A few thoughts from my childhood. My parents are both educators in early childhood development: 1. Day / Night care is totally cool - or even babysitting / dropping off the kids at someone else's house: your sister's / your child's aunt; or a friend of the family with kids of similar ages. My parents would do this to get a night for themselves..i mean date night! Just offer the same opportunities to those you drop your kids off to. 2. Breakfast for dinner is nutritional too. Or teach your kids how to make dinner or FFY (Fend For Yourself) make their own sandwhiches / tacos / pasta (really depends on their age but you can do a bit of an assembly line: you prep, they make. Its fun for them, easy for you, and everyone gets what they want and can be creative with it at the same time. 3. A bit of pre-prepared organization here. When you do the laundry, put outfits together versus a stack of shirts. That way you can just pull the day's outfit from the shelf and let the kids run with it. No decision making. No finding that runaway sock. Do this with meals too - prepare meals beforehand: make larger batches of soup / salads / pasta etc. Refrigerate and Freeze. And keep those cheats around too (frozen chicken nuggets and fries, pizzas, rice, vegetables) that can be whipped up in 20 minutes. 4. My mom was a neat freak. We had to clean up our house before the cleaners came over. And when we had guests, we would all have are assigned chores and usually 20 minutes of cleaning and preparing some cookies for our guests. It was a bit of fun too trying to get everything done before people showed up. 5. Veggies! As long as your kids eat greens, they should be able to lie around a bit. Especially as a means to keep them occupied while you relax or prepare the next thing. 6. Lol. That's sad. Just find a way for your kid's bf's parent to play parent of your kid. 7. Baths. Just take them outside and let them play in the sprinklers or hose them down before they get inside. Might be a little cold, but its quick and could be fun for your kids. (Do it early on, like before dark / dinner). Toss some soap out there too so they can wash behind the ears. 8. I agree with this one. We didn't like showing up early for our games either. Then again, use the friend trick and drop them off with their friends the night / day before (sleepover) and have your kids friend's parents bring him to the game. Then pick up your kids after the game and maybe even take the friend out for lunch / ice cream before dropping them back off with his parents. Fun for the kids and gives you some time off while also providing the opportunity for someone else to get some time off from their kids. 9. Simple is best. Throw in a universal gift card (Amazon) and you're good. 10. LOL 11. Yes. 12. True. 13. Have your kids make their own lunch and don't give them money to buy it. Everyday, starting since kindergarten, my sisters and I would make our own sandwhiches, pack our own snacks, and get our own breakfast before school. How it worked: Dad woke me up, (my sisters would be in the bathroom getting ready), I would go to the kitchen and start packing lunch: peanut butter sandwhich, pretzels, carrots, and an apple (for the next 10 years), then my sister would get out of the bathroom and I would use it and get dressed, then there was that mad rush to get our breakfasts before being pushed out the door. If we could do it, your kids could too. Also makes them more independable and responsible for future projects you need them to do. Also they can't complain about their lunches if they fix it themselves. 14. I didn't know about this, but you'll find out if your kid is depraved when you pick them up. 15. Again. Kids can do the work too. Your husband can even do chores, cook, and clean. Or at least can learn how to do all these things. Just make him responsible for it and encourage how forward thinking / progressive / manly it makes him. If single fathers are possible, than non-single fathers can do so too - or atleast they can hire help (which a lot of single fathers do).