Share the everyday shared moments with your kids now they’re back at school with Cadbury - £265 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[PoppyMumsnet]

Now that your children are back at school, you might have a bit more time to yourself to enjoy. But, Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons would like to know what your plans to make sure that you still have everyday shared moments of joy with your children are, and how you plan on making the most of the time you have with your children during term time.

Do you make sure that you have dinner round the table together every evening to catch up with each other’s’ days? Maybe you have a scheduled family film night? Or are you planning fun days out together for the weekends? Whatever your plans, let Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons know by posting below.

All those who post on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £265 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks, and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

[pinkunicornsarefluffy]

I try and make time for DD every night to sit with her and play on her kindle or watch some TV. She likes it if I take an interest in the things she likes to do.

I also read to her every evening. At the weekend I try and get out with her for a couple of hours somewhere.

[Mycatsabastard]

DD2 and I have about 20 mins when she gets in from school just sat cuddling on the sofa and chatting about her day. It's nice, it's just me and her before dp and teen get in from work. It's just totally focused on her day and how she's been feeling, what she's learned, who she has played with etc.

She's 10.

[asuwere]

We do have a chat on the way home from school every night, plus we always have tea at the table and discuss things, then I try to have at least 10mins in the evening with each DC individually.
The weekend is usually for the whole family so we do spend time together then having fun.

[IonaAilidh11]

i enjoy the daily chats on the school run, sometimes longest chat of the day

[voyager50]

I make sure there are no screens at the dinner table so that we can all talk together without distractions.

[LifeIsGoodish]

Bedtimes are sacrosanct. Dh or I will always find the time to have a snuggle/read a bedtime story/give a back-scratch with each dc. Sometimes one of us will 'do' all three dc, sometimes we share, sometimes each dc gets both of us. But each dc always gets a few minutes of quiet, personal connection with at least one of us at the end of every day.

[LifeIsGoodish]

And, of course, the bedtime kiss when we go to bed and they are asleep...mmmmm

[bambooleaves]

We have 3 kids and set aside a weekend every 3 weeks where one child and one parent spend some quality time alone together. Sometimes it's ice skating, other times it's just doing a jigsaw at home. Lovely to get that 1:1 time with the kids!

[Saltlake]

Bedtime stories. One on one time with a child and a parent. Lovely.

[forkhandles4candles]

Dinner all together, lots of conversation and questions and lovely things planned for the weekends.

[ponygirlcurtis]

My boys still like to come into bed with me for a morning cuddle. They are increasingly all elbows and knees but it's a nice time to be a bit snuggly and silly before the day begins.

[FeelingSmurfy]

We eat together most evenings and discuss how ours days have gone. Much more likely to find out how school went it ask then rather than as they come out of school, when you get told they did nothing and spoke to nobody

[Catsgowoof]

We have a special walking home from school routine with a silly game

[SageYourResoluteOracle]

DD is 5 and is just getting into Roald Dahl. She also sleeps inwhat used to be the spare room as she'd outgrown her old room. This means that DH or I (or sometimes both) can get into bed and read Matilda together.

And on the subject of family meals together, DD was only asking last night when we could have, and I quote, 'family time, mummy, you know, where we all sit and eat dinner together'. Argghhh! She's been at after school club this week and I think is feeling the change between our summer, where I was off for the full 6 weeks and now.

So, I'd say that eating together and reading together are the things we enjoy most. And this thread has inspired me to try and peg it back from work earlier today so I can get DD and we can eat together!

[Gazelda]

First thing we do when we get home in the afternoon is for DD (8) to scootch up onto my lap and read to me. Then we chat about the day, what's coming up in the next few days and she always tells me how ravenous she is.

I feel so close to her in those 30 or so mins before the hustle and bustle of the day resumes.

[WowOoo]

I've been trying to walk more during the week. I'll park further away from places so there is a little walk and we'll go somewhere nice on the weekends, even in the rain.

They moan for 5 minutes but they will be chatting away in no time. It might not seem special, but they seem to open up more. I love it when my youngest holds my hand. He won't do it for that much longer.

Dh and I are both busy and mealtimes and bedtimes can sometimes be rushed.

[IToldYouIWasFreaky]

Sorry but hahahahahahhhhahhha to this Now that your children are back at school, you might have a bit more time to yourself to enjoy How does that follow?! I still have to go to work and now that term has started again we're back in the swing of homework, Cubs, football etc etc.

But anyway, DS has just started at a new school which is a little further away and so far we are enjoying the longer walk to school and use the time on the way there to chat about upcoming plans, school work etc. The way home is usually spent Pokemon hunting as we have a bit more time!

[CopperPan]

I like to take the younger dc to the park after school for a run around rather than go straight home. When it gets colder and darker we go to the library or a nearby museum/gallery.

[queenoftheschoolrun]

We eat together most nights as a family and try to have a family activity at the weekend be it an outing, going for a walk together or just watching a film. We still read at bedtime which invariably leads to a long chat about something or other, DD is very good at avoiding going to sleep!

[MakeTeaNotWar]

We try to take it easy on the weekend - at just 4 and 6 and with a long 8-6 day, evenings can be somewhat fraught so I'm careful not to plan too much for the weekend so we can all hang out and relax in each other's company.

[redbook]

Bath and bed time stories are the best time of the day. It's quality uninterrupted time.

[Lulabellx1]

Dinnertime! This my favorite time of the day when we all get to catch up with each other and I find out what the kids have been up to all day... even the dog comes and sits by our feet. :)

[FlukeSkyeRunner]

I always sit down with my girls at teatime and chat about the day. We also have bedtime stories and cuddles together.

[HowDoYouGetPikachuOnToABus]

Every Saturday we have game night. Mobile phones and iPads are put away and we play board games and eat nibbly party food.

[GiraffesAndButterflies]

First thing in the morning we have cuddles in bed together, every day. I make sure there's time for that even when we're going out, it's the snuggliest bit of our day