Could you make an activity that happens at 6pm on a week night?

[Barnyandella80]

I’m fed up with having lived in a town for almost ten years and still having no social life or friend locally.

Since lockdown has eased I’ve joined an exercise type activity that happens at 6pm on a week night. I’m loving it. For the first time in ages I have some social life and it’s brightened up my world.

But once DH and I are back in the office (currently WFH) I won’t be able to go. On the days I’m in the office I don’t get home in time, and even if I can arrange to WFH that day (which I think would be possible) DH would never be home in time to watch DS. (I wouldn’t trust a stranger to babysit and don’t know anyone I could ask).

I’m a bit gutted. DH thinks this is the norm and most people (with kids) probably couldn’t make an activity that happens 6pm on a weeeknight (it’s local not far to travel).

Could you?

6pm used to be just in from work/ picking DCs up.

These days it's peak mum-taxi.

DH is not reliably in.

I'd love to join a running club but it would need to be at a sensible time like 8.30pm or 9pm. Kids activities done. DH reliably in.
(Or alternatively within school time)

Yes, but I would have to ask dp to leave work early that day. But that is something pretty normal for us to do for each other, and we both have jobs that allow for that flexibility.

@Ohnoducks

I run fitness classes, without a doubt our busiest classes are those that begin 6.15-7pm. I can fill a class that starts at 6.15pm very quickly, where one that starts at 7.30pm will take a lot of advertising

What age groups do you tend to pick up at that time?

Pre DC I'd definitely have preferred 6pm, I've always had jobs that mean Incan be home by then, so exercise then dinner after. Exercise at 7 onwards means eating either very late or very early.

I don't commute and can be home for 15:40 if I have no meetings but would need to bring work home with me. I'm a single parent and DD is 10 with her own clubs. I tend to go for a run whilst she's at swim training (5x a week between 6:30-7:30). When the new leisure centre is built swimming is supposed to move there in which case I'll attend the gym/classes that run at the same time.

Yes, easily - but I don't have children and I'm self-employed, so I can pick and choose activities to fit around work (or book work around activities). Most days I'm done by 3-4pm, very rarely it's 5.30pm but that's only a couple of times a month at most.

DH could as well, he's self-employed too but works 8-4 during the week and always has weekends off.

Normally I pick up DD from after school club at 6 pm and that's a massive push - I used to literally run from the tube station to the school and get there with a minute to spare. Very stressful.

Single parent so even if I arranged a babysitter to pick her up it's unlikely I could have managed an activity at 6 pm unless it was next to the office.

I can get the kids to a class at 6, but I cant attend one at 6, because I cant guarantee DH will be home (he travels a lot in normal times, and is usually away a couple of nights a week).
Basically, I cant comitt me to any regular activity that occurs out of school hours

Yes I could make it because I WFH, finished by 5:30 and DH normally home by then too.

It would depend. I work abroad in Europe two weeks out of every four or five (with the exception of lockdown) and so am a sporadic attendee at events and classes. I go when I can to a running group and a HIIT class with some friends, but couldn't ever reliably attend every week.

DH and I juggle our hours so one of us is always around for school runs/sports/scouts etc but the other is generally away or late home.

The average commute in this country is 30 mins each way so if you finish at 5.00 pm it should be possible and certainly before children I could manage it. But with small children that's the heart of tea, bed, bath time and now my kids are all at school we either have kids activities in the evening or are taking the chance to work late. I now (pre-lockdown) swim in the morning before work to fit my exercise in. My favourite time to exercise now.

Nope. Am back from work by that time, but it’s prime ferrying DC to and from their activities, listening to reading, feeding them time!

I prefer activities that start earlier like 5.30-6pm. Pre-covid I worked until 4pm so would be home in time. I don't like activities that start much later than that as it feels like getting home and then waiting around to go, which means I'd usually not bother!