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smart_triangles

Alone with 3/5 all week - ideas?

Advice Request

Hey Guys -

My wife is traveling for the next few days, and I'm watching my 3/5 year olds all week. I've done a day & night here and there before, but my usual trick is to pick them up a little earlier from daycare and have a good dinner, quick showers, playtime, bed a little early for the younger one, and bed on time for the older one.

BUT, that's for one night - I'm kind of freaking out about 4 nights. Especially since my oldest just started kindergarten, and from wake-up to out the door is now about 25 minutes - and usually it takes me that amount of time to get their hair done / dressed. I usually to not care about time in the AM unless I had an important meeting, but now she's in the public school system - lots more pressure. She doesn't take the bus either, I need to drop her off. I'll get eaten alive if she's late.

My night I will have to leave at 330, get my youngest at daycare, then get my oldest in her after school program, then come home and make dinner / take shows quick enough so they can at least play for awhile before bedtime.

It just seems so stressful, any tips for the coming days / nights ahead?

(My wife says it'll be easy but she's never had them at night or in the morning herself :D )

Posted Sep 8, 2026, 11:38 AM UTC

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