To think that it’s impossible to have a 6pm family dinner time?

When my older two were at the age of clubs most of the ones they did were straight after school so done by 5 or cubs/scouts which started at 7:30 so we almost always ate at 6/6:30.
Now the younger two are high school age they both play sports at a pretty high level so there's a lot of training at different times. We eat together or the majority of us eat most nights but it's often more like 7:30/8.

I think you can choose to prioritise this kind of life if you want to. I remember the same growing up.

One night a week I went to brownies/guides and so I had an earlier dinner after school, and a small supper when I got home. My only other club was swimming which I did on a Saturday. My parents were always home to have an evening together as a family.

It depends what you prioritise though and some children do clubs competitively where they clearly have a future in that sport, so sacrifices do have to be made.

But I think a balance can always be struck somehow.

It's clearly not impossible for the people that do it, is it?! It suits their routine and works well for them.

You don't have to do it!

How can you not understand that people have different lives ?

People have different working patterns. Some people have flexible working. Some people wfh. Some people have one parent at home. Some people prioritise this and move heaven and earth to make it happen.

I used to start work at 7am for example, so I could pick my dc up at 5.15, and in the evenings I would do all the prep for the next evening's meal, so home at 5.30 and food on the table before 6, usually, when my dc were small.

DH is rarely home before 8pm and I tend to eat with him, often after 9pm.

We try to eat as a family at the weekend though and I usually sit down with the children when they eat.

I finish at 4-4.30pm, it's usually between 6-7pm sometimes e en 5-5.30, kids are 9 & 12, husband works shifts so when his working he will heat up his when home around 8.30pm. I'd be starving if I had to wait later.

I do but we don’t do any after school clubs. I feel similarly about how on earth people fit those in!

I forgot clubs, we prioritise them as dc enjoy them & I loved them as a dc.

I think it’s because from pick up to after kids’ bedtime DH and I are both on the go, so if one is bathing the children the other is loading the dishwasher etc. One cooking, one on pickup.

I still think it’s an awful lot to cram into a few hours.

(And we exercise after 8.30pm when the children are in bed).

We wouldn’t both be able to fit it in as neither of us wouldn’t go for a run/jog. I like to be in bed by 11pm as I’m up early.

@whatonearthishappenin I’m not sure where you live but as a Londoner realistically millions of people are not doing this every day, millions are commuting at 6pm, working till 5:30 or later, picking up dc from nursery, childminders, after school clubs at 6pm etc. I work p/t so pick the dc up after school or their clubs and the days we eat together at 6pm are the days DH wfhs so it’s usually 2 weekdays.

They are home from work and the kids don't have clubs etc. it's not bloody rocket science is it?

When the kids were little I was a SAHM so could get dinner ready for whenever suited. DH made sure he could be home for 6 so that we could eat as a family before the kids went to bed.

But jobs and kids change so now it's 6:30 most of the time and a couple of nights a week we don't really eat as a family, everyone has to tuck in when it suits their schedule.

Before we had kids we normally ate 7:30 - 8:30 ish as we both worked later and then had to cook when we got in. Also, we had the energy to be up much later!

I do but we don’t do any after school clubs. I feel similarly about how on earth people fit those in!

I think it’s because from pick up to after kids’ bedtime DH and I are both on the go, so if one is bathing the children the other is loading the dishwasher etc. One cooking, one on pickup.

(And we exercise after 8.30pm when the children are in bed).

We do but only because I'm a SAHM, we have clubs every night of the week but they either start at 7 or finish at 5.30 so 6 is a pretty good time for us to eat

Yes, we do eat together as a family around 6pm. We manage 6 out of 7 days.

Do people really sit down at 6 pm and eat dinner together as a family in the evening?

I don’t get how people work, cook from scratch, eat as a family, do homework/reading & both parents separately get exercise in all in one evening!

we do! it's really important to me that we eat together and husband works from home so it's fine!

I was asking OP really to see if I could help with her schedule

We eat at 5 everyday. I finish work in time to do the school run at 3 so plenty of time to cook. DH usually finishes work around 4:45 with a 15 minute drive home. DS has one club that finishes at 4:15 and one that is from 6-7 so can still do 5pm family on those days.
Everyone does things differently and has different schedules. We all love an early tea here. We wouldn’t make it to 6!

We're home in time. That's all it is really.

Technically we could as we are all home by 1815, but I’m not hungry then. Preschooler has a snack, then bath time routine and we eat later around 2100. Weekends are different, and we eat together then.

Yup - this. We Start work at 8.15 with kids in breakfast club and everyone home by 5.30 for dinner at 6ish. Clubs are either straight from school or at the weekend…. Occasionally we don’t manage it if one of us is home from work late but we do try and prioritise sitting and eating together just cos it’s so hectic the rest of the time! Kids are primary aged so no doubt this routine will change as they get older….