What do your Year 7 kids do after school when you’re working?

What kind of school finishes at 2.50 pm? I know its many years since was at school but we were there til 4. I used to get home long before my parents and brother. I would try to get my homework out of the way first, then watch tv until they came home. We didn't have xboxes in my day, though my childminder had a Sega megadrive!

@onmylastnerveseriously@KarmenPQZ state boarding is a hybrid. The education is state funded but the boarding is private.
essentially the parents are only paying for the boarding aspect (not the tuition) whereas in a standard independent boarding school parents pay for both.
the taxpayer is only paying for the education side as they would any other child.

I think by the start of High School, they need a bit of downtime and to start to be in charge of their own time more. Mine walk home with friends, sometimes via the park and sometimes via a friends house, have snacks, generally chill out (yes, with screens - but we talk to them a lot about how much screen time is too much).

They both do sports / dance twice a week (and at weekends) but that tends to be later in the evening so we do drops offs/ picks ups after work.

As long as their homework is done and they’re getting regular exercise (which you’ll need to facilitate), I don’t think you need to overthink it too much.

Can he go to the local library for some of it OP? That’s what I did at that age. I read so many great books. He could get his homework done there too.

State boarding schools exist. Much cheaper than independent schools. Often near army bases or in very rural areas. https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/uk-schools/advice/state-boarding-schools

Many older children have to be at home for an hour or 2 until their parents get home from work. They can debrief over dinner.

Mine have a snack and then they do game or watch TV - they've been at school all day I don't mind a bit of downtime. It's social too, their friends are online doing the same. In the better weather they'll meet friends, play football, go on bike rides or to the park.

I might leave them a little more with a small job like laying laundry away or peel potatoes for dinner.

Mine comes in, gets changed, makes herself a snack, does her homework then watches TV. Sometimes goes to a friend’s house after school and I pick her up on my way home, sometimes a friend will come home with her.

I would advise him to stick to a schedule (30 mins to change, snack, relax then settle down to homework) but not be surprised if he does just watch screens. I wouldn’t worry about that - a few detentions from late homework and he will mend his ways

Being at home aged 11 afterschool is pretty standard. I was teaching by the time mine were this age but still it was 4.30 earliest before I was home.

Does he have time home alone now? Walk to local shop, round to a mate? If not I would start to introduce that.

Many schools have an open library at least if no specific clubs, till 4.30 or so. Is that possible? Could he go to a friends house for a bit to break up the time? Is there any way either of you can finish earlier some days, again to break up long stretches of time? But tbh it will be fine.

i was curious about state boarding too!

can you just take the controller with you to work? He needs to learn to be responsible and manage his own wants and responsibilities tho

is there no flexibility in your or dads jobs that you can’t come home early or unpaid a couple of times a week? I wouldn’t want my kids being alone so much especially after school when they should be able to debrief in their day

Where do you live where you can just get ‘state boarding’? Why on earth would this be tax payer funded? I have so many questions

anyway it’s healthier for him to be at home playing Xbox than living away from his family. My year 7 is exhausted after school and actually needs the downtime. So she watches Tv. It’s fine.

Homework, watch tv, snacks, sometimes go to a friends house.

Also DSs school has a drop in homework club. You could see if the school has similar?

I’d suggest you arrange a routine where he gets (for example) 15 minutes to have a snack and a rest, then does his homework (maybe 1.5 hours?) which will take him to nearly 5pm, then that gives him a limited amount of relaxing time. Obviously that will move later if he does an after school club

There are usually after school clubs, DD stays late twice a week and gets home about 5pm from hers.