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Prime-Time Parenting: The Two-Hour-a-Day Secret to Raising Great Kids
A two-hour school-night routine that helps parents support their children's social, emotional and intellectual development
School nights are a real challenge for most parents. Just as your energy flags, a slew of parenting duties looms ahead. Learn how to create a two-hour school night routine that works for both parent and child. By following this two-hour ritual, you'll be able to:
Bond with your children Prepare and enjoy a nutritious dinner Support your child's organization and academic success Read with your child Follow a book-bath-bed routine to an early bedtime Enjoy some "me" time once the kids are in bed The benefits of Prime-Time Parenting include better nutrition, better school performance, a more organized home, and well-rested parents and children.
The hours between 6 and 8pm will never be the same!
School nights are a real challenge for most parents. Just as your energy flags, a slew of parenting duties looms ahead. Learn how to create a two-hour school night routine that works for both parent and child. By following this two-hour ritual, you'll be able to:
Bond with your children Prepare and enjoy a nutritious dinner Support your child's organization and academic success Read with your child Follow a book-bath-bed routine to an early bedtime Enjoy some "me" time once the kids are in bed The benefits of Prime-Time Parenting include better nutrition, better school performance, a more organized home, and well-rested parents and children.
The hours between 6 and 8pm will never be the same!
- GenresParentingNonfictionAdult
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2018
10 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 4, 2020
This book was a great read! I wish I had read it sooner in my parenting journey. It really helped me outline and map an important, and beneficial, structure for night times in our home which used to be a super stressful time of day for all of us.
The fact that it broke down the night into a predictable 2 hour chunk was huge for us. It helped me connect with my older son, no 12, in a way we were lacking, and he also looks forward to our 2 hours together as a family.
I took the advice for what it was worth but adjusted it to best suit our family's needs. The simple nighttime structure has been a game changer for my twins, getting them through an expected, predictable yet enjoyable routine at night and getting them to sleep at a decent time.
More importantly for me, it helped my significant other and me become more connected because we also how set time to catch up every night, as well as my scheduled personal "me" time.
The fact that it broke down the night into a predictable 2 hour chunk was huge for us. It helped me connect with my older son, no 12, in a way we were lacking, and he also looks forward to our 2 hours together as a family.
I took the advice for what it was worth but adjusted it to best suit our family's needs. The simple nighttime structure has been a game changer for my twins, getting them through an expected, predictable yet enjoyable routine at night and getting them to sleep at a decent time.
More importantly for me, it helped my significant other and me become more connected because we also how set time to catch up every night, as well as my scheduled personal "me" time.
January 5, 2026
I picked up this book for its pragmatic proposal. A two-hour routine that engages parents with children from homework, dinner, bath and bedtime (completely screen-free) and, of course, time for parents themselves.
The author structures the two hours into half-hour slots in which specific tasks are assigned to children, adults, or both, though all are led or supervised by the adults.
The slots are as follows, but there is some wiggle room with common sense, of course.
6:00 PM to 6:30 PM: This is where the connection begins, with guidance from the adults for the children to engage with homework and for the adults to prepare dinner.
6:30 PM to 7:00 PM: Dinner to be had as a family and share the matters of the day, keeping eating as a positive way to engage with each other
7:00 PM to 7:30 PM: Put dishes away, but do not wash them. Provide homework assistance by being present with the child and ensuring academic tasks are completed. If there’s time, the child can engage in independent reading or another activity (no screens).
7:30 PM to 8:00 PM: Time is for the bedtime routine, including baths, reading to the child, and tucking them in.
8:00 PM: Time for the adult. The children are in bed, and parents can do the dinner clean up and enjoy personal time for themselves and with each other.
The structure seems sound, and it’s worth a try. The book is peppered with advice and recommendations on why some of the suggestions are offered, from explaining the importance of reading great books to the relaxing effects of a warm bath.
As with any parenting book, it is essential to take any guidance with a pinch of salt and make sure the offered suggestions are suitable for you and your family.
For someone with only one child with very engaged parents at home, it sounds like a very feasible thing to do. Although it could be a very different story in large families with multiple children or in families with one primary carer carrying the greater share of the work, the book does, though not comprehensively, address some of these concerns and offer suggestions for single parents.
There are also parts of the book that comment on social behaviours and children's expectations that, personally, I prefer to bypass. Again, I picked up the book for the pragmatic schedule, and it delivered on its promise, which I am very eager to try.
The author structures the two hours into half-hour slots in which specific tasks are assigned to children, adults, or both, though all are led or supervised by the adults.
The slots are as follows, but there is some wiggle room with common sense, of course.
6:00 PM to 6:30 PM: This is where the connection begins, with guidance from the adults for the children to engage with homework and for the adults to prepare dinner.
6:30 PM to 7:00 PM: Dinner to be had as a family and share the matters of the day, keeping eating as a positive way to engage with each other
7:00 PM to 7:30 PM: Put dishes away, but do not wash them. Provide homework assistance by being present with the child and ensuring academic tasks are completed. If there’s time, the child can engage in independent reading or another activity (no screens).
7:30 PM to 8:00 PM: Time is for the bedtime routine, including baths, reading to the child, and tucking them in.
8:00 PM: Time for the adult. The children are in bed, and parents can do the dinner clean up and enjoy personal time for themselves and with each other.
The structure seems sound, and it’s worth a try. The book is peppered with advice and recommendations on why some of the suggestions are offered, from explaining the importance of reading great books to the relaxing effects of a warm bath.
As with any parenting book, it is essential to take any guidance with a pinch of salt and make sure the offered suggestions are suitable for you and your family.
For someone with only one child with very engaged parents at home, it sounds like a very feasible thing to do. Although it could be a very different story in large families with multiple children or in families with one primary carer carrying the greater share of the work, the book does, though not comprehensively, address some of these concerns and offer suggestions for single parents.
There are also parts of the book that comment on social behaviours and children's expectations that, personally, I prefer to bypass. Again, I picked up the book for the pragmatic schedule, and it delivered on its promise, which I am very eager to try.
September 22, 2019
Pais em Hora de Ponta, escrito por Heather Miller e editado em Portugal pela Ideias de Ler (grupo Porto Editora), é um livro essencial para quem gosta de ler sobre o tema da parentalidade.
Ao longo do seu livro escrito com uma linguagem bastante simples e acessível, Miller descreve o seu método de Parentalidade em Hora de Ponta. Basicamente, este método não é mais do que uma forma de aproveitar duas horas ao final do dia para fortalecer os laços em família, enquanto se fazem as tarefas diárias de preparar o jantar, tomar banho, fazermos TPC, tarefas que os costuma tirar do sério ao final de um longo e esgotante dia de trabalho.
Um aspecto importante que Heather Miller refere é que toda os adultos, sejam casados ou tenham uma família monoparental, devem conseguir garantir que, todos os dias, têm um período para si, e só para si, enquanto adultos. Seja dedicado a a fortalecer a relação com o companheiro/companheira ou a relaxar, no caso de mãe/pai solteiro, Miller diz que este é um momento fundamental para que consigamos viver a parentalidade de forma mais plena, mais serena e com menor stress.
É um livro dividido e breves capítulos, carregados de sugestões, e que se centram em duas horas no final do dia para se fazer o que é preciso ao longo da semana e potenciar a ligação entre pais e crianças. Gostei bastante deste livro. Podem dizer que é mais um livro sobre parentalidade e mais um método mas acho que é mais do que isso... É um livro que convida à reflexão nesta era de pais e filhos digitais em que se aposta no "desliga" do mundo virtual, lá fora, e se aposta em ligar as relações familiares e entre pais e filhos. E isso só pode mesmo fazer sentido!
Recomendo este livro a todos os pais e futuros pais mas também a todos os professores e educadores. Este livro pode ser uma ajuda para dar ferramentas a país que se possam sentir um pouco mais perdidos e que procurem ajuda nós professores e educadores dos seus filhos. Basicamente, um bom livro para ser lido por todas as pessoas que, de alguma forma, tenham crianças a fazer parte do seu dia-a-dia.
Ao longo do seu livro escrito com uma linguagem bastante simples e acessível, Miller descreve o seu método de Parentalidade em Hora de Ponta. Basicamente, este método não é mais do que uma forma de aproveitar duas horas ao final do dia para fortalecer os laços em família, enquanto se fazem as tarefas diárias de preparar o jantar, tomar banho, fazermos TPC, tarefas que os costuma tirar do sério ao final de um longo e esgotante dia de trabalho.
Um aspecto importante que Heather Miller refere é que toda os adultos, sejam casados ou tenham uma família monoparental, devem conseguir garantir que, todos os dias, têm um período para si, e só para si, enquanto adultos. Seja dedicado a a fortalecer a relação com o companheiro/companheira ou a relaxar, no caso de mãe/pai solteiro, Miller diz que este é um momento fundamental para que consigamos viver a parentalidade de forma mais plena, mais serena e com menor stress.
É um livro dividido e breves capítulos, carregados de sugestões, e que se centram em duas horas no final do dia para se fazer o que é preciso ao longo da semana e potenciar a ligação entre pais e crianças. Gostei bastante deste livro. Podem dizer que é mais um livro sobre parentalidade e mais um método mas acho que é mais do que isso... É um livro que convida à reflexão nesta era de pais e filhos digitais em que se aposta no "desliga" do mundo virtual, lá fora, e se aposta em ligar as relações familiares e entre pais e filhos. E isso só pode mesmo fazer sentido!
Recomendo este livro a todos os pais e futuros pais mas também a todos os professores e educadores. Este livro pode ser uma ajuda para dar ferramentas a país que se possam sentir um pouco mais perdidos e que procurem ajuda nós professores e educadores dos seus filhos. Basicamente, um bom livro para ser lido por todas as pessoas que, de alguma forma, tenham crianças a fazer parte do seu dia-a-dia.
June 13, 2018
Great for parents trying to get it all done!
I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book because I’d expressed interest in one of the author’s parenting workshops.
School nights are rough for me and I found a lot of great tips in the book. The sections on helping kids with homework were very helpful. I pre-ordered a copy for my sister.
I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book because I’d expressed interest in one of the author’s parenting workshops.
School nights are rough for me and I found a lot of great tips in the book. The sections on helping kids with homework were very helpful. I pre-ordered a copy for my sister.
June 4, 2021
Kitap, dijital çağda (ekran kullanımını dengelemenin önemine değinerek) ebeveynelerin çocuklarına ve kendilerine kaliteli zaman ayırmalarına yardımcı olmak için bir akşam planını (son derece detaylı) ana hatları anlatıyor. Tabi her zaman uyulması zor olan bu plan yüzde yüzde mucizevi bir aydınlanma yaratmasada ebeveynde bir farkındalık yaratarak planlama becerilerini geliştirebilir.
December 18, 2018
Good reminder of what parents can accomplish in a little time with some structure
February 26, 2019
Three stars because it's fairly straightforward for some encouragement to spend more focused time with your kids.
March 2, 2020
Read again when kids are school age. Good reminder to put the phone down and engage with kids.
April 6, 2020
I like, strategically schedule 2 hours to make sure everything gets done with no technology.
Organize homework and backpack in that time.
Organize homework and backpack in that time.
June 13, 2023
Probably read this 5 years too early. A bit preachy, but gives a decent schedule and explains why predictable night time routine is healthy. Overly idealistic with screen time.
August 24, 2023
Great ideas. Interested to implement some of these ideas into my day-to-day routine.
September 5, 2023
A lot of great advice here. Although I don't agree on everything, I'm excited to try my own version of prime time parenting and will definitely include some of the things I've learned from this book.
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March 20, 2021O livro “Pais em hora de ponta” é um conselheiro realista para nos ajudar no stress do final do dia.
Ensina-nos a importância de criarmos uma rotina para recuperarmos a nossa serenidade de espírito e mantermos o equilíbrio.
Alerta-nos para a importância de falarmos com os nossos filhos, mostrando-nos interessados pelo que fazem.
Comprova-nos como nas famílias onde existe alguma estrutura, as crianças desenvolvem a capacidade de planear e executar tarefas complexas, com bastante maturidade.
Ensina-nos a importância de criarmos uma rotina para recuperarmos a nossa serenidade de espírito e mantermos o equilíbrio.
Alerta-nos para a importância de falarmos com os nossos filhos, mostrando-nos interessados pelo que fazem.
Comprova-nos como nas famílias onde existe alguma estrutura, as crianças desenvolvem a capacidade de planear e executar tarefas complexas, com bastante maturidade.
August 24, 2025
It is aimed at brick and morter schoolering parents and I'm a homeschooling mom, but I love routines and agree with the thought behind it. It's useful to get ideas on how to juggle things.
Summery: priorize your family and their well being by giving them good meals, sleep, quality time and homework done. This can be done in 2 hours at the end of the day if you budget your time.
Summery: priorize your family and their well being by giving them good meals, sleep, quality time and homework done. This can be done in 2 hours at the end of the day if you budget your time.
December 31, 2018
Does she have kids and does she practice her own strategy? Sounds idealistic and overwhelmingly structured.
July 8, 2019
Don't waste your time on this book if you have a special needs child.
June 15, 2024
2.5 stars
Some good ideas but not very practical for our family/stage of life
Some good ideas but not very practical for our family/stage of life
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews