New Schedule

For over a year and a half, the vast majority of the workday morning and evening routine in the Huang family has involved me schlepping both Aaron and Jada to school via our two-kid stroller, and then walking said stroller to work, to reverse the process on the way home. I have blogged on this unique slice of kid time before, and, as much as I whine about it, it’s something I’m sure I’ll remember fondly and be glad I did.

Fast forward to the present, and with Jada now at a new school, which is a 1.7-mile walk instead of a 0.8-mile walk, the default game plan is for Amy to drive Jada to school and then make her way to her clinical, doctor appointment, errand, or back home, and then to get her in the evening. Meanwhile, I continue my usual walking routine, except with just Aaron.

With this transition comes two tired parents, which we expected, and two tired kids, which we didn’t quite expect. But Jada’s new school is much more intellectually stimulating, and it shows in her conversation already, less than a week in; and so, with her brain at work for ten hours straight, she’s pretty worn out by the end of the day.

Aaron’s newfound weariness comes from increased physical exertion: since it’s just me and him, I can do without a stroller and therefore go to or come from the subway stop right on his school’s block to any meetings I might have first thing or last thing in my workday. Sans stroller, I usually put him on my shoulders in the morning, but make him walk it most or all of the way home. And 0.8 miles is a long way for his meaty little legs to walk.

So it looks like weekdays will now look like this for the Huang kids: up at 7a, quick breakfast, off to school, school, home from school, quick dinner, a little play time, and then it’s time for our bedtime routine and in bed by 7:30p. Again, the parents are more tired, but the perk of the kids sleeping longer is that the parents have more discretionary time. So far this week, we’ve spent it sleeping longer, too.