To wonder if we sound normal enough routine wise

[sugarlumpwasarockinghorse]

My children are six next month and three. The older one is obviously in school and the younger one in preschool three days a week.
dc1 does beavers, swimming and basketball after school 3 nights a week then football & rugby weekends

the three year old doesn’t do after school activities but does ballet, swimming and a regular class on one of our days off. So we’re quite busy.

We get home from school and preschool just before 4, they usually play outside for a bit if the weather is OK or play with their toys inside. Dinner is at 5 and then I start their bath and bed routine at 6.

I was wondering about getting my older one some board games for Christmas and one response when I asked for recommendations was incredulity I hadn’t done them with the kids yet. I guess I’m just wondering if we sound normal! As I don’t actually know when I’d fit them in just at the moment!

I suppose it's a wee bit unusual not to have any board games by that age but I mean it's no big deal.

Not sure what all the activities etc has to do with having a few games on the shelf though, or why anyone would be incredulous.

BoRd games aren't compulsory 🤷

I’ve never done board games with DD. I always found them dull as a child so it never occurred to me to do them! It sounds like your children are pretty active. Would they enjoy sitting playing a board game? Have they asked for board games? Honestly? If you don’t know where you’ll find the time to play them, and your children have no interest, don’t bother!

Board games are great at that age. We don't have time for that during the week but will play them at weekends. Your dinner/ bath/ bed routine is much earlier than ours but I don't have a 3yo to consider and don't want to cook twice!

Your schedule sounds normal - busy but not impossible. We had similar but less on weekends.

We had board games before then but they were 'baby' ones like Tummy Ache and Party, Party, Party.
We didn't start proper board games (monopoly, cluedo) until DDs were at least 10 & 7.

Thanks; this really helps! I was kind of feeling like I’d missed something really essential and important.

My daughter is 6¾ and will not sit still long enough for most board games..we can "force" her to play them, and she actually enjoys them, but won't choose to play them.

I’m all for activities but I’d say your DS is doing one or two too many, it must be all go, go, go for you all.

Some families love board games, others don’t but we always played them with our children from a young age and it’s a lovely, fun thing to do together. Young adults now and we still play board games every so often.

Plenty of time for board games! We played matching pairs and similar when ours were around that age - maybe a bit older, but not super regularly. Mine are 10 and 13 now and love chess, monopoly and cluedo. Board games with older children are much more fun! As long as you’re doing other turn taking, language building activities, I wouldn’t worry!!

Your routine is different from ours. At 3, my DC was often only just getting home from nursery at 6pm. Bedtime was much later - rarely before 8. So for us, games were an after dinner thing.

But nothing wrong with doing it differently.

When do you rest? Or do you like always being busy?

I hate board games so wouldn’t buy or play them. They had some board games as gifts but the chances of me getting them out for an evening session are zero.

board games aren’t part of most people’s routines, imo

I don’t think anyone’s family life is ‘normal’ not everyone does the same thing. Get some if you want to, if you don’t then don’t! I don’t think that our family activities are ‘normal’, but I also don’t think they are abnormal.

What are you asking about, the board games or the routine?

We only have 1 child who is almost 6 and currently doesn't have any scheduled activities at weekends because we both work Mon to Friday and just like having free weekends!

We do play board games but more in the winter.
Our son does after school club on one evening, swimming and football clubs on others and also Rocksteady at school.

It feels like enough Mon to Fri that he doesnt need more at the weekends and he does love time at home playing. We tend to do a day out on a Saturday and then a quieter day on the Sunday.

Board games are not for everyone but just part of life for others - I wouldnt worry!

We generally play matching games, snakes and ladders, ludo, dobbit and uno.

As a teacher I can say playing board games with your child is as good preparation for success at school as reading to them. It encourages turn taking, strategy, language skills, maths, group skills and losing. If it was up to me, infants would be given a board game to choose to take home to play at the weekend instead of homework.

We still play games now they are teens and twenties. As a starter, junior uno is good, orchard toys do a fab one called pop to the shops, or spotty dogs (all their games are good and pop up in charity shops) and I am a big fan of junior scrabble, snakes and ladders and Skyjo-best ever introduction to negative numbers. I like dominoes too- we have a really small set that's good for whiling away time waiting for things to happen out and about. We also loved sleeping queens and Kingdominoe, Quirkle when they are a bit older.

Whatever you choose, you can't go wrong. Enjoy. My rather cool DD 14 will still ask to play a game sometimes and on holiday our villa had new games none of us had played and all 3 teens readily put their phones down to play.

Why do so many people compare themselves to other families and even worse actually care? I can't imagine anyone in my life either being "horrified" if I didnt play board games either with children?

Your routine sounds fine/normal. And I don’t think it’s that unusual not to have bought them a board game before age 6! Many of the ones for younger kids are a bit shit. Sounds like you have some time at the weekend- weekend evenings are good for board games, as are winter evenings when they’ll be outside less, and holidays when school, preschool and clubs aren’t on.

you are totally bossing parent life. If you are guilty of anything it’s over thinking it.

in relation to games if you go for any family games go for something like uno. It’s a card game but it’s easy to pick up and a lot of fun and one of those things you can pop in your bag to whip out any time.

I think it's odd not to have played board games prior to age 6, but there are lots of things to do with young children.

I assume you enumerated all the activities because you are wondering if the activities are fitting in the space that might be used for board games. I personally think that it's a lot of activities for a 6 year old, and that might well be true, but in a year or two when your youngest is doing activities too, you might find it impossible to keep them all up. However it sounds like you have an active child who might not be interested in board games anyway.

Your routine sounds normal. On the busy end of normal but normal.

I am a bit surprised that your eldest is 6 and you have never played a board game, if I am honest. I think we played our first board game with the kids when they were 2. Probably even younger with the younger one.

It's not a "have to make special time for it" kind of activity in our house, the ones we had at that age were like 10-15 mins.

But then we are definitely board game people and play them as adults too.

My kids are very active too, they aren't sitting around and colouring types but they do enjoy games. My younger one is 6 and can now play relatively complex games.

We do similar numbers of activities. We did less with our DS because he was less interested but he did cubs and swimming and sometimes another. DD does swimming, cubs, music and has done dance, drama on top. We do feel quite busy, but they go to bed later. I don't think your routine is at all strange though, it's not like you're out every evening.

I like the orchard games as a starter (the shopping list one is good) which your DD might like and DS could play with you. Also liked Outfoxed and funny bunnies as games that are either co-op or don't really require much skill . Moved on to monopoly, junior ticket to ride, draughts, uno etc. Uno is good to take out and about to restaurants but it is tricky when you have a 3yo because they are not known for patience or rules 😂 For that reason I am entirely unsurprised you haven't introduced games, but I reckon it's a good time to start.

@PinkyFlamingo there probably was a degree of trolling which is why I asked on here … just trying to gauge where we are in the normal stakes I suppose!

I completely agree they are a great thing. It’s just how to fit them in and also being mindful they are supposed to be enjoyable.

I am not the best myself at sitting and doing activities like playing with the kids (apart from reading) and while I kind of agree ds is doing a lot of I suggest dropping one he gets upset so … Swimming is the only one he’d probably voluntarily drop but I won’t let him! He loves Beavers, he does basketball as that’s the after school club on the only day he does have to do it as I’m working and he really likes the other sports and has a lot of friends there. Something may have to give I know but for now I’m just managing to juggle!

I think it depends on your kids, if you've got active kids who like sport and playing then at 6 and 3 (it sounds like they do) I imagine they might find sitting down to board games a bit tricky or boring, its a very static activity. I've got one sporty/active one and the other is more cerebral and prefers reading, cinema trips, lego and board games. The active one will sometimes enjoy a game but it's taken until she was 7 to get properly into them. If your children are happy, then they're happy!
Try dobble or uno (older one) for quick games, they're quite good for holidays etc as easy to pack and one or two rounds don't last very long - I take them if we have to wait anywhere too, or at the dinner table at home between dinner and pudding on a Sunday. Don't stress if they don't enjoy them though- each to their own!

Dd is about to turn 7. only board games we’ve done are snakes and ladders (she loves), floor is lava (loves but not that exciting with just 1 child) and the fishing game thing where they bite. We did a memory one recently where you flick over the pictures and try to get pairs but she didn’t like it, and guess who. But we barely do them now at all, if i’m honest i hate doing them. but it’s good for a rainy day. DD is in no way behind or stunted. I found it frustrating when she was younger as DD always wanted to win/ change rules etc. I know that’s the point to build character, perseverance and learn to lose gracefully but it’s annoying in the middle of it. I’d forgot about them until i was tidying up her room and may get some more for her bday soon.