What do you/your DC do in the evening at home?

[Flowerday]

I’ve got 2 boys, nearly 10 and 12, they both do a number of clubs, but apart from that, I feel they (and I for that matter) are spending too much time on screens and not enough time interacting in the evenings.

We do eat together at the table and chat briefly about our days during mealtime, and sometimes they will do homework if they have any. But neither child really seems to want to talk a huge amount - keen to get back to iPads or Xbox.

I confess that half the problem is this kind of suits me. I’m an introvert and also find it hard multi tasking so talking while making tea for example, I would find stressful.

Do you think I should impose screen free days in a bid to get us interacting? DH often not home til nearly 7pm, so by the time he has eaten he’s tired and also mainly wants to just watch TV.

Think it also seems a bit harder now we’re in darker evenings too...

What’s it like in your house?

Mine are 6 and 16 and we just relax after dinner and they either sit on their iPads playing games or messing about with each other. The 6 year old goes to bed at 8ish and dd then either hangs out in her room or might come and sit with dh and I to watch some Tv. Occasionally we might play scrabble (!) but that’s very rare. Everyone is usually too exhausted to do much!

We watch too much TV in the winter,especially on a school night.

In the summer DD still likes her trampoline so she'll be out on that and we'll sit in the garden to have dinner etc.

Dd is an only ( until this summer, eek!) and I would honestly happily have a friend over every school night in the winter but I'm not there for pick up time. I was too hot but I am missing the summer for the entertainment options. 5pm in the summer doesn't feel late at all to go out somwhere for a scoot or walk but wouldn't in the winter so you get in from school/work and feel like you're in for the night.