Make My Life Easier Thursday: Digital Journaling

I am decently tech-y but prefer paper for long-term and daily planning. I use a monthly planner for goals, monthly planning, etc, and a daily planner for my plan for the day / habit tracking etc. I just really like having something physical to cross off.

Before I launch into this, I know that I am very fortunate to have 100% in-person school for my kiddo right. So to the extent I’m waffling on aftercare, I know I already have a luxury with school happening. Anyway… My kiddo is in pre-K from 8:00-2:15. She just turned 5. They’re doing a great job of cohorting, which is why the day ends early (used to go until 3:15ish). With the teachers and paras in her class never getting a break, they have a shorter day. That’s cool. I get it. Currently, our schedule is that two days a week I pick her up at 2:15 and don’t really work again in the afternoon. I work at other times to make up for it. It’s doable. No complaints. The other three days a week, kiddo goes to the school district after-care, which is at our local Y. We pick her up between 4:30 and 5:00 on those days. Kiddo usually protests about having to go to the Y (in a really sad way, not a mad or angry way), but likes it when she is there . Some days when I pick her up, she begs me to stay a little longer to finish her craft or project. So I know she is fine once she gets there. But, at the same time, she’d prefer to be at home. DH and I are mainly WFH.

I’m considering eliminating after care between Thanksgiving and Christmas to (1) reduce exposure before we see Grandparents and (2) trial the possiblity of eliminating aftercare for the rest of the schoolyear. However, to make it work, on most days, she’d need to entertain herself for at least 60 minutes with very few interruptions (No “hey mom look at my drawing”, etc.) I don’t have a lot of optimism that she can do it, to be honest. But I also feel like I should give her the opportunity to try. I also feel like it would be better to have her do a little each day as part of the routine versus 2:45ish-5:00 on three days.

My question is whether this is at all a fair expectation to even ask a new five year old to try? She’d be fine if the tv was on. But I’d like to not use the tv every day after school to entertain my kiddo. That said, if tons of people on here tell me to do it and get over it, I could be persuaded, lol. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thank you!

Guys, my 3.5 year Olds night sleep is a disaster. She’s up most nights 1 to 2x wanting me to fix her blanket or other quick asks. She goes right down usually unless my husband goes in, then it’s a long drawn out scream fest for mom. Is this because she’s napping 90 mins most days? She loves to nap and asks to nap and I dont know how to get her to cut it out. She’s a disaster if I wake her up after 45 mins too. Ugh, pandemic paradise over here. She usually gets in bed at 745 and looks at books quietly until about 815 and wakes up around 630-7 and plays quietly till we get her. She tells us daily that she won’t get up that night but can’t seem to have any control at night understandably..

Does anyone keep photos of their children private, or on invite-only apps? Generally our extended family/friends have been respectful of this policy, but I just had to ask a photog to take a picture down and it didn’t go very smoothly. Even without tags, someone saw it on FB and texted it to me – which was very rattling and uncomfortable. (I also just watched that Netflix social documentary.) Reminded me that the hardest part about this is being the watchdog/making the ask. Ugh, just venting.