My wife had to work late tonight. So after a full days teaching PLUS an after school region band rehearsal, I have to come home and feed the kids, give two baths, read two books, and tuck in two kids. All this and the TV hasn't even turned on yet, and I haven't written a single note.

Then it dawns on me that this is what my wife does EVERYDAY while I sit on the couch and write whatever seasonal project I'm on. I have a renewed respect for her and ALL the working mothers out there!

It got me thinking, how do all you older guys that are married with kids split up the duties? With us, the money I bring in with the writing earns me some credit with the housekeeping/babysitting. So, while she's doing the bathing thing or the laundry, I'm writing notes. Anybody else out there have any unique routines?

I have two dogs and a cat.  They mostly sleep.  Every now and then I'll read them a book.

I have those days, too. Have to fill in for mom or she's sick -- whatever. It always renews my respect for her.

When I'm home at night (you know, because I'm a high school band director and well.... plus, I play in the symphony; so nights at home are rare) I pretty much just let my wife tell me what to do. We have two kids (for the time being) so we split up a lot of the bedtime routine that way. We've also developed an unwritten post-dinner routine that involves me clearing the table and cleaning the dining room/vacuuming the living room. She does the dishes and the kids play on their own during that time. Then baths, books and bed.

My wife stays home so she doesn't probably have as much to do during the evening as a working mom, but that also means that I try to find times that I can take one or both kids with me to run errand. It just gives her a moment or two to worry about less kids -- she's been around them all day. They're small and don't go to school yet. She IS daycare.

Like you said, I get some credit when it comes to writing, but I also try not abuse that by waiting for after the kids go to bed and getting up before the crack of dawn.

My wife is a teacher, I'm not. Sometimes I write after dinner, if I need a lot of time. Other times she will go to bed around 10 or 10:30, and then I crack open my latest file and work until 1am or so.

My wife stays home with our 3-1/2 year old twins, babysits  2 year old for a day and a half during the week, and an almost 1 year old for three days during the week.  She's SuperWoman.  I definitely married up.  :)

I've tried to make sure my evening schedule is as ";home friendly"; as possible to be at home as much as I can.  I'm phasing out my adjunct university gig to have more time in the evenings at home, minimal evening rehearsals since we're on the 96 block and one of those is indoor everyday. 

We don't have a specific routine so to speak, unless you count the bedtime rituals.  I'm (helping) brushing teeth, washing hands, stuff like that, while she's putting on their pajamas.  I'll entertain the kids while she works on scrapbooking or whatever.  (Wrestling with twin toddlers is good exercise too.)  I'm also the night shift guy.  If the one of the boys is sick, I can take him to the couch with me and fall right back to sleep, one of the advantages of spending so much time sleeping on a bus.  ;)

We're going to home school our boys, so she's not due for a break for another 15 years or so.  Like Eric above, I come home and do whatever she needs me to.