What do you do after school?

[hulababy]

What do you and your children (especially little ones) do when you get in after school?

DD started school this month. We get home around 3:45pm. DH gets in at 6:30, which is when we have dinner.

So we have 2.5 hours to kill most days.

About once a week she will have a friend here, or she may go to a friend's house (like tomorrow in fact).

At the moment we don't seem to do much at all. She has a small snack when we first get in, and she will relax and watch TV. Later she will often help me cook dinner. But it is that bit in between - should I be getting her doing stuff? And like what?

She is still a bit tired after school at the moment.

Only homework we have is 5-10 minutes reading, which we have been doing just before bedtime - she reads, then I read the bedtime story.

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hula I think waiting until April to start after school swimming will be OK - it will help let DD get settled into school. We don't have much time after school because I work 3 days a week so DS is with the CM. He usually plays on the park outside school with her other mindees and loads of other kids if the weather is decent, then they will go back to hers and do colouring, play with toys, watch TV, do computer games etc. On a Friday I generally meet up with two of my friends who also have DS's in the same class and younger DDs and the children play together.

So that only leaves Monday. In the past he has either played inside with his sister and his toys - knights, lego, playmobil etc or outside with his football or swords or whatever. However last night he had a friend for tea, and he is going to a different friend next Monday so it looks like it might be going that way.

Also I am hoping football practice will start up on one night.

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Thanks all. Will sotop feeling guilty for just letting her play and not doing anything specific for her!

Have actually done some play dates already. She went to her friend's house this evening for dinner (ideal as my late day so didn't need after school care) and the other little girl (plus one other) came after school last week. Plus a non-school friend came Friday after school.

Think the regular play dates might be enough for now then. She seems to get most out of them at moment anyway.

Not found any ad-hoc type sessions yet. And the tramp.llining DD fancies is also from age 5.

TBH I am finding the whole age 5 thing really annoying for DD. She can't do preschoola ctivities as she is at school during the day, but virtually all the other classes/activities say from age 5 - which she won't be till April. Very frustrating if and when she does want to do things.

in reception dd did 30mn drama class and 30mn dance club after school (both were in school though)
year 1 she did choir and drama, and in the last term started cello (out of school)
year 2 carried on with same (although went to different drama class out of school, one hour long)
year 3: monday after school she goes to french school and does 1 hour and a half there
tuesday: singing lesson (30mn at school)
wednesday: 30mn cello lesson after school
thursday: one hour drama club
friday: nothing
she loves all these (well, possibly doesn't love french school, but loves seeing her friends there and does very well, so non negotiable!), and I don't feel it's too much for her. She has about 20mn homework every night as well (monday's homework she's allowed to do on tuesdays)
would your dd enjoy a drama club? is there nothing suitable at her school?

My DS, Year 2, either watches tv or goes out on his bike with the girls down the road, quiet close. Or he messes in his bedroom, sometimes we go to a playground after school, one night my DM picks him up, one night afterschool club when I am at work, one night swimming and beavers. He only did swimming in reception and year 1.