Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

What do your yr2 boys do after school?

33 replies

user1466690252 · 05/02/2019 20:42

I’m trying to engage me son in more than I bloody iPad. It’s the first thing he asks me for in the morning and moans when I say he has to have his breakfast and get dressed first, and the first thing he asks me or when he comes home from school. He used to live playing and have a really good imagination, now minecraft and roblox are taking over and I hate it. He does clubs 3 tines a week after school and I don’t mind him having it for half an hour in the morning when he is dressed and everything done and the same before bed when everything is done, but the constant asking is so grating. He likes Lego, but has seem to gone off it in favour of electronics. In the summer he will be ok outside with his bike and football but what do your boys like? Are they all like this? I honestly think it’s rotting his brain a bit he is like obsessed with it!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
KatyN · 06/02/2019 06:49

Minecraft!

BikeRunSki · 06/02/2019 06:54

Mine is now Y5, but in Y2 (before he had a PlayStation!) he played his uke, played with the boy next door (sadly moved away now), Lego, watched tv, went to Beavers/Judo/Football/Swimming, mucked about in the garden.

seastargirl · 06/02/2019 06:54

We don't let him on it in the morning, then when he gets home he's not allowed on it till after tea. If he says he's bored or sits around looking miserable then in get out some literacy and maths work books that we have, which normally spurs him in to playing with some of his toys!

We have an area where he can kick a ball a bit inside, a small pool table and a punch bag as he's far more physical play than imaginative play. He also does football 3 x a week, karate, swimming and beavers so is kept pretty busy.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting Primary education
WinterHeatWave · 06/02/2019 06:55

Y3 here, but:
Fight with his brother
Cook - biscuits mainly
Board games
Origami
Play with his brother, but it usually descends into a fight.....

But tablet wins hands down.

PristineCondition · 06/02/2019 06:56

If he asked constantly then tell him if he asks he won't get it when it's due and follow through with the threat. He will lose it a few times then cotton on

Elllicam · 06/02/2019 06:58

Karate, swimming, play dates, play with brothers, play with action figures, play doh, baking.

KoshaMangsho · 06/02/2019 06:58

Hmm. So mine has almost no access to screens. He plays two instruments. He swims. He plays tennis. At home he reads, he plays games, also does Lego, plays with his (much younger) sibling till said sibling annoys him. He’s back from school at 3:45 and we go upstairs at 6:45 so between daily homework, music practice, dinner and some play time there is no time left. In the morning he’s up at 7, dressed by 7:10/15, breakfast done by 7:30, ready by 7:40/45, we try to squeeze in some music practice and out of the door by 8/8:05 latest. There is literally no time for anything remotely resembling the iPad or games. On the weekend he might watch some sport as well. Having almost no access to screens has forced him to read and play more. And unless it’s raining I wrap the kids up warmly and take them for a post dinner, pre bedtime walk/run/ blow off some steam 15 mins in the park next to our house. He has a bath at 6:45 with his baby brother who then goes to sleep. DS1 reads for a bit, then I read to him, then he scribbles in his secret diary, reads some more and goes to sleep.

Stpancras · 06/02/2019 07:00

No ipad in the morning, 30 mins after school. Homework, plays out, has playdates, reads, lego. Rugby and horseriding classes once a week each. Plays with his brother!

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 06/02/2019 07:01

Homework
Tutor once a week
Afterschool club or local youth club takes up 3 nights
Loads of TV
Playdates sometimes

WallisFrizz · 06/02/2019 07:11

No gadgets on school days, however he watches plenty of tv. He also draws, plays Lego, annoys his sister, goes to Beavers and does an after school sport once a week.

PS4 (mainly Minecraft) and Kindle time amongst lots of other stuff at weekends.

InionEile · 06/02/2019 07:14

My DS is 7.
Monday’s and Wednesday’s he goes to an afterschool club, where they play board games, do crafts etc if it’s raining or play outside if it’s dry.
Tuesday, he does some homework, plays, then we go to gymnastics
Thursday, he does chess club at school.
Friday is free, usually we go to the library or play with friends. When his soccer league starts up again, he’ll be doing that 2 afternoons a week and on Saturday.

He got a Nintendo Switch for Christmas and he does get very obsessed with having time on it so I ration it to 30 mins a day, usually after activities above are done. I’m not a fan of it. Upside is, it has got him interested in coding and he is now doing some very basic coding through a book we bought him.

Original poster
user1466690252 · 06/02/2019 07:46

Thanks everyone very interesting. What is the book on coding please? That looks good. I don’t want him to do homework every night I don’t agree with it we do it once a week here, but he does read before bed.
In the summer I know it won’t be an issue as he will be out playing more I barely see him inside in the summer it’s just he had it at Christmas New and trying to find the balance.
He does clubs 3 times a week so that’s three evenings he isn’t on it. And in the weekend we are often out and about and it never leaves the house. I miss him playing, he used to play for hours with his cars and Lego and it seems to have suddenly stopped? I was thinking of meccano or more tech games?!

OP posts:
Original poster
user1466690252 · 06/02/2019 07:48

Also he is watching his tv shows on it online. So it’s no different to watching the tv I guess but it feels more anti social? I have been putting on films instead to watch because it just feels more like a family activity

OP posts:
InionEile · 06/02/2019 22:57

The book on coding is called 'Coding Games in Python' www.dk.com/us/book/9781465473615-coding-games-in-python/

Hope he enjoys it! You might need someone in the house who can code too in case he needs help here and there. My DH can code so he can troubleshoot when DS gets stuck.

Original poster
user1466690252 · 07/02/2019 06:51

Thank you x

OP posts:
BellaGoth · 07/02/2019 06:56

Mine is 6 and being assessed for ASD. He does have quite a lot of screen time as it helps him calm down, but once he's calm he likes:
Lego
Colouring
Playing in the garden (we have a greenhouse so he digs in there all year round)
Various character toys (was paw patrol, now Pokemon taking over)

When he's on screens he's mostly watching lego building or art programmes, which he then goes on and uses for inspiration in his games.

famousfour · 07/02/2019 06:57

We have no screens during the week so they don’t expect or ask. There really isn’t much time for it anyway.

Not sure if it helps but when mine was young and my DH let them what his phone from time to time we got constant nagging. We dealt with it by only permitting screens at fixed times so they knew exactly what to expect when and then they lost that too if they nagged. It stopped pretty fast!

To you question of what my Y2 boy does... he has a club twice a week, he lives reading and playing with his cars, Lego, laser quest guns. General fooling around. Homework and music practice also take up some time.

famousfour · 07/02/2019 06:59

Play dates occasionally.

TheMammothHunters · 07/02/2019 06:59

He gets home at 3.45. Homework first- Monday English worksheet, Tuesday spellings, Wednesday none but has swimming 4-4.30, Thursday Maths worksheet. Reading every night.
He watches TV an plays with Lego, dressing up, Playmobil and other toys, has tea and upstairs at 6. Bath every other night, we read to him, teeth etc, then he plays until 7 in his room. He can read in bed until 7.30.
We’ve had to make iPad weekends only- he wasn’t concentrating at school.

famousfour · 07/02/2019 07:00

I’m also amazed/umpressed at anyone who has 30 mins in the morning for iPad. It’s all a mad rush at our house.

Beechview · 07/02/2019 07:08

We have no gadgets during the week. It’s much easier than allowing them a bit here and there as then they just forget about it.
At that age at home they were
Playing Lego
Drawing
Writing stories and making comics
Using doodle books and how to draw books
Painting
Baking
Reading
Tv after dinner

Original poster
user1466690252 · 07/02/2019 08:35

Mine are early risers,all up at 6 and don’t need to leave for school till 8.30.

I find after school the rush getting them to their clubs in different times every day. Do you bake after school?! They love baking but it’s a weekend task!
I have stopped him having it in the morning and he has stopped asking. Although he is watching you Tube in the tv, it just feels different?! I’ve also bought him some books and comic making bits online so when they come we can have a bit more time with those.

OP posts:
famousfour · 07/02/2019 09:27

Ah in that case I’d probably do homework in the morning. They’re much fresher then - I try and do that anyway because It’s the last thing they feel like doing after school when I get home from work and I prefer to save the weekend for other things.

famousfour · 07/02/2019 09:29

I have nothing against tv from time to time btw I just think it’s a black hole for any creativity or initiative and find it’s a slippery slope so keep strict boundaries.

Original poster
user1466690252 · 07/02/2019 09:33

famousfive yes it’s exactly that, it started off as a now and again thing and it’s slipped into the only thing that really interests him. We need to ignite his passion for something. He plays very well with his friend, still plays imaginatively loves police games and fire fighting games. It’s just independently he seems to be bored by it and resorts to iPad games

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread