To think that 6pm on a weekday is an anti-social time for a meeting?

[Sadik]

Genuine question - is it just an awkward time for me (just in from work, need to make dinner, etc) or would others find it tricky.

There was a bit of 'why don't younger people (read, not retired) get involved', my feeling is that the habit which seems common in our small town of arranging meetings at 6pm doesn't help. But is that just me?

If you are a single parent then 6 pm is the worst possible time: too late to have your kid(s) go for tea after school with a friend, and too early to get a babysitter.

cleaty - I'm so surprised by that. Presumably they all have OHs or other people who can deal with the kids.

ArcheryAnnie - the one other person who I know would most likely come is a single parent so has to do childminder pickup / tea / homework etc. She's far more likely to come to a meeting a bit later.

Agree GiveMeStrength, I think 8pm is a reasonable time for most ages of kids, in fact back in my primary PTA/playgroup committee days it was always 8 or 8.30 and in the pub so we could have a as well

6pm would totally rule me out. I collect the kids at 5.30pm and dh isn't home til 7.30pm. The meetings I attend (and have been invited to attend) all start at 7.30pm - but all are child related (PTA, preschool, cubs) so I guess they know that 6pm is impossible.

All my volunteering meeting and social stuff starts at 8pm, which is perfect for me. As others have said, it's after almost all of the kids activities are over, I've had time to feed them, and DH is back from work so no need to find a sitter or someone to dump them with. And it means the childfree have time to get back from work, grab a bite to eat and head out again.

If they are questioning why they don't have more younger people getting involved, I'd definitely point out that it's not going to work for a lot of parents or anyone who works in the type of job where leaving at five is a rare luxury.

No squeaver, a few are single mums who just take their 8,9 year old children to the meeting. They all say later would be harder for them. 6pm is a terrible time for me.

Impossible for most parents of young children, I mean. Not just me.

For anyone with school age kids (whether or not they are working), 6pm is a nightmare.

Not for me. I work and have 2 school age kids.

Homework is done as soon as we get in. Tea at 5pm. Out of the door at 5.45 as dh walks in.

All the adults at my class have kids.

A committee I sit on meets 7-9pm, maybe a 7 to 7.30 start might be better as 8pm might be too late - too much time to get settled in at home?

I'm a SAHM and 6pm would be a PITA for me too as I have children too young to drag out in the evening, so I have to wait until at least 6.15 for DH to get home from work.

Yanbu. For me 6pm is just home from work or at the moment, having dinner and starting bedtime routine for baby.

6 is perhaps a little early but 8 is way too late. No way would I be going out to something at that time as (a) id probably be in my jammies and (b) it encroaches on your whole evening.

7pm is a pretty good time for meetings....dinner over but still early enough that I can have some of the evening left for me once the meeting's over.

I've just organised such a meeting because people complained that meetings at 3:30pm clashed with work.

#cantwin

(It's been specifically requested to have meetings in the evenings by the parents of young school children.)

You can't please everybody all of the time.

Agree you can't win.

Anyway, we may have a partial solution in that the primary school HT has suggested a get together as school finishes (the committee is supporting a town resource used mostly by retired people and children, realistically) so maybe we'll pick up some PT/SAH parents.