After school routines - what do you do?

[Tomatomess]

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.

All you really need is dinner time and bedtime. If you aren't doing activities why are you stressing?

Get home from school.

Eat at 6.

Bath and bed at 8.

You're over thinking it and stressing yourself needlessly.

@AtSea1979 I don't need this because it's just always been a set time thing but my friend was struggling and we made a routine clock for her children. It's worked amazing. It was similar to this x

I've had to google after school clocks - I had no idea they were a thing.

Can I make a suggestion OP? (And I mean this kindly ok?!)!Perhaps the issue here isn't that the children are needing a routine, but maybe you are putting too much pressure on yourself and expecting too much of everyone (including yourself?)

When mine were little we did that whole two meal thing. Parents forget they get hungry and cranky.
They also forget that homework every night at primary age may be desirable but isn't compulsory. We put way too much pressure on ourselves. How does an after school routine help, other than ramp up the pressure? I'd hate tHat clock because it would just mean more deadlines to miss.

I'm a working single parent of four, have been for a number of years now. It's always been school pick up, snack (ready for when they get in) dinner (6.30ish) bed (9ish now). Showering forms part of bedtime, as does reading.

I spend my evenings ferrying them to the most ridiculous amount of activities (hours and hours every week). We still kind of stick to the basics and manage to eat together and bedtime is regular-ish).

Thanks sarah I like a visual!

I think I'll find the inflexibility of it tough, as we like to drop in on grandparents etc but it'll take the stress out of it and keep expectations clear. I find depending on my mood, my expectations change and that isnt fair.

All get in about 5.15
They iPad / tv while I make dinner
Eat sixish
Tidy round
DS1 has homework once a week - he can do it whatever night he wants
Faff about / watch tv
DS2 bed about 7.30
DS1 bed 8.30

I did think tonight we should go for a walk while there's still some light!