To ask SAHM's what do you do from 4pm until 7pm? The depressing hours.

[SixToSeven]

Am I the only one to find this time of day horribly depressing and boring? My kids are between 6 months and 7 years old and I get so bored and tired at this time of day.

Apart from eating dinner, what do you do between after school and bedtime?

I go on here and let the dc watch TV ! I'm a bad parent

I also sort out some washing and start dinner off (ds is 2.8 and eats before everyone else along with dd having a smaller version of whatever he has and then dd dh and I all have our dinner when he's in bed later).

Dinner, board game or some sort of quiet play with me for an hour, bath, story, bed

If I'm tired I set up a table of play doh or colouring and put the telly on

Oh, me too - dead time.

In the summer we go out and even Christmastime isn't so bad but the part between January and - well, March is so ... I know what you mean!

drink

Oh I just saw you had a 6 month old too. Tricky age as the baby will be exhausting. Mine , are 4 and 12 so I only have to entertain one really and his big brother helps.

With those ages I'd of done less craft and more telly to be honest

Count down to bedtime and plan how I'll be spending the evening (meaning consider what I'll watch on TV and when to have a bath).

Mumsnet and tv. Park maybe if weather ok. Might do DS1's reading books with him.

I only have an 18 month old, but those are definitely the slowest hours of the day!

We usually put some music on to dance to. It wakes us up a bit, passes a bit of time and ends up very giggly.

DD watches some TV or draws while I make her dinner, which gives me 20 minutes to myself. A bath after dinner is also great for killing time until bedtime (and for getting the food out of her hair...).

We have after-school activities (tennis, swimming, Rainbows, park) every day. I hate being home at 3pm.

We are just back from the park, music and dancing is good, read a story then spot of TV while I get dinner on then bath time. But yes it can be v tiring.

I open the back door and let them run/scream/murder/play nicely while I do their tea and prepare ours for later, then sit down with some tea and toast while they eat and bugger about on here. DH gets home around 6 so I leave the tidying til I hear the key in the door so I can look busy and he can entertain them while I potter.

I look back and hope that I cherished the time, now that I'm not a SAHM and the kids are off doing their own things most of the time.

It has always been my busiest and most productive time of the day.

When they were little, I did reading and homework with them, cooked dinner, ate with them, washed up, counting the minutes until dh came home and I could get him to do baths. And often did a mad rush of housework to make it look to dh as though I had done loads all day

Now that they are all secondary school or older, I still talk to them more at this time than any other, and probably still do a mad rush of housework if I can be bothered but the cooking and eating happens much later. And thank God I am no longer counting the minutes until dh comes home.

Rainbows, beavers, swimming, after school clubs. Fridays we eat chocolate and watch the telly :) kids are 5&7. It's the busy part of my day!

Homework. Then we play together usually. Or draw. Or she does the same at my parents if we visit. Maybe go for a walk or roller skate.

Then we eat dinner together, she has a mooch for a bit then I read to her and bed.

With DD who is 17 months I dread 4-5 as it's when she's a bit (very) screamy. I have tried to bring dinner forward to 4.30. Then watch a bit if TV together, read some books. She might potter. Then from 6.15 bath, stories, milk, bed.

Must be harder with two though.

It's my favourite part of the day. I work mornings now, get chores done pm & then when the kids are home we chat, walk the dog, clubs which I help out at, watch films play in the garden, generally absorb them because they're growing up far too fast! Love it.

Cook, it's my favourite part of the day, but I have a 13yr old.

I quite like it. Dad is nearly 7 though and very self-contained/independent. We chat, she does homework and piano practice, after school activities twice a week, dinner, TV, play. It's quite chilled. She's at a good age.

DD not Dad

Cook dinner, MN, homework, reading, after school activities, garden if it's nice, TV, the DSs are allowed x-box on a Friday after school.

It's a rough bit of the day when they are small, it does get easier.

It flies by. We get home from school about 3.30 and do homework for an hour or so. Then I spend 4.30 to 5.30 ish cooking dinner while they watch tv or play. We have dinner then start bath time at 6.30 ish and into bed by 7.30. No time to get bored!
My kids are 3,6 and 9

With preschooler, it is the worst time of the day - a total slog! Tired, winey kids and I invariably had to cook dinner with one on my hip! Now they are older it is either afterschool activity, playing in the garden or vegging in front of the tv before going to an evening activity at 6 or 7 pm

I hate it.

On working days, I'm home at 6Osh then attempt DS's homework while DD(22m) interferes & distracts. Then bath around 6.30.

On non-working days we're home 4pm ish after school. Tend to make quick dinner & eat with kids at 4.30-5.00pm .Bathtime 6pm after homework.

I try to get them to bed 7.30-8pm but DS (7) just doesn't seem tired these days & will play in his room until 8.30/9.00 sometimes.

I'm usually on my own for bedtimes & really hate the evening drill with a tired toddler, homework & a DP who is rarely there.

We also have cubs/beavers and swimming lessons on 3 days of the week