What do you kids do after school?

[lenamama]

I'm kind of stuck in a horrible rut where the evenings my children have no activities they both end up glued to screens. My 6 year old is getting addicted to his games console and I need to draw a line as its all he ever talks about. My 8 year never has her phone out her hand! I try to suggest other things to do but they shrug them off and after a long day at work I admit I let them get on with it as I'm exhausted!

So my question is do you have a daily screen time limit? What activities do you do to fill your evenings?

Where do you all find the time for all these activities?

We're home 4pm earliest, dinner at 5 ish, DD is an incredibly slow eater so that usually takes us to nearly 6pm. Bedtime routine (washed, hair wash if needed, teeth, story, bed) from 6-7pm.

If we manage to read her reading books AND fit in a game before I cook dinner we're doing well. I'm trying not to think about next year when she starts getting homework sent back.

I also watch tv with him so it isn’t a solitary thing

You actually WATCH CBeebies? Just so he doesn't have to watch it alone?

All of these replies are so wholesome, Rubik's cubes and discussing documentaries, bloody hell

*Where do you all find the time for all these activities?

We're home 4pm earliest, dinner at 5 ish, DD is an incredibly slow eater so that usually takes us to nearly 6pm. Bedtime routine (washed, hair wash if needed, teeth, story, bed) from 6-7pm.*

DC go to bed far far later lol. If they went to bed at that time they'd be up for the day at 1am lol. Tonight we came home from school for 3.45, grabbed snack and swimming stuff and went swimming had lesson and with traffic and running in to the shop on the way back I'm just cooking now

Between them there's music lessons, orchestra, guides, beavers, swimming, martial arts, Saturday music school. They both used to do gymnastics (and were rubbish at it). I think hobbies are really important, they teach a lot of skills and good learning attitudes like perseverance. DD is academically very bright so I like she struggles with stuff in her hobbies

DS2 is a bit older (10) but has after-school activities two nights a week (Cubs and football). Dinner is around 7pm so when there aren't activities he does homework, uses the PC for coding, does cooking/crafting, and a couple of nights a week can do some gaming on the phone or Xbox as long as behaviour is OK.

In the summer he's likely to be outside on the trampoline or over the park with his friends.

@chipdips Yeah, it’s only about half an hour a day, it’s nice to watch something and have a cuddle on the sofa.

They go to the childminders

DS11:
School Football Training Mon & Thurs
3-4pm. During lighter evenings he comes home, has tea then plays out with friends until 7.30pm/8. Whilst nights are darker he uses Monday as his gaming night. Thursday he plays Futsal 6-7pm also.

Tues & Wed Team football training 6-7pm.

Fri we usually have tea together and family movie.