To ask what you normally do after school with primary aged kids

[Janeaustenaddict]

What do you/your kids ds do after school? Reading the playdate thread earlier today with people having weekly playdates I feel I am not doing enough with the kids after school. But I'm not sure how others fit it all in alongside homework, time to relax etc.

So our week looks like this
Mon - DD1 has a maths tutor (as really struggling with this)
Tues - both DC do ballet (consecutive classes so takes up most of the evening)
Weds/thurs- snack, play at home, homework, watch TV
Fri - film and pizza 🍕 night at home

We also have one or two playdates a term, the odd trip to the shops and/or library. Saturday both DC have swimming and dance classes so quite a hectic day.

What do you get up too? And if you do more fun stuff how do you fit homework/reading/spellings in etc?

Monday - straight home for homework and board games etc. Occasionally park or playdate etc.

Tuesday - after school club until 6pm

Wednesday - sports clubs

Thursday - same as Monday

Friday - sports clubs

You are absolutely normal, don’t worry.

We do 10-15 mins homework Mon - Thu as soon as we get home.
They read at bedtime (DD to me, DS usually alone).

I always think the people who have weekly playdates must be friends with the other parent and they can have a catch up at the same time.

In this house:
2 evenings a week and 1 weekend day at sports club
1 evening at dance classes
1 evening is for homework and the final evening she does an online zoom class for her sport.

Sunday we try to do nothing or we visit family.

Thanks @Dirtystreetpie it's great to be normal sometimes 😅 ☺️.

They’ve been at school all day, let them enjoy being at home playing and being children. Let them learn to occupy themselves for periods of time.

PS OP your kids’ week looks lovely

We don't have time for play dates. Monday my parent collect as I work later then we cram in homework and reading. Tuesday dc ride and we aren't home til after 8. Wednesday is brownies. It's fairly late so beforehand I'm making an early meal. Thursday is swimming at 2 different times for both dc then guides for dd1. She's not home til 9.30 so then a challenge to her her and younger sibling wound down and to bed. Friday dc ride again and every other weekend go to their dads. We don't have any fine to relax or play games but I don't really know what I can drop.

We do a mixture of clubs, going to a childminder or letting them play (normally they play out) while we finish work.

@ClaudiusTheGod thank you - what a nice comment ☺️.

It was funny that last week I suggested we drop 'film and pizza night' and went out to do something more interesting. They were both horrified at the idea and wanted to stay home and relax 🤣

In after school club until 5.30pm, home, homework, dinner, bath, bed

He's only little though so no extra curriculars after school yet! No idea how or where we'll fit them in when the time comes though

I have two boys, ages 7 and 10

Monday - friends over or go to friends
Tuesday - football training for both
Wednesday - friends over or go visit grandma
Thursday - football training for both
Friday - Minecraft

They have 20-30 minutes of reading for homework each night, and do that before bed.

My son has a friend over each Thursday but I have had kids at school for seven years now and this is the first year we have. Before that we never did playdates and the only reason I suggested it was because he and his BF were split up in juniors.

Your week looks totally normal to me!

@stopgap it's great you just get reading for homework. We have spellings, tables, reading plus two bits of bigger homework like maths work + do a presentation on a Greek god kind of work. It feels like a lot for primary aged kids!

Monday - play out then Brownies, Tuesday- play out and swimming, Wednesday- homework then sports club, Thurs- play out then sports club, Friday play out. It's a lot written down.

@Janeaustenaddict you don't say how old
Your dc are but I've spent many a year on parents evening explaining to class teachers that minimal homework has been achieved as they are perusing their interests and hobbies and we simply do not have the time. It's nearly always been fine

DD age 5's week is generally:

Monday - play in Park then tea at gran's
Tuesday - afterschool club
Wednesday - art class then Woodcraft folk
Thursday- swimming with Dad
Friday- ceilidh dancing class with me

Weekends I try to keep open and flexible.

I naively thought she would be tired after school but she is more energetic than ever.

@Janeaustenaddict, I am very grateful! The school has a jam-packed schedule during the day (Maths and English daily; science three times a week; Spanish three times a week; music three times a week etc.) but they’re very hands off with homework, and think kids should be pursuing interests/sports/just playing after school. And I quite agree!

My DS trains in his sport for between 1-3 hours Mon-Thursday and a Friday is usually a night for him to relax, or we go swimming (his choice).
My DD is older so typically will see friends or go to the local youth club most nights. She does a sports class once per week. She goes to a local kids disco most Fridays with her friends.

Every family dynamic is different so I wouldn't worry too much about what works for other people as long as it's working for you.

The kids only have a set activity on Sunday afternoon, swimming.

We occasionally have a playdate after school at the park, less so now the nights are dark. One hour maximum.

Sometimes have a playdate at the weekend, usually outdoors. We had a playdate at ours last weekend, 3 kids, inside as it was pouring rain, they overstayed their welcome, so never again! Learnt my lesson

Mine do nothing after school / nursery. I'm at a loss as to how you all fit this much in?!
When do you eat for example?
I pick mine up at 5.15/5.30. We are home by 5.45 ish and then they want to eat or simply collapse in a heap!

We go to the park pretty much every evening in good weather as it’s on the way home, that way they get to play with friends without official play dates which is brilliant as I loathe them. Otherwise I like to keep the week pretty relaxed so it’s maybe a dog walk on the beach but otherwise nothing else apart from homework. The weekend is busy for us as we have Cubs & Beavers, Swimming both days, and a martial art both days.

I always feel like the odd one out, but this was normal for my husband and I as children, and it’s normal for many of our friends’ kids.

Monday- circus school
Tuesday- 2 hours skating
Wednesday- swimming and another sport club
Thursday- play date- we alternate houses
Friday- not scheduled activities, sometimes evening competitions if DC is aiming for league points.

Plus DC ride pretty much every day too, sometimes before school in summer and after school as soon as they get home in winter, or ill pick them up with the horses and ride from school.

My daughter is only year R so she needs down time after school. We just watch TV, play games, do colouring every evening. I'm hoping she will start Rainbows in the Summer.
We haven't done any play dates but when they start i anticipate about once a fortnight or less.

Monday- after school club
Tue- usually a play date or go to park with school friend
Wed- grandparents pick up and sort out tea
Thurs- after school club
Friday- try and go to playground with school friends.

I only do 2 pick ups so try and be a bit social on those days, but usually with my friends and their kids rather than my kids mates!!!