That said, I guess it’s our fault (not entirely, but mostly) – we get home from work around 6:30 pm, we’re both tired and sometimes stressed out. With the better weather, the girls spend more time outside and get home later in the day. There’s Chloe’s homework (which she’s been very good about doing before we get home), there’s dinner (which Sophie has recently decided she’s not interested in until a good 1/2 hour after the rest of her family has finished eating) and last but not least, there are Chloe’s two TV shows.
What this all translates to is a bedtime that has progressively slipped from 8 pm to closer to 8:30 pm. And more tears and more stress. My husband thinks we need to devote more of our attention to the girls when we get home from work – even if it means suffering through Chloe’s TV shows with her.
And he has a point. I am the first to admit that my selfish streak reveals itself in the evening – when I’m cranky and tired. Especially when, like last night, Chloe and Sophie were whining in unison from the moment we walked in the door. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my girls. And I generally love spending time with them. But I also enjoy decompressing after a long day. And as wonderful as spending time with the kidlets usually is, it’s not always the most calming experience.
It’s all about striking the right balance. And I’m not always that good at it. It’s time to recalibrate. More organization and more togetherness, resulting in less computer and less junk TV (at least until the girls are tucked away in bed).