The hardest hour

By Jennifer Hambrick | 8:54 PM 4 comments
It always seems like the hardest hour of the day for me is the hour before Jeremiah gets home from work.

Naps are over.
The kids are hungry.
Dinner has to be made or at least finished up.
and...I'm ready for some help and adult conversation.

I do my best to be creative with the kids, take them outside if it's nice weather, make as much of the dinner preparations earlier in the day, etc. to make this hour easier...

but, honestly...no matter how prepared I am...it is still the hardest hour of the day for me as a mom.

What about you?

When is your hardest hour and what have you found that helps you during this time?
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4 comments:

Shannon Bradley said...

I have been thinking about this very thing, this week! That is definitely our hardest hour...whew. Some are better than others, but others test every bit of who I am :)!! I would love to hear some advice on this "hour" too!!

April 14, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Wolford Family said...

Yep, I think that's the hardest hour for me, too! Never really thought about it until now.

April 15, 2009 at 7:59 AM
mommajeane said...

That is the time when we allow "electronics"- a movie or a computer game, wii or video game. It is always controlled by me and like you is so needed during this time. Planning the meals ahead of time helps me and using my crockpot is great ( if I am orgainized in the am to do this). A treat for me like a can of diet coke during this time, or playing praise music... I still listen to the Praise Baby cds... they are very quieting ones. Because we have so many kids we do "buddytime" during this time.. one older kid is in charge of the younger one or ones... helps give me some free time... Of course you with very young ones can't do this yet but someday you will have older ones :) Maybe planning a "new" activity that does not require lots from you but is "new" to the kids can be done during this time... like making a tent, moving a new toy up from the play area just for the "hour" or placing a mattress on the floor in the living room and they can bring their blankets in and they can roll around or "jump" off, cut lots of old ribbon or material up and place in the kitchen set that is brought up and let them "cook" or play with the ribbon food, cotton balls work well too, playing dress ups with mom or dads older clothes laid in a pile in the living room... while you are finishing dinner, give them a whole box of kleenex or a roll of tolite paper and let them create by wrapping each other or stuffed animals... ripping and throwing crazily a safe material is fun... just thinking of "regular" things but doing them in a diff. place or way is so appealing to kids. Some tin foil creations made for daddy.. place string on the floor in a maze they follow or "destroy" as they walk thru or on top of it...roll the string back into a ball... anyway you get my idea.. something easy and not very expensive or messy. Repeating them every so often.

April 15, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Shannon Bradley said...

I LOVE mommajeane's ideas!! Thank you!

April 15, 2009 at 4:02 PM

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