What have you done with your kids after school this afternoon?

[DontBuyANewMumCashmere]

I recently realised I've become quite lazy in the afternoons with my kids - 6yo and nearly 2yo.

I collect DD from school, home by about half 3, snack and maybe a bit of reading, then they're watching TV or tablet while I'm making dinner.

It started off as 'a bit of TV' while I was making dinner now it's often two hours which tbh is sub-optimal parenting!

This evening I thought I'd be a more productive mum, so I got a Toucan box/the arts and crafts box down, DD had a good stab at making smth and DS played with finger painting and raiding his sister's pencil case.

For about ten minutes. Then the toddler is screaming to get down, she's got to wait for smth to dry so is bored whilst waiting, I'm trying to supervise but losing my patience a bit...

What does everyone else do? I know I'm not the only person relying on TV before dinner but I don't think I'm ready to do that every afternoon, plus my two are at different ages and can't often play the same games.

Looking for inspiration!

Does the 6 year old do any after school activities? Mine did Rainbows and ballet at that age but to be honest, on the days they had nothing on, they’d watch TV til tea time most days or play in the garden if the weather was nice.

They each do one extra curricular activity a week. Then rest of the time we mooch about at home... playing, TV, crafts, Xbox etc. I find they're tired after school and don't always want to do much. We might pop to the supermarket or see my sister and her kids as they live down the road.

Tv after school while you cook dinner sounds lovely.
Many happy secure memories of similar as a child.
I’m sure you get them outdoors at weekends & holidays.
Give yourself a break!

Broke up a fight

Medicine, a bit of physio and then left to his own relaxing which is playing on the iPad

Swimming lesson today, brownies on another night. On the days without activity they watch tv until dinner. Afterwards some playing in the garden until bath time (about 20 minutes!). Then bath and bed for little one and another half an hour of tv for the big one unless I can persuade her to do reading/homework

Swimming.

Called at grandparents to look at the flowers they planted earlier in the year.

Did school reading with school age child.

Went for a short walk to look for some numbers in our environment for the littlest.

Watched Bluey and Umizoomi. Had dinner. Shower and bed in the next hour.

Played one of those lego board games, he read his reading book to his sister, they played cars and now he's doing airbrush pens. Usually they'd watch some TV but it's Wimbledon so they're relegated to only watching TV before school at the minute

We’d pop in at the park most days when the weather’s ok.

Playground to burn off energy and hopefully help them Sleep

I’m really bad for this, I seem to feel like it’s the end of the day when we get home and so we do fuck all until bedtime. Screens mostly. But it’s actually the best part of five hours and we should be doing more. Just don’t know what.

Swimming once a week. They sometimes play in the garden if they want. They are free to watch tv if they want too. Don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, they’ve been busy at school all day they need the downtime.

Had a chat about his day and exams. Hes having needed downtime at the moment.

. When that age we might have walked home the long way, the park so they could do their own thing, sometimes slob in front of the tv, a bit of baking. tv off, music on in the background and follow their lead in how they wanted to play. Picnics in the living room, camping out under the table, making a castle with the sofa cushions. Nerf fights, fun with balloons, reading etc.
And of course the most amazing game off all, let's put all the toys away 😂

Straight to the park after school, we were there about half an hour. When we get home hes generally left to his own devices and will play lego etc while I make tea.

Sent them all in the garden while I finished working and prepared tea, followed by tea, bath For the younger two while eldest went to hobby, and now back in the garden eating ice pops as it’s such a nice evening! If it’s not such good weather we get screens on and chill out, watch a film, eat, read, homework... i wouldn’t worry at all about a bit of screen time after school.

We make sure one evening a week is taken up with an activity..... currently swimming and they've done any reading or spelling they need to each evening then the rest is whatever they want.... usually in front of the tv until tea time then bath, PJs, bed etc. They've been busy at school all day so I don't begrudge screen time, I remember loving watching cartoons after school whilst mum made dinner.

Went to the zoo.

(Its about 5mins away by bike, and we have season tickets!)

Ds aged 9 has played with his friends from school on the Xbox and is now chilling on his iPad after dinner. I’m about to give him a bath. (He has autism and sen). To be honest that’s the same as we do every evening - he finds school very tiring and just enjoys the downtime. I think it’s perfectly okay for children to just have time to relax. I think we’ve all become too obsessed with “doing” things all the time.

Activities but mostly watching Tv while I cook dinner. Same as I did as a child - bliss!
Kids are tired after school aren’t they?

One has been to the shop for me, twice, because she just loves the responsibility, then phone for a bit then tea then cycled round and round the block.

Other one has been on houseparty with a friend playing Roblox for hours!

I've been making tea and cheesecakes, they've both periodically chatted nonsense to me, it's all be quite pleasant!

One day a week after school we usually go to my parents for tea, if it's nice we might have a walk or they play in the garden, sometimes we go shopping or for a coffee/ice cream. If they're not bored or screaming for attention I figure they're happy!

We go through phases but I when I'm feeling guilty about doing nothing every evening I'll make an effort to do something on the way home from school a few times. Generally just small errands (to reduce potential moaning) like taking library books back, then having a look at others while we're there, or popping to the shops to buy dog food and maybe suggesting DC buys a new plant or bird feeder while we're there. We then set that up when we get home.

My two are tired after school/nursery and Im usually still working when they come home so they watch TV or play Nintendo for a bit. I can't do full on activities every day its impossible!

On a nice day I might go out with them to bounce on the trampoline while DH cooks dinner but generally they want to mooch about and Im fine with that.

We do park then English and maths Kumon. Dinner. Bath. Bed. I cook the dinner in the morning so find that we have more time together after school.

We don’t get home till 4 (5 on a club night) and there’s a fair bit of homework, spellings, reading. The rest of the time till tea is a mix of playing in the garden/making stuff (by themselves, they are 6 and 8) and tv. I don’t do any full on activities with them, they’re too tired after school and homework.

Saying that, there’s no hw on Weds and today I played chess with DC1.