Mom shares ‘golden hour’ parenting hack, and it’s genius

Let’s face it, life with kids is challenging. Gone are the days of cooking an intricate meal, leisurely eating (maybe with a glass of wine), slipping into PJs, and winding down for the night with a relaxing activity like reading or watching a show. These days, you might still have a glass of wine in hand during the evening, but it’s more for survival than relaxation.

At the end of the day, everyone is exhausted, which usually translates to loss of patience for parents and kids alike. And if you and your partner (if you have one) are scrambling to get the kitchen cleaned after dinner, chances are your children are going to want your attention, which only adds to the stress.

Social media influencer Brooke Scheurn recently shared her family’s “golden hour” rule, and it’s honestly a genius parenting hack.

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A post shared by BROOKE SCHEURN | mom and lifestyle creator (@brookescheurn)

“One parent cleans up dinner and does a quick house pick up while the other does something fun with the kids. No phones + switch off every other night,” she explained in the caption of a short reel showing her cleaning up while her husband plays on the trampoline with their two young children. “We started doing this a while back after we realized we were both feeling overstimulated and frustrated when we were both trying to clean up during one of the hardest times with the kids. Once we made this switch cleaning became less of a chore and more relaxing solo time to listen to music or a podcast and playing with the kids became so much more freeing unburdened by feeling like you should be helping with something ‘more productive.’” 

Though the solo time is great, what’s even better is being able to spend more quality time as a family after the tidying up is done. “Even though we have an hour we typically get cleaned up much faster than that and then have time to enjoy the final moments of the night playing as a family,” Scheurn added. “Then we can tackle bedtime routines together and have the rest of the evening to spend how we please.”

While brilliant in theory, some parents took to the comments to point out what works best for their families.

“For me…I don’t want my partner on cleaning duty. The best break you can give a SAHM is to take the kid,” one mom admitted. “Being on all day with half your brain devoted to keeping your kid alive is exhausting. The dishes are easy.”

“I’m happy that works for you! Family of 7 over here and with a lot of my children getting older I realized I need to teach them how to live,” another mom explained. “They watch me prepare & make dinner [and] sometimes help. We eat together as a family and we clean up together as a family. That way nobody is left alone in the kitchen and they can start to see the other side of things.”

Of course, we all have to do what works best for our family, but it’s sure nice to learn tips that can potentially make life easier for everyone!