The hour before dinner

[Ohtheaudacity]

I find the hour or two before dinner (basically 3pm onwards) so hard to fill with my two DS’s (1 and 4). It feels like such a drag. I tend to avoid the park because it’s always full of school kids at that time. Today we’ve been swimming and walked to the high street for a mooch. We’ve played at home and done chores. The next hour and a half is looming ahead of me and I’ve got 2 restless kids to try to entertain. Help! What do you do?

How much entertaining does the 4 year old need? After a day at school/nursery , at that age he might rather just potter at home, maybe watch CBeebies for half an hour, get his colouring pencils out rather than swim and walk the high street. You don’t always have to supply activities (although on some days they need to burn off some steam, do you have an open space where he could scoot or run about nearby?)

Garden or CBeebies usually fills that hour

Can't the four year old entertain themselves for a bit? What do they do when you need to prepare dinner?

I find my DC are extremely grumpy at that time (especially the school age ones) so either send them in the garden to bounce on the trampoline for a bit or watch tv for half an hour.

Agreed! Those my go-to options too.

That time used to be filled with independent play in the garden whilst I watched from the kitchen as I prepped tea or did the dishes. Then once I needed to be oven/hob focused I got good old Aunty Beebies on babysitting duties which took up half an hour or so before teatime.

Whatever i want to do 🤷🏼‍♀️ 4 year old can watch tv or entertain thrmselves with toys. 1 year old can be sat in whatever room i'm in with some toys. I'd probably be sat on the sofa watching tv

We don’t have a garden unfortunately (and it’s raining now 😆) and you’re right. The 4 year old can entertain himself for a bit but I don’t get much time with both of them together and I like to do as much as I can while I can. Maybe I’m expecting too much of them. It’s just so tough at such different ages to find things they can both enjoy.

my 4 yr old is in school so often we have to do her homework and the 1yr old has tv and toys to contend with- she’s fine.

It's the witching hour. I tried to stay out.

Ooo yes this is a tricky time. My 4yo has a craft table so she lets loose on that, colouring in or "helps" with getting tea ready ( maybe counting our grapes or mixing something)

My least favourite part of the day!! I agree that 3pm until dinner is a slog.

I often popped them in the bath before dinner, around 4pm, then half an hour of telly after that while I finished cooking. The bath seemed to be a good unwinding sort of activity, and then after dinner the path to bedtime had one less job to get done

get them to ‘help’ make dinner

’do’ laundry together

build a fort in the sitting room with the sofa cushions

dance party

knock down lego towers (one builds the other knocks down and then switch)

get 4 yr old to ‘read’ stories to 1 yr old

play hide and seek

I used to do dinner a bit early. CBeebies. Could do bath before dinner if you wanted. Feel for you with no garden especially with the hot summers now... not even a balcony? Musical instruments is a good one both children at those ages can enjoy, get them out and bash along to a bunch of nursery rhymes. Have a disco - close curtains and dance to music on your phone, if you buy a disco light even better.

I stay out of the house as long as possible and then the telly goes on for up to an hour before tea time. Any longer than that and she gets bored.

My daughter is nearly 3 and can now spend a lot of time just playing. She would stay at home and play all day if she could, but I would climb the walls with boredom so we compromise!

Mine watch tv from about 4 til tea time. I think there’s nothing wrong with that after a busy day at school