How much free time do your kids have

[LactoseTolerant]

And how old are they? Do they have enough time to do everything they want to do and everything you would like them to do?

Dd9 starts school at 8.30 and ds4 starts school at 9pm. They go 3 or 4 days a week to wrap around care. On those days we get home around 5pm or 5.10pm. On the remaining 1 or 2 days we are home around 4.10pm. Dd does a 2h hobby on Saturday morning and then they both have swimming in the evening. Dd goes to bed around 8.30pm and ds at 8pm. Eating dinner and getting ready for bed takes usually about an hour and half. So on weekdays the kids have max 2 to 2.5h of free time. Dd is also expected to do about 20min of school work (app based like ttrs) every week days but wr usually omit that. She also gets homework to do over the weekend which can take from 20min to several hours (if it's a poster or project which they are asked to do maybe once a month).

I just feel this isn't enough time to play and just be a child. I also wish they could go outside and play in the garden every day but there just isn't time..I know it's probably our fault for picking them up so late but I need to work. I especially feel bad for ds who has just started reception and is absolutely exhausted by the end of rhe day. It just seems like a crap childhood.

How do other families manage? Does anyone else have a problem with this?

That sounds fairly typical for their ages with two working parents. It's the wraparound care that eats into the spare time. Maybe try to see that wraparound care time as play time - might not be outside play or garden play, but it's not school, it's not homework, it's not commuting. It should just be chilled out time that unfortunately can't be at home.

My DC was desperate to go to the after school club because everyone had so much fun there, so perhaps that would "count" as playtime? 😁

Mine is 8 and has loads of spare time. They have tried various hobbies but nothing really stuck (apart from swimming lessons but we've dropped those now and just go swimming together a few times a month). We leave for school at 8.20 and return by 15.45 ish, and the rest of the day is chill time pretty much. Sometimes we hang out with friends after school or have a video call with a friend, but mostly we just hang out, play games, go in the garden or just muck around together. DC seems quite tired after school so I'm just letting them potter about. I sometimes organise things or us to do but DC is just like me in that they just want to chill at home and I don't have a problem with that.

We do read everyday and homework gets done but it's never that much so there is plenty of free time. I'm lucky to freelance so I can be there and we play together, and I can catch up with work in the evening.

This works for us at the moment but all kids are different. My friend's daughter needs constant activities so she does 1-2 clubs/classes every day and then swimming/climbing/horseriding/sports on the weekend.

That sounds lovely. It's what I'd like for my children.

Our schedule looks a lot like yours, they tend to play in the garden from getting home at 5 until dinner is ready around 5:45/6 most days. If it's raining then that's their free screen time (mine are 9 and 5) 5 year old has just discovered minecraft and 9 year old usually plays fifa.

Dinner 6-6:30. then they help clean down. they then dont go upstairs until about 7/7:30 and lights out at 8:30.

Not enough with a big commitment to sports. However, DS is getting older and I am happy he is not out roaming around with friends too much. Tonnes and tonnes of free play when younger (we are lucky and live in a small rural community, so this was easy - house with an orchard and lots of kids would come over to play.

My Ds(9) gets home at 4 and does about 45min of homework, shower dinner and has about 2 hours free time. I think that is enough time. He loves school though and has a good time with his friends there so it’s a good day overall. Over the weekends we do stuff so I think that he has enough. I’m a sahm too, so we have similar time as you so I think your kids are fine. Don’t feel bad. It’s not like we do anything special or fun during the week. He has play dates , but evenings are good because we make sure we do some family time - listen to music, watch something, go for after dinner walk, play a game. Something to give the kids a short burst of quality time.

DS8 does alot of activities, but his choice so I don't want to stop anything.
We do breakfast club so he is out from 7.30am to 3.30pm by the time we walk home after school if straight home.
Every day bar Tues and Fri we spend up to 45 mins in the park after school. I also want him to have outside time and this has been the best way to fit it in.
Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri he has activities. Usually an hour (out for about 90 mins with travelling), Fri is about 2 hours out the house. Each day timings are different anywhere from straight after school to 7.15pm at night.
Sat and Sun he has football and rugby in the morning but free all afternoon.
I'd say he gets on average 2 hours a week day (bar Fridays) as free time after homework is done. Then from about 1pm to bedtime on sat and sun.