My kids are younger than yours, which has some advantages (no homework, not really any extracurricular activities, longer sleep) and disadvantages (not really able to feed or clothe themselves, need parent help for bathing, still need some assistance on brushing teeth, need to be read to instead of being able to read on their own).
During busy weeks (like when one of us parents is out of town for work or something) we’re quick to switch from home cooked meals to takeout or eating out, may hire cleaners, and push off some of the social interactions, but I also recognize that I’m working with a pretty nice buffer in that I’m already hanging out with friends about 10 hours per week.
10 hours worth of hangout time with friends sounds nice. Our kids are 5 and 8, which means they’re vaguely more self-sufficient and also means we can go on more adventurous trips, but they still require quite a bit of looking after due to bickering and what not.
My kids are younger than yours, which has some advantages (no homework, not really any extracurricular activities, longer sleep) and disadvantages (not really able to feed or clothe themselves, need parent help for bathing, still need some assistance on brushing teeth, need to be read to instead of being able to read on their own).
During busy weeks (like when one of us parents is out of town for work or something) we’re quick to switch from home cooked meals to takeout or eating out, may hire cleaners, and push off some of the social interactions, but I also recognize that I’m working with a pretty nice buffer in that I’m already hanging out with friends about 10 hours per week.
10 hours worth of hangout time with friends sounds nice. Our kids are 5 and 8, which means they’re vaguely more self-sufficient and also means we can go on more adventurous trips, but they still require quite a bit of looking after due to bickering and what not.