to not look forward to my DD getting home from school

[WeLikeLucy]

My DD is 5 years old and I have a toddler too. I don't look forward to her coming home from school because I feel the pressure to spend quality time with her and play / find activities to do. Trying to occupy them both is a nightmare.

She is well behaved generally, gets home and does a bit of homework, then it feels so long until 6pm when my DH gets home. I feel like I don't know what to do with her and I feel so shattered at the thought of having to play. It feel like utter boredom having to make up games and activities - is this normal to feel this way??

Today I went to around to a friend's and saw all the stuff she does for her kids after school. She's like some wonder-woman who makes loads of crafts and activities - saves them on Pinterest, etc. The evidence of 'learning activity' is all around the house.

What do you do with your kids after school?

Boredom makes them creative. Mummy does not.

don't be so hard on yourself, you don't have to provide endless entertainment.

having said that, I have 3 kids (older now) and they were very different in terms of their needs at this time of day.
ds - tired mentally, wouldn't settle to anything, but hadn't had enough physical play. He did best with a trip home via the park, and/or being kicked outside to climb the tree and kick a football. He was rank unless he was physical for an hour or so after school.
We were fortunate in that there was a park next to school, so I bundled dds up in warm clothes and we went to the park for as long as possible. (mind you I found the standing pushing the swing for dd mindlessly boring)

dd1 is really social, she COULD go off and play, but she wanted to be where I was. So I set up stuff on the kitchen table, that way she could do them and chat while I made dinner etc. Actually she was happiest when helping me make dinner, so on a chair at the sink with some potatoes/carrots to clean.

dd2 is also social, but really needs headspace after school. Tired meltdowns were common, She never played nicely with anyone after school at this age, she was just done with 'nice playing' and 'sharing' She did like to play with her toys, so after a snack, I would encourage her to get out her sylvanians etc on the floor and once I started her off she was fine. A sibling entering her space though was world war 3.

Kitchen table stuff that really works

1. home made playdough (keeps in the fridge for weeks and weeks and you make loads and it is lovely and easy) I have a plastic sheet for the table, dump out the huge lump of playdough, bag full with rollers and cutters, maybe a baking tray 'for cookies' and sit them one each end of the table, with own stuff, out of reach of each other. This would last for hours.
2. lego/playmobile etc for the older one on the table, and younger one with own toys/own pile of lego/playmobile on the floor. Nothing more annoying for older one than younger one interferring.
3. colouring/paint (not colouring books, just lots of empty paper)

I find sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea and throwing out suggestions is good too - can you buld me a house? can you add a garage? What about a swing for the garden? It throws ideas in without me having to actually sit on the floor and play.

You basic problem is that 2 year olds are too young to properly play and share and just a pain (from the oler one's perspective) as the toddler gets older it will get easier!

whoops, bit long

Oh and my mum had 3 kids under 3.

She often put us all in the bath before dinner, as we calmed down and played nicely for half and hour.
Then downstairs to tea in our pjs.

That was pre dvds and TV, so you could do - bath and play, down in pjs for dvd /tv while you make dinner.

When I was first on mn, someone called 5pm, arsnic hour..........