if you have 3 young kids

[belleandbete]

What do you do after school?

I have DCs ages 8, 5 and 20 months. When we get home from school (especially in the new school year with 'transition stress' etc) they are very demanding- all wanting my attention to play something/ watch them do something/ help with a lego project etc etc but the toddler is at the 'into everything' stage and disrupts all their activities if I try to help them, so I mainly end up wrangling him and leaving them to it a bit, which means they end up fighting/ having tantrums etc. Any tips on how to manage this? We get home at 3 and they go to bed at 7:30/ 8 and DH works away a lot so it's a lot of time to fill. Sometimes we go to the park etc but usually they desperately want to come home as tired after school. I try not to let them have screen time in the week.

Any tips for activities that a nearly 9 year old and a 20 month old would both enjoy? Or generally how to manage this situation?

Ive always gone for having a small snack and drink ready along with 30 minutes (approx screen time) when we get home then my little zombies return back to me.

A bit of CBeebies does wonders for my sanity and allows them to zone out. The oldest is now 15 but my youngest at 8 sits in front of the tv with her drink and snack typically for 10 - 15 minutes before downloading her day.

I guess if you aren't for allowing screen time having quiet time in rooms/ their own defined space with a drink to let them zone out for a bit could work in the same way

Play dough may keep them busy for a bit

thanks! I like the idea of CBeebies but we live in the US so no good educational type TV unfortuantely and the stuff they like to watch is all a bit hyper so tends to make their behaviour worse (otherwise I would totally do screen time!)

Play doh is a good idea. Maybe some baking. Always seems really hard to coordinate them into anything productive without getting into fights

Mine are now 11, 8 and 4 and I get a lot of mileage out of audiobooks. They listen and potter about with Lego or colouring. Maybe play dough for the little one.