What should year 7 and 8 boys be doing after school?

[plastique]

I haven't a clue what my boy's aged 11 and 12 should/could be doing after school!! They get home at 3.30, my 11yr old puts on pjs straight away but bedtimes at 9.... Seems to be tv, ps4, iPad etc.... Seems such a waste of their time/life or AIBU!!??

[CruCru]

At that age I was learning an instrument so had music practice. Plus homework.

A bit of downtime won't hurt them. I definitely played computer games.

[myownprivateidaho]

That's a lot of time!! Some screen time if fine/normal but 5 hour a day is a but much. I was limited to an hour after school in primary iirc. Reading? Weekly trip to the library?

[vghifcqueen]

Mine got back at 5 at that age. TV, XBOX, football in the garden, football training and homework

[akkakk]

varies hugely - it is the in-between time between primary and the more serious into GCSE stage of secondary school - a lot of kids at this age are exhausted, especially this term, esp. year 7 - so as long as they are:

• doing homework as necessary
  
• joining in with family meals etc.
  
• going to bed on time
  

then it is fine for kids to be bored / to do their own thing

[Nanny0gg]

Have they no homework?
Some TV time, some game time, snacks?

What time is dinner?

[BackforGood]

er..... some homework ? I mean, mine never went OTT with homework, but there should at least be some.
ds would also stay to 2 or 3 different clubs after school at that age, and would regularly come home via a game of football in the park.
He was also going to Scouts and to swimming training.

[YesItsMeIDontCare]

DS does homework, sometimes has a friend round, talks my ears off plays on PS4, goes and kicks a ball around if it's dry enough, does a sport once a week...

Nothing too taxing.

[plastique]

Dinner is at 4pm generally, homework takes half an hour but that's later on nearer bed time. They both do football practice one night a week.
Whatever I seem suggest is just a 'No.. And either too tired or can't be bothered or that's boring!!'

[lozzylizzy]

My eldest is 8. He has half hour or so outside with his football, in for a snack and a drink. He goes upstairs for an hour playing minecraft. Then he comes down to do any homework until dinner time at 6. He then has desert and goes for a shower. He comes back down and spends time with us, reads his school book. He usually has a slice of toast/bowl of cereal about 8.30 and goes up to bed. He has a shower at some point between dinner and bed but he just goes and gets in himself.

I don't think computer games are bad. Its a type of relaxation but as long as they are doing other things too.

[PatriciaHolm]

clubs 2-3 times a week (rugby, football, coding); homework; reading; and screen time. Some evenings mostly screens, some none!

[PatriciaHolm]

Dinner at 4? Are they not starving again by the time they go to bed?

[massistar]

My 11 year old does sports most nights except for a Tuesday so it's in from school, do a bit of homework, quick snack and then out. Dinner and bath when we get home and then he reads for about 30 mins before bed. He gets a bit of screen time whilst I'm doing dinner.

[Sunnymeg]

Home, snack and change out of uniform. Chill for about an hour, then homework. Walk the dog Tea around 6.30pm. Skype friends to see what they are up to. Then either read or do something that isn't screen time until bedtime.

[loona13]

Football, basketball, futsal and karate. Some PS, mainly Fifa, occasionally homework.

[Balletgirlmum]

Gosh we run out of time every night. (Year 8 DS)

By the time homework is finished & we've eaten its around 6.30pm & that's on non activity nights. On those nights he generally gets done time on the Xbox, YouTube or playing football in the street.

If DS stays behind after school for hockey practice or drama rehearsals for example we don't get home until gone 6pm then it's a mad rush to eat. Homework usually takes about an hour plus guitar practice.

He then takes at least half an hour of faffing about getting his bag, books, PE kit & clothes sorted for the next day. Then a shower & we usually realise it's gone 9pm at that point.

[dietcokeandwine]

My Y8 walks a couple of miles each way to and from school, and the long walk coupled with the mental demands of school (he has Aspergers/add, so has more to deal with in just coping with the school day than your typical NT child) he needs plenty of after school downtime.

He does karate once a week and I try to encourage him to do another after school club once a week too but he's often quite resistant to that. He gets 2-3 lots of homework per night anyway so he gets that done. And I try to get him out in the garden on the trampoline for short spells when the weather's half decent.

Other than that he tends to be chilling with his iPad. I don't generally let him game during the week but for him (and this is probably linked to his SN) the iPad is critical downtime and, as he puts it, a chance to 'empty my brain and clear my head'.

[BlueCowWonders]

Tennis, rugby, nothing, rugby and scouts, football is how my ds's week looks.
Plenty of screen time and Homework and pj time after that
And eating non-stop

[Stillwishihadabs]

Ds is 12. Home around 5-530 is STARVING so eats 6ish then either screens, homework or homework,screens. He loves his bath so usually takes 1/2 hour. Bed is 9, will often chat to us or ask for help with his homework between 8 and 9. He has rugby one night a week and Saturday mornings. As the nights are drawing in, we will start swimming together once a week.

[jelliebelly]

Mine do loads of after school sport so we often don't get in till nearly 6 - dinner, homework, reading in bed. No screens on schooldays, karate/rugby/running club/

[HermioneJeanGranger]

When I was that age I did homework, played the Sims, watched some TV, read, had a shower or bath, had dinner and talked on the phone a lot!

[arethereanyleftatall]

I'm not there yet, but I would hope my dds would be doing at least one sport after school (or scouts) every day.

[jelliebelly]

Oh yes and endless time in the shower after sport!

[GeorgeHerbert]

At that age ds did music practice, homework, one night Scouts, one night football training and one evening athletics. No PS 4 allowed Mon - Thur, some TV, and some general mooching.

[Honeyandfizz]

My year 7 ds does football both with his school team & Sunday league team. He also does basketball one day after school. Mostly though he is addicted to his iPhone!