what are your after-school routines? need help making my own!

[Rochel4]

I have 4 dc, ages 7, 5, 3 and 8 months. One of the hardest issues for me is the afterschool hours and how to formulate a good routine that suits everyone. I can't be in 4 places at once, help with 2 kids homeworks, feed the baby and put her to sleep, etc...all in one go. How do you manage all this and what routine works best for you?

aha, i knew i'm not alone!

Hi Rochel. Well I have after school help at home ( I have 5 kids and work part time too) so my slant may be a bit different, but here goes.....

Arrive home wiht 4 of 5 kids ( oldest is at high school and comes home separately). Have dinner more or less straight away ( in first half hour home) otherwise I find kids raid the fridge and are ravenous anyway when they come out of school. Dinner over they play a bit and then homework starts. I do homework with youngest first ( aged almost 6 - on friday ) - youngest dc of nearly 4 plays during this time . Then 2 youngest ( 4 yr old and 6 yr old) are bathed by my au pair whilst I do homework with 8 yr old. Then I settle youngest 2 in bed with story and goodnight songs whilst 8 yr old has bath . then spend a bit of time with her and check that 10 yr old and 13 yr old doing hoomework. When she is in bed ( about 8.00pm ish) help 10 yr old if needed with homework . After that help 13 yr old if needed.

My routine is probably not all that relevant to yours as you have a baby which tends to change everything.

In your shoes I would probaly :

1 Feed kids supper as soon as I got home including baby.

2 AFter supper put baby down to play and do youngest kids homework first as they get most tired.

3 Then let him/her play and do next oldest homework .

4 When that is all done take all 3 youngest up for bath. I used to regularly bathe 3 of mine together at that age and actually the youngest 3 of mine ( 4yrs,6yrs and 8yrs) still sometimes enjoy crowding in together and having an almighty splash.

5 Dry and dress youngest 3 and let them start choosing stories whilst you help 7 yr old wth shower temperature etc ( presuming here that he/she doesn't need actual help).

6 Whilst 7 yr old in shower read book /good nigth routine to others. I used to bottle feed whilst reading book and also sometimes to nurse as well although it is a bit hard.

7 Start putting them to bed wihlst 7 yr old dresses.

8 Once all in bed spend time with 7 yr old.

9 Go down and tackle supper dishes.

10 Have wine and a treat for surviving

I have 3 aged 5, 3 and nearly 1 and find it difficult.

But on a normal day, if no swimming or music lesson (that is only one day a week) and not on a Friday - on Fridays everyone comes home and does what they want and then we have Pizza or Fish n Chips or a pie out of the oven at around 6pm usually with friends.

So normal day (don't forget 1 fewer kids than you) DD1 is 5, DD2 is 3 and DS is nearly 1. Also caveat with - this is my plan and it doesn't always (often) go according to plan:

3.20 Get in from school, Shoes and coats in cupboard by kids
3.30 Snack - apple and biscuits and drink.
Kids play all together and with pets
4.15 Take DS to cot for short nap before Tea and DDs watch telly until Teatime. I spend 45 mins making tea, laying table, emptying dishwasher, putting away clean clothes etc....
5.00 Get DS up and extract DDs from telly.
Yell at kids for poor table manners, dish out punishments force kids to eat unwanted food etc.... Everyone nicer and happier after tea.
5.45 Wash-up, load dishwasher, wipe down surfaces and sweep floor DD1 does spelling and music practice usually while I tidy up, the other two just mill about and play.
6.00pm Pour first glass of wine.Bath if bath night (which is everyother night) or just more playing.
6.30pm Put DS to bed, after a bottle and a cuddle, the DDs usually come up and play in room while that happens or if they are doing my head in I put them in front of the telly again!
7.00pm DD2 into bed with a story and milky drink.
Then I try to get DD do her school reading books ( about 70% success rate)
7.30pm Pour second glass of wine, DD3 to bed with a chapter or two of a book and milky drink - works well if DD2 already asleep as they share a room. Spend 10 minutes getting arsey with DD2 as tired and crochety by then (me, not her!)

Spend about an hour going back up and down the stairs for drinks of water, to put music on, find cuddlies etc.

If am organised I usually pop across road to supermarket at 7.30pm

8pmish Pour third glass of wine Prepare dinner for me and DH
9pm ish Pour fourth glass of wine, eat dinner with DH,
9.30pm Fall asleep on sofa (having left pots and plates from our dinner not washed up, DH NEVER does them either)

Midnight - DH nudges me and tells me to go to bed, stagger into bed.......

6.30am - Wake up and sort out mayhem of house from evening before.....

thanks for advice lisa, sounds GREAT on paper (screen!) but it never works out that way. ALWAYS something gets in the way. this ones hungry now, the other is crying about something, somethings not fair etc... They dont stay in bed either. this can all last about 2 hours.

As you can see no homework gets done.....She is too young for it... only spelling that takes about 2 mins and is still a novelty so don't have to nag yet! Do have to nag about music practice though!

On days when no clubs etc.
DD 8, DS1 6 and DS2 5months.

3.30 pm Get home, shoes off etc. DS1 switches on TV, snacks eaten. DS2 plays on mat or finishes off his snooze in car seat.

3.40 DD starts her 20 mins of homework. Meanwhile I start cooking dinner at the same time as helping if DD gets stuck. DS usually in highchair with me and DD in the kitchen. DS1 still watching TV in living room.

4.10 DS1 comes into kitchen to do his reading after me shouting his name several times. DS2 still in highchair playing with pots etc. DD has relaxation time.

4.30 DS2 has bf while dinner is cooking.

5.30/6.00 dinner is served

After dinner we have everyone in pjs for 7pm so we can watch Dr Who before up to bed. During this time DS2 is playing on floor or with DH.

8pm bed time for DD and DS1

AFter this bf DS2 again and he goes down at about 9 pm, soemtimes 9.30.