What do children do after a 3.15 school pick-up until bedtime?

[Thoseyummyspicycheesethings]

3.15-3.30…what do you/they do for the rest of the evening?
Dc has piano one evening, just for half an hour, other hobby is at the weekend. Sometimes she plays with a friend, if they’re home (same street) but mainly her two friends are home later and too late to play.
We have a snack after school, she plays in the garden, does homework, dinner later, maybe plays football with Dh or a quick bike ride around the block. Mainly she’s bored and looking for things to do until bedtime at 8 ish
As a child, my mum picked me up at this time and I remember being happy to just relax at home and watch tv, I had no clubs.

If you pick up at this time, what do they/you do until bedtime?

I don’t think there’s one way to do things and different things will suit different kids. My DD taught herself to crochet from YouTube videos and came to create some amazing things that she then went on to sell to some of her friends for a few ££s. Also taught herself to do anime/manga drawing. There are some art /craft books that are for a drawing a day or a place to write a story each day too (sometimes with a prompt) which she quite liked. Making slime. Baking. Cutting up her clothes and sewing things to make outfits too! 🤦🏽‍♀️ I don’t really drive any of these activities, she just finds things to do. She’s older now and started secondary school. Here she does homework club to get it done before getting home and has a couple of extracurricular activities. I think there’s a lot to be said for letting children free style it. I really do think it can help build initiative, confidence and creativity. Not trying to saying everything is hunky dory as do have screen time battles at times but just saying that letting kids drift towards things that interest them can be beneficial.

football, swimming, scouts or go out with their pals

Tonight my DD ate a banana, watched TV, ate her tea, played tennis against the wall, had a bath and now is playing Play Mobil. She likes an early meal, early bath then playing after that. She's most relaxed then. Then will do bowl of cereal, teeth, reading then bed.

She does an activity one night a week and goes to after school care one night a week, but most of the nights are a variation on the above.

We usually have about an hour and a bit at home, which is for getting changed, snacking and watching tv.

Then 3 days a week, older one (13) has sports training, so I drive her there for 4:45pm. Sometimes go to park with younger one (8).

Come home from dropping off about 5/5:30, if it’s not raining, he often plays outside for an hour or two. Currently, he and the dog are poking things with a stick in the river.

We eat dinner around 7:30. Showers at 8 ish and up to bed by 9pm. If older one at practice, Dh or I collect her and are usually home a bit past 9pm. She has dinner, shower, bed by 10pm.

On nights without sports, we do homework instead. Otherwise if they are home and not outside, they watch tv or eldest messages with friends before dinner. Dinner is always on the later side 7-8pm as we aren’t early dinner people.

Fuck about. Wind me up. Wind each other up 🤷‍♀️😅

Swimming once a week. Sometimes we go to the park. Mostly left to their own devices to entertain themselves. Nothing wrong with being bored and finding things to do yourself.

My 6 year old doesn't do much at all. Potters around in the garden, watches TV, draws pictures.
Her clubs are all on a Saturday morning.

mine are 11 and 8 both boys.
Monday - 11 year old has scouts 7-8:30. So he comes home, does his homework, goes out with his mates, comes back at 6, eats his tea and goes to scouts! Little one comes home, does homework and plays on Minecraft.
Tuesday - both have rugby, so home, changed, rugby, back home at 7:30, tea, bath and bed.
Wednesday - little one has swimming and this week, oldest has his hair cut, so dad takes LO swimming, I take biggest for haircut. Home, baths and tea, bed.
Thursday - swimming for biggest, singing and cubs for littlest, so dad takes oldest swimming, I do singing lessons, back home to change then grandad comes to do cubs (he’s a leader) home for tea and bed.
Friday - we don’t do anything, so they both chill out/watch TV (we are currently watching once upon a time together) so usually 1 episode of TV together, then it’s tea and a movie (this week is dads choice)
Saturday - morning little goes to a theatre class. We relax on Saturday, then do a big food shop and if they’ve both been good they can have a “sleepover” in each others bedrooms. Sometimes the oldest goes out with his mates, sometimes his mates come here and we often order pizza if his friends come.
Sundays - rugby match morning (which can take from 7am-2pm depending on how far we travel) back home for baths, then it’s checking biggests homework for him, sorting out bags for the week ahead, cleaning rugby boots and packing swimming kits, and checking reading diaries.
To be fair, my kids have a fairly full schedule because that’s how I grew up (1 club minimum after school, Tuesdays was always 2 and Saturdays was 3) so I like them to try everything. We have a system now so it works nicely with our family and it means we get equal time with the kids as well.

Our school finishes 3.15 and we walk home.

DD(7) has gymnastics on Monday and Wednesday 4-6ish. Beavers on Friday. Either Tuesday or Thursday we tend to go to the park after school. Bath/shower. Tea as a family. Playing in the garden.

DS(5) doesn’t do gymnastics but comes along for the walk/scoot to the gym as I can’t leave him at home on his own.

DS is more into screens than DD but still does tons of playing. He could probably get through an episode of Operation Ouch - the current show of choice between the two of them - before wanting to go play on the trampoline.

I honestly normally just leave them to their own devices in the garden whilst I’m making tea unless they want to help chop food. They come up with some cracking games between them. Imagine it could be different if they were an only child and wanted you to provide constant activities though.

Homework as soon as they get home, to get it out of the way. Then dinner, with some reading beforehand if homework is done quickly. After dinner they can have an hour's gaming or a bit of TV, and come and chat with the family until bath/shower & bed.

If there's an activity that takes place of homework and reading as they do those on the nights there's no activity.

Most of it isnt compulsory. Only musts are 'after school club' because of our work neither of us can make pick up on Tuesdays. Plus swimming as a life skill. All others are their choice, and their friends do them so it's fun. They can stop them anytime they like. Many are only 30-60 mins so loads of chill time, but they are just naturally active girls, even when home they will be out in garden as much as they can, trampoline, shooting hoops etc. But yes, it is full on, I love school holidays when it's not so hectic.

This is really true. Someone commented on how exhausting my girls schedule looks, but actually it's just what they need, especially my oldest (year 5). Their days are full on mentally but lots of sitting. So the last thing they need or want to do after school is sit on a sofa. They want to move and burn off physical energy after being told to 'sit still' all day. Whether thats a structured sports club or running round park with their mates. On the occasional days they do come home and 'slob', they are then hyperactive by 7 ish when we want to start settling to bed.

nobody has put coming home, wanting to get changed and go out and play.
Summer and Spring obviously.

I have DD same age. Doesn't get homework. She likes to play at cafés or shops where she sets things up and I pretend to buy stuff. Preferably in the garden now the weather is better. She will also read, draw or colour, listen to story CDs, song along to k-pop CDs, watch cartoons, climb over the fence to see if the neighbours kids want to play in the garden, rearrange her room. She does go to swimming lesson on Tuesday and beavers on Wednesday, and will have a playdate occasionally.

Ha, just saw this! Yes that's what mine did after swimming today.

At that age mine would chill, play in the garden, draw, colour, help make dinner, park in the summer months, etc. One night a week would be swimming but I’m certainly not a parent who felt/feels my children need to be in activities every night of the week.

15.30-16.30 Afterschool activities (chess, yoga, sports etc). They do a different one each day as they enjoy it and we can’t collect till 16.30
16.30-17.00 Home and snack, mini chill
17.00-17.30 Homework
17.30-18.00 30 mins iPad time
18.00-18.30 Play/chill/ TV
18.30-19.00 Dinner
19.00-20.00 Bath, reading, bed

DC aged 7 and 9. Nightly homework (private school if relevant). On Wednesdays they have cubs/ beavers and Thursdays swimming lessons so have packed tea and iPad/ homework on the hoof.

Its very busy but I am absolutely strict about no clubs on Saturday afternoon or anytime Sunday to balance out