What does everyone do in the evening?

[0630bitlost]

What do people do with their evenings?! DS is now 14 months and seems to be getting better at sleeping through the night which means we’re much less knackered all the time and I feel like we’ve got our evenings back. Except I don’t know what to do with them anymore! My old hobbies were dancing and nights at the pub with friends, both are now much harder to do. I get out to a dance class every now and again but it’s not feasible all the time.

I don't particularly like watching too much tv, I don’t mind the odd series but I get bored if I watch too much. I love gardening so spend the summer nights in the garden but not when it’s dark and cold! I like crafting but I hate clutter so I never make things without somewhere for them to go/be. I do like reading but often by the evening my brain is a bit fried!

any ideas of what I could do?!

Reading, crafting, watching TV, tidying in an attempt to keep my weekends housework free.

I work, sort my kids out (homework music or just trying to get them to go to bed) then I read or watch ipad in bed. And I mumsnet!

Go to the gym, swim, quizzes with friends at different local places (not all pubs!), batch cook, governors meetings (not every week!)

Make calls, catch up with people?

Select and print photos of your lovely little one, make some albums.

Read books. Theres a section on here with threads of what mumsnetters are reading. Some good recommendations, some bad.

I do jigsaws and sometimes colouring. Go to bed and read or watch Netflix. I love bed!
In summer I’d go for a walk, and we’d usually have ds’s sports/matches etc

Reading, yoga class, book club that I joined when ds was 6 weeks old. Did a lot of evening classes when ds was little, things like drawing and Italian.

Thanks for all the replies! People who get out the house to walks, classes, quizzes etc are you taking it in turn with your partner to be out the house? or do you have other ways of making it out without the baby? He’s asleep by 7 but doesn’t sleep so well if he’s put the house.

I get home, eat my dinner and mark exercise books. I then watch an episode of something before bed.

If I’m at home then I usually put an audiobook or podcast on & crochet, do a jigsaw or play with the cat (for which you need a cat, obviously).

I know what you mean about not liking clutter, but I make blankets for friends’ cats & babies so they usually go as soon as I’ve finished them.

When dc that age I would read,be at work,bake,watch something,listen to music ,be with dp or(and) go to bed!

DH and I both take it in turns to have some time out of the house one evening a week.

I go to a yoga class for mine and he plays badminton. Before I started the yoga class I used to go out for a walk for an hour after dinner while DH did DDs' bedtime routine so I'd be back home by 8pm but had done some exercise and had some time to myself.

Otherwise I read, listen to podcasts and audiobooks or I like doing puzzle magazines. We will also watch some TV together but I'm the same as you and hate having the TV on all evening. An hour or two at most is fine.

I also like having a long soak in the bath with music on. Do a face mask, hair mask etc and have a bit of pamper time.

Drawing, gaming, playing an instrument, learning a new skill, Lego, puzzles.

I’ve really got into adult colouring, so I spend a lot of time colouring

this is the book I am colouring atm www.amazon.co.uk/Cottage-Dreams-Adult-Colouring-Book/dp/B0F47QSBS9/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=YPMROZ63XW62&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Q1suZ9jZAbf1aGkHKsd07q-24NNZPNbFPDOj42yO_HqCz_fXTqoV8C4XcJDqjVUDij9LhYr7mYF3k0Ly07X5mqLTB3LNuls8z65tOFstuDZ4u7FIc7a2qwlBnY3rfMyg6akZGiegZnl0K1alCOSXy_KI6dXhKuQQgZK3J8tQeComNpuQe6186PcyWLoOnAMjjy1rMGLElbhj5LpwEQKwHg.QPPPYjxT0D0AXEKuicdzIJcXh7cSTGqLJ4MzINX2Xik&dib_tag=se&keywords=cottage+dream+colouring+book&qid=1765409133&sprefix=cottage+dream%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-3

We used to take it in turns to go to the gym.

We used to both have (different) things we went to, so that would be one night each a week, ringfenced.
Then, on a more ad hoc basis, might go and do something on other evenings.

We were also both in jobs that required us to work in the evenings on a fairly regular basis.

But we also paid teens to babysit so we could still go out occasionally together.

You seem to have listed several things you like to do, in terms of watching TV / craft / reading sometimes so, again that takes up some time.
Then there is all the "stuff" that is involved in terms of housework / shopping / laundry / cooking / 'paperwork' (which I know is now mostly on-line but I know some MNers seem irrationally triggered if you put 'life admin'). Plus things like having a nice long bath whilst listening to a podcast, or even getting an early night.

Scroll Facebook and Mumsnet.

I would like to improve what I do in the evenings but as DH gets home around 8.30 from work when he isn't working abroad and I am a FT teacher, I tend to make dinner, tidy up as much as I have energy for, spend a bit of quality time with dc and/or supervising their homework a bit, do a load of washing, read, watch something I like usually on Netflix, Mark books, occasionally go for a run or do an online stretching session! Have very occasional weeknight sex, listen to a podcast or the radio. Do a face mask or skincare. That kind of thing.

We go to bed around 9.30 weekdays as up at 6 so I don't feel There is lots of time once basic chores are done.

I remember it being hard to get out with little ones.

Prep the next day’s dinner
Run, swim