be honest - after school, what do you actually do?

[Cappuccino]

dd1 moans a lot if I pick her up and say we're not doing anything

if I say 'oh we'll just play in the garden/house' or something

she is always on to go out to park or ice-cream or something

I have been ill for a while and don't feel up to doing masses; we do go to the park about once a week, and sometimes she goes to my mum's (which is tedious, I admit)

but I wonder if I am shortchanging her in the Fun stakes because I'm not up to much or if most people just go home and fanny around rather than constantly rush off to activities

she goes to Brownies one night

sometime we go round to friend's house on Friday though tbh it's a friend I want to see, not one with children she particularly likes, though she does play quite happily

am I a bad lazy parent or a normal one?

what do you do after school?

Normal.

They have friends round for a play and vice versa. Watch a bit of TV. Play in the garden. That kind of thing.

Activities just one night a week; trip to park around once a week; post-school dog walk around once a week; friend round every now and again; fannying around at home most nights.

What's better than fannying around at home after a hard day at school? Esp on sunny day when you can fanny around in the garden.

I mean my kids BTW!

Swimming two nights a week (they have lessons on different days at the moment but am hoping to change to the same day later). If it's fine, we might go to the playground or a local farm once a week. Sometimes, on a Friday, we'll have tea at a local pub that has a soft-play area. Mostly, though, they just play at home. They've been busy at school, eldest has homework. I feel they need time to just chill out and play.

I think mine preferred when we did nothing. They liked to slob around, eat, chat, watch TV etc. As soon as ds got old enough NOT to come , he used to say 'Do I have to?'

well I only do Monday and Friday

usually we go straight home, have a snack and then they play fight together while I put dinner together

they play in the garden

very rarely we go to the park

when MIL collects, they go back to her house and do the same as at mine "but we get Fab lollies"

imo they need to flob about when they have been at school all day, not have activities arranged

do not feel guilty

We go to the park for an hour or so unless it is bad weather / they don't want to on the two days I don't work. Then back home for tea and Beavers / Cubs one day, playing with each other on the other day. I agree, it would be very tedious to go every day, but I know my son would insist - he's like a dog and needs exercise or he goes bonkers! Thankfully I work 3 days a week and they go to the after-school club!

Not a lot tbh.

About once a week dd has a friend over or she goes to them. Or dd and ds play together, watch tv etc whilst I go on MN! dd has been to on-site after school activities but there's very little for her age group. Erm, what else? We speak to my mum about once a week, make dinner, wait for daddy to come home...

Not very exciting but they seem happy enough.

olive it is the lollies that I have been getting wrong

the other day I took her to the park cafe to have an ice-cream and do her homework in the sunshine on a picnic table

you'd think this would be fun, wouldn't you? well more fun that doing it at home

good grief it was one of the most miserable experiences of my life

your normal!!!!
our week is-
moday-dd usually has friend round then brownies
tuesday-play in house or garden
wednesday-house/garden or park
thursday-dd has tennis and ds1 has a friend round then beavers
friday-house/garden or park

dd and ds1 used to have swimming lessons on wednesday and dd had football on monday.but it got too much both finacially and i was tired out!!!

Mine come home, have snacks, watch a bit of TV and play. Sometimes they are in the mood for doing reading or numbers. Ds1 has spellings and sentences to write once a week. When the weather is nice they play in the garden.

We come home, they play, I feed them, they play and fight or watch tv, school spellings and reading books, bed.

oh I am feeling better already

do you also rush past them saying "don't kill one another please" on your way to doing somehting else?

No, mine fanny bout most evenings after school.
Have mates with kids who pop in and then they have dinner and that gets rid of a couple of evenings a week.
I shout Simpsons and they watch that some times, if they aren't doing anything else.
usually they go and bounce on the trampoline and hula hoop in the garden and I throw food out to them.

our routine is:

in, bags and shoes dumped in hall
TOILET (as dd2 is currently peeing herself most days, lovely, she starts school in Sept)
snack
then they play for a bit while I shove potatoes in the oven or whatever
then I either play with them, or they play together

dh comes home about 90 mins after we get back so if they are being a pain in the arse, I don't have long to wait for backup

I don't think dd has the energy to do very much after school really.

I've seen some of her classmates in tears and almost having tantrums because they are being taken to swimming/piano/ballet lessons etc straight after school. (I'm talking infants school age btw)

DS has tennis on Mondays so we don't get home till around 5.15. Science club on Tuesdays till 4.20 and Football club on Thursdays till 4.

When the weather is good we hang around in the playground at school DS plays football and I chat to whoever is around - usually loads of people. Tend to get home around 4.30 or 5 or so.

Playdates occasionally.

DS then just kicks a ball around in the garden or plays on Playstation or with Wii and/or watches TV.

Homework
Dinner
Reading
Bath
TV
Bed

On Mondays we just hang out at home, sometimes take the dog for a walk or someone comes over to play
Tuesdays she has ballet for half an hour then hangs out at home (occasionally goes back to mate's house for tea afterwards)
Wednesdays same as mondays

Thursdays and Fridays my mum picks her up and they just hang out at home. Sometimes a friend comes over for a bit

i think you are doing fine!

Monday -
Singing class DD2

Tuesday -
Art Club DD3
International Club DD2
Magazine Club DD1
Gymnastics DD2

Wednesday
Latin Club DD1
Ballet DD2
Orchestra DD1&DD2
Modern dance DD1

Thursday
Rainbows DD3
Brownies DD2
Ballet DD1

Friday
Drama Club DD1
Gymnastics DD3
Swimming DD2&DD3

Saturday
Ballet and Tap DD3
Modern and Tap DD2

Mondays swimming and it is hell.
Tues / Wed / Thurs telly / garden / playing and it is bliss.
Fridays sometimes friend over, sometimes cake out at the garden centre.
DD1 much prefers it if we're at home (although as posted on another thread, she wants me to have loads of time to play with her after school and there just isn't any time!)

RosaLuxembourg - arent; you permanently in the car?!!

play
telly
moan
play
telly

tea

moan

sometimes go to grannies

Beavers for ds1 on Fridays

Sometimes park if nice.

play
moan
telly

repeat infinitum........

No Posie, I don't even drive! We live in a small town and nearly all of the activities are a 5/10 min walk from our house, apart from swimming which DH drives them to.

Mon - home or playdate (not normally both nights)
Tues - home or play date
Weds - to nannas for tea then
Tap - 4.15 to 5.00
Modern 5.00 to 5.45
Ballet 5.45 to 6.30
Home about 7, quick simpsons and bed

Thurs - home but jazz dance club at village hall with loads of classmates at 5.45

Fri - home or playdate leading onto Brownies from 5 to 6.30

Sat - saturday school 9.30 to 12.15

Sunday..... breath!