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Original poster

D's starting reception soon - what do you do after school?

16 replies

milkyman · 30/08/2017 10:22

He finishes nursery at 5pm and is always tired and starving so tea straight away and then ceebies before bed. When he finishes school at 3pm what so u do re: teatime and fillibg time before bed? I want to avoid giving tea at 3.30 but don't want him filling up on snacks and wanting the tv on!

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milkmoustache · 30/08/2017 10:29

School is going to be very different from nursery, with lots of new people and experiences to get used to, so he might be pretty tired initially. You could do some low-key stuff like reading to him, play a game, while trying to learn about his time at school, though he will probably claim they 'didn't do anything', my two certainly did...

Ninjakittysmells · 30/08/2017 10:36

First few weeks of reception my Ds walked in the door, straight up the stairs and got in my bed! He was wrecked! Even now he's older (well, year 1!) he is still in bed for 6 most nights as it really takes it out of him!

I give a snack in the car home (just something small) and a drink, other wise he is grumpy. We get in and tackle book bag straight away (or do it the next morning if he's really tired) and then I pretty much plonk him in front of CBeebies. Have dinner about 4:45, bath and bed for 6. There's not much time to fill and they really do need that zombie time to just chill.

WyfOfBathe · 30/08/2017 23:54

DD has just finished reception. She went to a childminder 4 afternoons a week where she had a snack and playtime, then came home at 4.30pm. The first few weeks she watched Cbeebies or had a nap as soon as she was home, but once she'd settled in we did reading straight away. On the day she didn't go to CM we did snack and then reading.

She also has swimming lessons one evening and used to do Rainbows one evening. From September she will be doing dance classes one evening.

We have dinner about 6.30pm, begin bedtime routine at 7.15, lights out at 8pm. This would be too late for some DC but DD doesn't seem to need much sleep.

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GreenGoblin0 · 31/08/2017 08:42

DD1 was in reception last year. I always take a drink and a snack to school which she usually has on way home. walk home takes 30-40 mins - more if she stops to pick up sticks/stones/leaves/dog-chewed balls etc. combined with the messing around in playground after school we generally don't get home until around 4pm at earliest

she generally then watches c beebies until dimmer at 530 ish. we always has good intentions to play but to begin with she was far too tired and then I was too tired from bring pregnant with DD2 /cluster feeding a newborn. On good days we limit the c beebies after and do puzzles/colouring etc and then reading after tea but it does all go to pot a bit if she is particularly knackered after school or I am too occupied with baby

mindutopia · 01/09/2017 12:00

Mine is starting reception next week as well. We pretty much plan to keep the routine about the same as when she was in nursery, but we don't do an early tea, so I think that probably makes it easier. At nursery, she has snack at 4-4:30, so I plan to pick her up and then we'll do something together (go to the playground, talk a walk, play out in the garden, do some drawing, play doh, whatever activities, but not tv) and then she'll have a snack around 4 ish and then more playing and things, which is usually what she does when we first come home from nursery. She usually can watch tv from 5:30, which is when I start cooking dinner, and we eat dinner at 6:30 and then up to bath around 7. So things are staying the same, except we'll do some sort of activity when I pick her up and then I'll give her snack at home around the same time. I'm thinking I want to come up with a list of different activities we can do or places we can go so she can choose each day, which will hopefully discourage her from just wanting to watch tv (which she's definitely not doing all afternoon).

ladybirdsaredotty · 01/09/2017 17:40

Dd1 has just finished Reception. One day a week she has a swimming lesson, one day she has an after-school club, and she'll also be doing Rainbows (on the same day as ASC). On the other days we sometimes go to the park with friends or whatever but often she comes home and plays with her sister and watches TV. Sometimes she just seems to need to relax in front of the TV.

We read every night before bed and (for context only) she's very able at the 'academic' side, although that's minimal in Reception really.

I'd just go with what works for your son, you'll soon find out!

Good luck for his first day at school

ladybirdsaredotty · 01/09/2017 17:42

Obviously we sometimes play games, play in the garden or whatever. Depends on the day and their tiredness levels! We get home just before 4, usually.

Hermagsjesty · 02/09/2017 22:05

My DD just finished Reception. She was pretty shattered at first! She has a snack at pick up (3.10pm) then we playing in the playground/ park and walk home, usually back by 4/ 4.30. She'll then generally watch TV until 5/ 5.30ish then have her tea. Then draw/ play until bath at 6ish then bedtime stories etc and lights out by 7.30. To be honest I think they need quite a lot of downtime - especially at first, it's the equivalent of a really full on day at work for us every day for them and I know if it was me I'd want a bit of time to just veg in front of the telly!

TittyGolightly · 02/09/2017 22:10

Reception: DD had a snack after school (3:30) then home to play till 7ish (swimming and gym on 2 days). Dinner at 7pm and bed at 8:30/9pm.

She's already done a year of full time school nursery by then though.

formerbabe · 02/09/2017 22:11

I always do dinner as soon as they get in. Sometimes I cook it before I pick them up. They come out starving and I find if they eat snacks straight away, they won't eat dinner later on. So I do dinner, pudding, they play/watch TV for a bit, then bath, then something else to eat like toast, crackers, fruit, yoghurt, then reading then sleep.

When my dd started reception I was surprised how tired she was... Absolutely exhausted!

d270r0 · 02/09/2017 22:11

Give a snack when he gets in and then dinner his normal time. You could let him watch a bit of tv if hes knackered when he gets in but then turn it off after a time- surely he is able to entertain himself with toys/crafts/coloring/in garden/whatever you do at the weekend?

Numbsnet · 02/09/2017 22:12

I'm not in UK but just wondering after reading this, is reception until 3ish? That is a long day for a 4 year old.
No wonder they are so tired.
Is it the same finishing time all the way through school years?
Useful for working parents but sounds a lot for little children.

TittyGolightly · 02/09/2017 22:14

Primary school is generally 9am till 3:30pm-ish. Not that long.

Numbsnet · 02/09/2017 22:50

It's all relative but that sounds really long to me for a 4 year old. It's 9 to 1.30 for my local schools in Ireland. And we have two full months off in the summer compared to 6 weeks so overall we are way down on school hours when I compare. The 4 year olds in the UK must be way ahead on learning.

TittyGolightly · 02/09/2017 22:53

You need to deduct 45-60 mins for lunch and 2 15 minute breaks. And reception here in Wales is play based. :)

SomedayMyPrinceWillCome · 02/09/2017 23:01

Our route home (walking) takes us through a park, so on days that it's not raining we can spend up to 2 hours in the park.

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