What do you do with your reception children after school

[TheEveningSun]

My DS (4.5) started reception on Wednesday, straight in full time 8.15-3.30, he does couple of after school clubs till 4 o’clock. He’s so tired and emotional after school. I take him to the park for a bit but if we stay at home He demands the TV. I try to do things with him and play but he just ends up crying or fighting with his sister (2yo) or asks about the tv every 15 min.
I’m happy for him to watch for an hour whilst I’m cooking dinner but watching till bed time (7pm) is too much imo.
What’s your after school routine if you’re home by 4 o’clock?

DD also 4.5 and started last week. I let her watch TV for around an hour with a snack straight after school, apart from Tuesday as she has swimming and then Thursday she has Gym.

She has her tea and them from 6pm to 7pm ISH we play some board games. After this then it's bath and bed. She doesn't really want to do anything straight after school x

I would TV first with a snack to unwind. I often lay out colouring or some small world toys for them too and they often naturally do that whilst watching a bit of TV.

Mine would find a jigsaw/duplo a bit much at the moment after a day of preschool as it’s a lot of concentration! So a less difficult toy - Yoto, trampoline if weathers nice, toy cars, mine likes figurine action toys.

Dinner and I do a long bath to relax them, books and bed.

Food on way home or as soon as they get in. Lots of cuddles!!
No to screen time, as they will probably have had lots in school and it is not good for them. (If you say no and be consistent, they will adjust).
Maybe try a bath/water play as it can be very soothing. Pjs afterwards or onesie for comfort.
Some quiet activities - possibly have a blanket or cuddly toy nearby for comfort. Listen to music or stories, look at books.
If the weather is still fine, some outside time might help too.
Maybe drop the clubs if you can, as they are probably too much at this stage.

Our son has been full time since Wednesday too op!

We get home about 3.45 and he sometimes plays with our neighbours girl (same age but different school) until about 4.30ish, then he watches a bit of telly before tea. Other afternoons he'll watch telly when we get home with our guinea pigs.

After tea we sometimes have a little walk (he likes being outside)

He's usually ready to settle down about 7.30ish now with supper and stories, he's been asleep by 8.30/9 which is a positive as he struggles to wind down and it's not unusual for him to be awake until gone 10pm sometimes.

Yep, let him watch TV! My littlest has just started Y2 but is still tired, as is my big Y5. Littlest does gymnastics one day and after school club one day, so it’s really only 3 days. We’re not home until close to 4pm (always walk/bike/scoot home) so by the time they’ve eaten a snack, and pottered, if they ask for TV (which eventually they always do!) I always say yes. It’s usually only on for an hour or 1.5 hours with having dinner around 5-5:30pm. We don’t have the TV on school mornings, ever, and both DC do plenty of clubs. If they want to free play, let them, but otherwise, let them zone out.

As a teacher, I advise all my new reception parents to do literally nothing exciting after school until Christmas. The first term is a massive change for children, and can be hugely over-stimulating. Immediately upon coming home, offer a snack, drink and some quiet "left alone" time. If that's in front of the TV, then that's fine. They just need quiet decompression time.

I was watching an episode whilst doing my ironing one afternoon and she came and joined me. She particularly like any episodes where they make kids clothes and the tiny mannequins!
My grandmother was a seamstress and my mum makes clothes for her. It's a nice opportunity to discuss her background.

She's very crafty and loves playing with air clay and play dough which is how we got on to the pottery show.

She has enjoyed watching the diving in the Olympics and I have found she's been more engaged with her swimming lessons and a bit more willing to put her head in the water since

I guess the message is to find things they are interested in and find shows that inspire based on those interests

I think 2hrs tv is fine tbh. It doesn’t have to be every night or forever.

Nice days I take Ds out on his bike or scooter or for a walk between 4-5pm. Or we are in the garden playing, sandpit, gardening. I do crafts, lego, or he plays. Often I do baths before dinner when less tired.
So if it’s raining and he’s tired then tv is fine.

To keep them away from the tv 😀

Just let them rest.

Honestly I think you are being massively ott about the tv.

He is little, school is a huge adjustment and he clearly needs to chill out.

Let him have tv for an hour, it won't kill him.

Snack/hot chocolate when they come in. Lay out a few toys to play with, tv show if they want. An evening walk after tea/dinner & before bath if the weather isn't too awful & they're not too tired. But I mainly leave them to it & hope they aren't too evil.

I didn't take my kids to any clubs except swimming lessons for the first few months of reception. They were stressed and exhausted.

My kids have had loads of screentime forever and are more than fine 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think because of all the downtime they get, they can excel at school and hobbies (sport and music). I honestly cannot bring myself to give them more tasks to complete after a whole day at school. I personally love to flop in front of the telly, and if they’re doing that I get a sec to cook them a good dinner etc.

Home by 3:30
Telly til 5
Dinner 5-5:15 and generally leads into a game of some sort
Bath at 6
Bed between 7 & 8pm (they’re 6 and 9 (and 2))

Its really not that extreme.

Mondays we’re out at clubs until 6:30pm (not when they were in reception though!) so it all balances out.

I also think it all balances out. In summer Ds is more likely to be outside all afternoon and evening, weekends we are often out all day somewhere. Add in some play dates, afternoons at park or garden , odd club eventually, then there’s naturally across the year not every afternoon in front of tv.

From 4-5 years they start watching films more also, and I think it’s reasonable that they are allowed to watch a kids film like minions in one go and not split of three seasons ( it’s about 1hr 20)

We get in at 4pm, watch telly or iPad for an hour or so, if it’s nice play in the garden. They have a little snack. I’ll do dinner for 5.30pm / 6pm. Up to bed at 6.45, quick bath, read story. Asleep at 7/7.30pm.

Not the same, but my 2yr9 month old is in nursery 8ish til 6, twice a week. 16 month sister too.

2 year old wants TV straight away when we get home (tho sometimes park), so I let her until upstairs to bed by 7.30/8pm (depending if she's had a nap). She's had no screen time all day unless she's been awake early before baby.

Today I'm home with kids, we had breakfast, played upstairs, then out 10-12.45 at an outdoor playgroup. TV has been on 2hrs whilst sister naps. After that it'll be no more TV until the hour before bed

Snack, then chat/play together a little, then i go off and ignore him while cooking he's left to do his own thing, usually listen to youtube music. (He does screen in the mornings. ) he might sit and chat while i cook. If he moans, I threaten with chores or helping me to cook which makes him run off pretty quickly

Just turned 4 year old here. Active decision not to do any clubs/activities after school until at least half term (I appreciate I am lucky one parent can always pick up at 1530, through a combination of flexible working and shift working).

We have been having tea pretty much as soon as we get in, they are hangry and I find behaviour deteriorates otherwise and eating because a battle. Then some play, Lego or yo to today as I’d ordered a new story, followed by a top up of yoghurt/fruit sort of thing before up for a bath by 1800 at the latest. I aim for lights out by 1900, with some stories and an episode of choice on the IPad before then.

Mine has just started Y1.

Last year we'd come home, do his reading book whilst having a snack (school had an expectation of reading 5x per week at home for reception), then usually a bit of chill time in front of the tv before a dog walk/park trip/feed the ducks. Then home for dinner, then some board games after dinner, bath then bed.

My son was exhausted when he started school, i remember the first 3 weeks I just let him relax at home, mainly with the TV as he was too tired to do anything else. He also started to go bed earlier, so naturally eveything else like tea and bath time was brought forward. Gradually he adjusted, normal bedtime resumed and we started to introduce other activities, but not until closer to Christmas. It's only been 1 week, I wouldn't stress this too much.

My DC1 was so exhausted after a day at school in reception, we'd do a quick trip to the park after if the weather was good

Otherwise home and chilling on the sofa/with TV on and I'd get dinner on the go

DC2 was only a couple months old so I was exhausted too!

Didn't do any after school clubs that year, in fact looking back it was the most chilled out school year of them all!

Then DC1 went into year 1 and I returned to work shortly after and life got very indeed...and a few months later Covid hit

Lengthy bath with loads of toys to take in is proving a popular after school activity here

*life got very busy!

Oh and we'd read most days after school

Poor DC2 doesn't get the same as I'm often still trying to get home from work in evening/after school clubs

I let them have a bubble bath, they easily spend 30mins playing (I’m there in the bathroom cleaning it), something about the water calms them down and it’s bath time done early and less stressful as after dinner it’s melt down time, then they can eat and watch tv and I try to get a book in on the sofa before we make our way to bed, just do what’s best for you and your child, it’s not the same for us all but after a long day at school I wouldn’t stress to much about the tv, it’s more about what he’s watching :)