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After school routines - what do you do?

30 replies

Tomatomess · 11/09/2017 21:39

Its another mess!! Im on my own most of time (hubby away a lot). I have a boy in reception and a girl in year 4. How do you and what time cook/eat dinner, do homework, allow some tv time, bath, put to bed and read both a story without shouting a lot, feeling stressed and falling asleep at 8pm!! Any advice welcome.

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AtSea1979 · 11/09/2017 21:42

We don't watch tv in the week, just at weekends. Nor did we do homework at primary school, they got one piece a week which was done on Saturdays.
In the week, I work and pick them up after 4.30-5 from after school club. Straight home, my year 4 child helps with chores whilst I cook. Tea around 5:30, bit of down time. Bath around 6:30. Read, supper, bed at 7:30pm. No shouting, that's usually in the morning as I need to leave the house with them before 8am

hazeyjane · 11/09/2017 21:46

Fall face down into the still out breakfast debris, throwing food scraps at the kids whilst switching between maniacal laughter and heartfelt sobbing.

Lowdoorinthewal1 · 11/09/2017 21:54

Y3 DS

Finishes school at 5pm (Prep school). Walk home, he gets changed has dinner, chills out on his ipad.

6.30pm 3 nights a week we then go out to do his sport, back at 8.30pm and straight to bed. The other two nights he usually plays out with friends then goes to bed at about 7.30pm

He does most of his homework in the 'prep' session before home time at school. We read in the morning before school and finish off any homework not done during prep at the weekend.

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Fantasticmissfoxy · 11/09/2017 21:55

Get them home about 3.30pm. (Two boys, age 9 and 5)

They feed and water their pet rabbits while I make them a decent size snack (banana, oatcake and cheese and a glass of milk maybe)

Then they have to do their homework straight away (takes about 20-30 mins)
Once they've done they can have tv or iPad time while I cook dinner which is usually ready about 6.00pm.

After dinner (6.30ish) we maybe go for a short dog walk or play a board game or something if the weather is bad.

At 7.00pm I take them upstairs for baths / showers and 7.30 the wee one gets a story and goes to sleep, big one gets to read til 8.30pm

LiveLifeWithPassion · 11/09/2017 21:58

some days we have activities or go to the library.
Chores/homework/drawing/baking/playing til 6 then dinner.
Bit of tv, bath, books, bed.

SophieofShepherdsBush · 11/09/2017 22:01

hazyjane that routine seems awfully familiar.....

Mrswinkler · 11/09/2017 22:07

I'm still reeling from "helps with chores whilst I cook". Mine watches tv.....

mindutopia · 12/09/2017 11:49

For us, it helps that actually school time is easier and we have more time than we did when ours was in nursery. When she was in nursery, we didn't collect her until 5 and had to do all that in only 3 hours. Now I have a whole 5 hours to get it done, which feels luxurious! Some days I feel like I have too much time in the afternoons. I only have one for now though (pregnant with #2), which I suspect makes it a bit easier, and certainly bath time will take longer with two. But my husband is home usually by 6 every night, so we have both hands on deck in the evenings and then we'll each take one.

But I collect her at 3. We come home, get changed, have a snack by about 4. From 4-5:30 we do some sort of activity, so this can be reading, doing any sort of home learning, time doing the reading app she is supposed to do each week, prepping anything that needs to be done and sent back in for school the next day, going to playground, drawing, playing in the garden, whatever. Then at 5:30, she can watch tv or play on her own in the lounge for an hour. I cook dinner. My husband comes home and does the washing up. We eat dinner roughly 6:30-7, upstairs for bath 7-7:15, lay out uniform for next day, and she is in bed and asleep by 8.

A lot of it is just being ridiculously organised and planning a lot out in advance. I have a somewhat stressful professional life and I have to work somewhat non-traditional hours (some long days, evenings after she's in bed, weekends) so I plan everything or else it will all just descend into chaos. I think that helps.

JoandMax · 12/09/2017 11:58

We get home around 3, they have a drink and snack and get changed (7 and 9 years old). No TV during the week so they play outside or we go for a swim, not in UK so hot enough for the pool.

I don't do homework during the week either, they get it set once a week and have a week to hand it in so we do it on weekends. The younger one gets 25 minutes and the elder 40 minutes now - whatever's not done in that time doesn't get done! I'm not a fan of primary age homework........ They do read every day though in between tea and bath.

I try and put stuff in slow cooker for dinner or batch cook so it's just a case of shoving something in the oven.

All works well on the days when they don't do activities - the 2 days a week all rules out the window and we rush around with me shrieking and eat McDonalds in the car!

MiaowTheCat · 12/09/2017 12:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NotTooTough · 12/09/2017 12:12

Reception and Year 3, home by 4:15.

Kids play/watch telly while I get dinner ready.

Eat at 5pm.

6pm-6:30pm relaxing bath with water play.

6:30-6:45 teeth, PJs, story choosing

6:45 little one reads to me then has bedtime story then lights out at 7pm

6:45 big one reads to herself until 7pm, the it's story time and chat until lights out at 7:20.

If it's a day with an after school hobby then dinner is something v quick and thy get a shower or a strip wash and there's no time for play or telly. Reading is non-negotiable for both of them.

It's all very easy as long as the kids are happy playing or watching telly by themselves.

Small amount of homework done Sunday mornings.

What time do you get home OP? And how much homework is your eldest getting?

NotTooTough · 12/09/2017 12:13

That's the kids eating at 5pm. Then DH comes home and cooks out dinner while I'm finishing off bed time. If he's home late I'll eat with the DCs.

skyzumarubble · 12/09/2017 18:57

I only do pick up twice a week - one day is rainbows so it's a mad dash to get home and changed and back again for 4pm. Home at 5.15 and homework / reading. Tea at 6 and then they watch to / play until 7.

Fridays we get home at 330 and they can do whatever they want - tv / kindles / play. Eat about 6 and they can stay up until around 8.

On my working days I usually walk into a shit storm at ten past seven - they want want stay up to see me but need to be asleep by 730 on a school night.

Just turned 6 yo Y2 DTs.

AtSea1979 · 13/09/2017 21:13

Ok so no ones kids do chores? Mine don't watch tv at all in the week. There simply isn't time.

hazeyjane · 13/09/2017 22:04

Mine do chores, but there is always time for some shit tv.

mumof2sarah · 13/09/2017 22:17

3:00 and 3:20 - pickup
3:40 - home, changed and a drink
4:00 - reading book/homework for 5yo homework for 13yo
4:30 - play time
5:00 - tea time (usually prepped evening before/in morning/well at school
5:30 - play/watch tv
6:00 (depending on days) - bath/shower/movie time
6:30 - milk &a biscuit/toast (if they're peckish)
6:45- story time
7:00 bed time for 5yo (she often sits in bed and plays with her teddies until 7:30 but then goes straight to sleep). 13yo usually disappears upstairs at that time too, either to watch something on Netflix/read/do more homework etc
7:15/7:30 til 8 - tidy round/prep packed lunches/tea/ironing and uniform ready/put wash on etc
8:00 - me time, bubble bath/reading/movie
Am usually in bed by 9:30 at latest 🙈 don't sleep much but always relaxing.
Obviously it changes with appointments/things going on but that's the basic one. I love having a routine, my girls have been in one since being 6 weeks and my 5 year old will happily go about the routine on her own without prompting 👏🏻

Unihorn · 13/09/2017 22:22

Our 7yo plays out with friends for 1-2 hours, has dinner (cooked while she's out) and then watched TV for 1-2 hours. She plays football once a week. Story before bedtime at 8pm.

mumof2sarah · 13/09/2017 22:24

** I should add before reading night time story, they have to tidy away their own stuff/put washing in basket etc and they do the tea pots aswell. Then on 3 days a week they each have their own other jobs. 13 year old: hoovering/changing bed/putting away clean clothes and 5yo: puts away clean clothes/helps me to load washing machine/dryer etc and helps to put any shopping away. Due to having a routine it doesn't take them long to do them so they enjoy it. They do a different chore every night x

mumof2sarah · 13/09/2017 22:27

@AtSea1979 mine do have chores. mostly choose to play rather than watch TV but I'm happy for them to have a bit of time with TV in the day. At weekend we always watch a movie as a family x

HTKB · 13/09/2017 22:32

Year 1 and toddler here.
In at 315. Snack and chat til 330 ish.
30 mins iPad for elder.
4pm iPad away and play til 450.
Elder then sits in kitchen with me whilst I cook. Does his homework then ten minutes reading to me.
515 dinner. Elder tidies play room after eating.
545 telly on. I tidy and clear up.
630 upstairs. Bath, stories and bed. Lights off 715.

StrumpersPlunkett · 13/09/2017 22:36

Late home each night but
5.15-5.30 home
Homework
1 hour ds(13)
30 mins ds(11)
I cook dinner
Dad home 6-6.30
Eat together
Free time till
7.30 ds2 shower
8.00 ds2 bed
8.30 ds1 shower
9.00 ds1 hands in his phone
10.00 ds1 goes up to bed (so do I!)

No tvs in bedrooms only one in the house so we hang out together watching rubbish crime dramas

MyOtherProfile · 14/09/2017 05:51

We have friends to play or kids go to friends or to a club most evenings. I cook while they're doing that then we all eat together when dad gets in about 5.45. Kids clear the table and do the dishwasher and odd little jobs like watering the plants. Then from about 6.30 til bedtime they potter. That might mean we all watch TV or someone does some homework or plays. We don't do bedtime baths as they both like a shower in the morning. All pretty laid back.

BeerBaby · 14/09/2017 06:10

Home by 3.40. snack, chill out time till 4.30-5 tea about 5 (1 hour screen time of their choice) play, go to park etc. This changes depending on how hungry kids are.

Chat at tea about their day, what's a in their bag. Compromise reached a on homework tasks. Homework after they've eaten. Baths 6.20. story and bed by 7 for youngest. Eldest stays up reading with us, helping with pets and having a chat. He goes to bed by 7.45, lights out 8.

BeerBaby · 14/09/2017 06:13

Mine do chores but it's not a set thing we just all help out.

AtSea1979 · 14/09/2017 10:32

sarah I think I need to sit done and do timings as I'm finding they spend so long faffing around that they don't have much play/free time in the week. DD takes ages getting changed/daydreaming that teas almost ready by time she's dressed and DS homework takes hours because he messes/daydreams etc. Maybe I need some sort of incentive like gets changed and then you can watch tv etc. Do homework and choose a game for us to play after tea etc.
We only have hobbies on Thursday DD, Friday DS and Saturday at the min so I need to make down time for them.