighting over it, about it or near it.

FYI the crazies happen at that time b/c everyone's cortisol levels are at their highest.

[cro]

Veggie snacks! Either a little platter of carrots/celery/snow peas or...are you ready?...Frozen veggies! Served in miniature bowls, they're like this magical special treat (and great for teething toddlers).

Water play. If my dishwasher's empty, I'll set a basin of water on the open door and let dd play. Otherwise, we have a spare elevated dog dish stand that makes a great "water table".

I've also learned that each kid copes best w/ this time in different ways. M does better w/ a focused activity like reading to me or stringing beads. J prefers to veg out by himself, watching TV or playing video games.

[titosmommy]

I don't have a lot of advice, but I'm all ears. It seems like from the time LO gets up from his nap to when daddy gets home is the longest part of the day. We actually got to go outside yesterday, and that seemed to help quite a bit.

[veggiegirl]

I can't wait until it is nice enough to throw them outside during that time...........
:yes I agree 100%!

[ThreeKids]

I just don't keep things running smoothly. If I'm cooking, the kids are probably tearing up the house. If DH complains about the mess when he gets home, I tell him he can choose between a clean house or a hot meal when he gets home. That's as good as it's going to get for a while.

[raquel]

Lol...it seems to be universal! Here since it's been so hot during the middle of the day I've taken to getting the kids to the park at that time. DH gets home at 6/6:30 so I prep dinner as much as possible right after lunch or in the morning, then DD gets TV time from 3-4pm, at 4 we head to the park to get out any crazies and then we come home to bathtime at 5pm. Then once they're out of the bath I'll often have done a quick pick up of the lounge room so I'll put out a few puzzles, books, baby toys or something that captures the attention as soon as they're out of the bath and usually buys me a few moments to get dinner cooking and then DH is almost walking in the door! Works for me but until I hit the magical combination of outside time + bath we were battling some horrid tantrums around dinner-time.

[filmgirl2911]

:cup

[rebecuna]

And I sit and feed the baby while the food burns...
:hug

For me it's standing guard over the baby so DS1 doesn't smother him, while the food burns (if I've even gotten it on the stove yet!)

I try to get DS outside time for at least 1/2 hour between 2 and 4. This helps me stave off the "puh-lease can I watch TV?" for awhile. We have a "no TV until 3 pm" rule which works for right when he gets home from preschool around lunch time, and if I keep him active that afternoon he doesn't remember about TV until around 4:30 or 5 when I want to start dinner anyway, so that will work. I've tried play-doh, but it makes a big mess on our eating table and then it's just MORE for me to clean up. And I've tried paint-with-water pictures, but he does them in like 1 minute, so unless I want to use a whole book per meal that's just a temporary diversion. I've also tried playing with rice and bowls/spoons on the floor, but that's awfully messy, too, and then I'm cooking and stepping on little grains of rice (DS1 loves to try to sweep them up, but that usually results in them spreading further around :doh

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who resorts to TV :shifty

[CompassionateLady]

My husband works nights. He takes both girls back into the bedroom with him around 3:45pm or so, so they can tuck him in ... it's a cute routine they have going and they THOROUGHLY enjoy it. They brush his hair, rub his feet and back with lotion, then give him hugs and kisses and tuck him in. They usually tell stories while they're back there (taking turns ... sometimes Daddy tells them a story, sometimes oldest tells him a story).

While they're back there, I can get a few things done. It's usually too early for dinner though. I start dinner around 5:45pm here and we eat around 6:15/6:30.

When it's time to start dinner, they're playing. If they're too crazy, I send 'em off to do their evening chores (clean the playroom/living room of toys, books, etc). Oldest doesn't *usually* give me any problems ... but if youngest is over-tired or wanting to nurse, it can be tricky.

Oldest is a huge help and does try ... but sometimes youngest just wants Mommy and no one else. I hold her when I can (if she needs it), but if I need to cut something or pull something out of the oven, she just has to wait. I include her too ... it helps. Anything that needs to be tossed in the trash, she'll do for me. She also knows she can mess with the food cabinets (I keep cans, beans, pasta, unopened/non-glass items in a low cabinet).

If I'm on top of things and plan ahead, the crockpot is a HUGE help in that department LOL

Then after dinner, it's time to wash hands/face, brush teeth, brush hair, do Bible studies, prayers ... then youngest and I tuck in oldest. Then I nurse youngest and, if she doesn't konk out nursing, I rock her until she's asleep.

:shrug3 works for us :D

[rebecuna]

My husband works nights. He takes both girls back into the bedroom with him around 3:45pm or so, so they can tuck him in ... it's a cute routine they have going and they THOROUGHLY enjoy it. They brush his hair, rub his feet and back with lotion, then give him hugs and kisses and tuck him in.
:melting