I don’t know about other parents, but once our two kids are asleep, my husband and I basically crash on the couch. We sometimes sit down and scroll on social media questioning how other parents manage to go out and about after bedtime routine. When we do manage to leave the couch, I am pretty sure the first half hour of going out is just psyching ourselves up to try to enjoy ourselves.
What my hubby and I wanted to know is: Are we alone in the after kiddo bedtime pass out or are other parents really going out as much as social media leads us to believe?
So we asked a few moms and dads for their 2 cents on what they do when the kids are asleep.
Many Dads noted that they are happy to just enjoy a few moments of down time :
“I head back to my home office, surf some Facebook, and then finish article that supposed to be due for 9am the next morning.” – Dave
“Plop down on the couch and ponder how long I’ll be able to stay there.” – Stuart
“I sit down and enjoy the silence for 10 minutes before doing anything else. I think one of the biggest challenges I had since becoming a mom is dealing with the constant talking, asking, listening. As an introvert I need my quiet time to recharge and I don’t usually get that during the day (specially over the summer). So taking 10 minutes of silence helps me switch gears and then decide what I want to do with the rest of the day.” – Marcela
“Celebrate like time has stopped. No not really. Having a child with a disability who is non mobile and non verbal who requires hand over hand care for everything, I can actually get things done and feel like I am being productive.” – Jason
Some moms mentioned that they prioritize what they want once the kids are asleep.
“Finally claim the TV and watch what I want to watch – 90 day fiance” – Sophie
“Clean up and catch up on work” – Bianca
“For me, its all about lying down on the couch and checking my phone like a social media addicted mom. (Oh wait I am a social media addicted mom). 
Then I consider popcorn or wine, followed by deciding if I should be productive like clean the play room or unproductively play cell phone games and watch Netflix.” – Zara
“Straight for the snack pantry! The girls for sure hear the ruffling of chip bags, but it’s just white noise to them by now” – Michelle