Anyone else’s dc coming home from school and struggling to fill evenings as so many of their previous activities are cancelled?

[Molofololo]

We seem to be resorting to computer games more and more and I am a bit sad about that. No swimming, no football started, no scouts. So just filling evenings at home are a bit difficult. We do take dc out for walks but it’s not that exciting for them and with winter creeping in it’s going to be harder.

I'm dreading everything starting up again!
I love the relaxed evenings messing about at home and not having to shovel down quick meals in between activities.

Mine gets home about five when I finish work, which is earlier than she used to. She plays outside with her friends, has tea, watches some you tube. It’s not that hard to fill time surely without clubs?

My ds2 is v sporty and his footy started up again weeks ago. Matches start this weekend. In fact he's joined another team as well.
Athletics has started back too and I believe swimming has here (he no longer swims). Dd's old dance class has restarted too.

Sorry op but maybe things will start again soon. Cricket has deffo been played round here for at least 6 weeks (ds doesn't do that any more but I've seen matches).

I'm a tutor tho and I am not doing face to face as yet. Still, Zoom is working pretty well.

I'd be really concerned if an older child couldn't engage with anything unsupervised. Reading, solo exercise challenges, family games / dancing, doing some cookery and chores, homework, computer (some!), films (some!), musical instruments, making things, riding a bike / skateboard, puzzles... Surely they can find a few things to be interested in for a couple of hours if you encourage them to think for a bit?

Not heard about sons scouts group but we have decided to call it a day as it’s just too late 7.30-9.30 Friday night, after a long week at school he is tired. Decision had been made prior to lockdown to finish end of summer term. Brownies is staring up soon with smaller groups with mix of outdoors and zoom meetings. Our karate has been back up and running since June on zoom and end of July with physical social distance class in Dojo. They then play out on bikes, skates, in garden or it’s local friends.

How old age they? Mine have been occupying themselves OK over the holidays: digging in the garden, reading books, drawing, making lego models, random art and craft, dressing up, board games, card games ... and the odd video game or TV series as a treat.
After school will be much the same, I think.

Mines never really done activities anyway. Tried a few things but they never really worked out.
Normally home by 4 at the latest and bed time is half 7 so that’s only 3 and a half hours. They come home and chill for a bit and watch tv whilst I sort dinner. Eat around 5, bath time at half 6 then bed. Not that much time to fill in between.
I always find doing anything after school such a mad rush.

Why can't they read, or watch a film, or play in the garden, or play a board game, or do arts/crafts, or (novel idea) you could talk to them?

I like the less frantic pace of life. Homework, music practice, reading, playing with siblings, TV/computer time, chores, chatting, drawing, doing puzzles, playing games. DS doesn't really do activities anyway, and DD is pretty good at organising her time. She's been learning to crochet, and DS has been learning to cook.

@WickedEmoji

What have they been doing for the last six months? Just do that? At least there is school to take up half the day now.

My teenager has been reading, not much else, it's not healthy, he needs social interaction and organised activities.

Shame none of the activities have opened. Especially when they are allowed.

Ds starts college next week but his swim training has increased back up to 5 times a week.

Weekends are still odd with no galas but we can find stuff to do even if it's just a walk etc.

Could you do you know physical activities?
Goal competitions, assault course, arts and crafts (could start making Xmas cards or Halloween/Xmas decs) which gives them something to look forward to.

Park you can visit on way home? Scootering and biking?

I think where we've done nothing and so done these activities throughout day it's odd to think of them being after school. But I think we have light evenings for another few weeks yet.

Theres an abvious difference in ages here too. My 12 year old wouldnt have tea at 5, bath 6.30 then bed for example!

She goes to bed about 9.30, and I dont want her ok screens for extended periods. Like above poster its the social interaction thats missing and physical activity.

If kids have local friends they can play outdiors with - great! But that depends on locality.

My younger one usually had a couple of playdates a week after school. I'm not sure any of us locally are doing those or going into homes yet. Otherwise for her that would be great and social and not screens.

I think some on this thread need to see that others lives are different. A bit of playdough and dressing up wont work with my kids, but yes wouls when they were little.

I've wondered about giving them a night each they're responsible for cooking.

And after dinner walks are something we once enjoyed but the eldest is more likely to drga her feet. We were considering making it a routine whether she came or not until it gets a bit darker (which Im sure will be sooner than we think!)

Im think we will find it much harder to be active when its dark soon after school without activities.

So the dinner at 5 applies to both my kids 8 and 15 although the 15 year old isn’t back at school yet. So that might change. But I refuse to cook 2 different dinners and the youngest can’t wait until much after 5 even with snacks.
Oldest will get home around 5-5:30 and eat pretty
Much straight away. She then has a couple of hours where she’s just in her room. Once youngest goes to bed at 7:30 she’ll sit with me for a bit then have a bath and go to bed herself.
Maybe if they were both older I’d have a different routine but I’ve spent 15 years in the same dinner, bath, bed routine and it’s really hard to break out of or change.

I found if they ever had after school stuff I had to be really organised with dinners in slow cooker, and it was still a mad rush after.

Do you eat at 5 as well @Nochangeplease?

Guides/Scouts are back here, mix of outdoor activities and online meetings at the moment but back in the hall next week. Dancing and drama starts next week too.

If the activities you've used traditionally haven't reopened, cast your eyes around to see what else is available.

Mine have only just gone back so I cant comment on the screen time.

My sons disability swimming group has gone bust, gymnastics sounds too much like hard work so I'm not sending my 5 year old with all the extra stress. In fact the clubs that haven't gone bust require so many stressful new rules on top of the existing dashing about, I'm winning them all off except beavers and rainbows ( if / when ) they start up. So my eldest do no clubs now.

I think a lot of clubs wont survive after the 6 months closure and now reduced capacity.

I am taking a rain check until at least Sept 2021. It's so sad. I dont honestly think I can take the new staggered starts at school then all the extra hassle of queuing for clubs in the rain while the kids hand gel their hands every ten minutes. You cant watch them so its hours of sitting in the car etc etc.

I know its necessary but it's also sad. I do wonder how many will survive. Theres nothing for my disabled son now. It's all gone bust already

@SockYarn I’m impressed your scouts have already organised indoor activities as Scouts UK haven’t issued the new guidance yet.

@ineedaholidaynow I'm surprised at that too, our district haven't even signed of on outdoor activities yet.

Scouts is happening here with bubbles of 15 on a rota.

Football training is on again.

Dance classes happening with lots of rules.

So maybe keep an eye for more opening up soon?

Scouts - sorry not clear. Not started yet but due in 2 weeks. They wouldn’t start yet here usually yet.

My children just default to screens without all the normal after school and weekend activities. My efforts to get them to play board games, go for walks, do other improving activities fail miserably.

We had Zoom Scouts until the summer but have been told that won’t resume until after half term. There will be no real life Scouts meetings this side of Christmas.

Hockey, badminton, swimming has stopped.
Bellringing won’t be allowed here until there is a vaccine or the rules on social distancing change (tiny bell tower).

After school isn’t a massive problem, because by the time homework is done that only leaves them with a limited time. Weekends are tricky though.

Same for me. All my hobbies and activities have stopped for the foreseeable future.

Sorry just catching up on this thread. Yes we were busy in lockdown with lots of walks an alternative things to do like cooking etc. Walks was our main thing we did a lot of. But after school they seem tired and just want to zone out a bit. They can’t muster enthusiasm for board games. It’s different if they have friends at activities as that chivvys them on a bit. But otherwise they seem to resort to tv and computer games.

Don't they have homework? Mine finish at 4.30 if they don't have an after school club, then it's 5.45. They have at least half an hour homework plus times tables, spelling and half an hour of reading - with supper that only gives them an hour to chill before bed at 8.30/9.

Ours finish at 3. I find it really sad that some children finish so late that they only have time for food and homework and nothibg active.

I'm sure you do @PineappleUpsideDownCake but my children are at prep school and do all their activities there. Including mountain biking, swimming, coding club, ballet, gymnastics, sports club on top of the 12 hours of timetabled sport, forest school, art and pottery so I would perhaps save the sympathy for someone else.