What do you do with your dc when they get home from school?

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Feeling a bit guilty because i don't do much with my dc age 5 and 7. After walking home from school (which can take an hour if they are having a play/bumped into a friend), I am usually doing tea, packed lunches, dc2s reading book, bath etc until bedtime when dh and i read them both a story.

I make tea and packed lunches, read books and do baths with my DC

TBH one or other of them (they are 8 and 6) has an after school club most days, and other than that they like to watch tv/play on the Wii. I might sit and play a board game or play some interminable lego roleplaying game for about 15 minutes but that's it. I think the DC mostly want to unwind after school and don't necessarily want to do "anything". Oh, and homework has to fit in there somewhere as well.

We are here to look after our children, not entertain them. That is the mantra that I try to live by. And mine is an only.

Here Here Exit. I watch and listen in bewilderment as some parents give it the whole 'shall we makes cakes or build a den, darling, when we get home?' OK so ds would rather play out with his mates at age 9, but even when he was much younger, I never saw the need for constant entertaining of young children. Oh, and he is an only, also.

We relax. Play in the garden, housework, tv. A school day is long enough and certainly my dc need some downtime. No after school activities at all either. We talked to dd1 who is in reception about it and she wasn't interested. I was relieved!

I have three, I try to squeeze in 10 mins or so with them by themselves just to catch-up, make sure they aren't worrying about anything.
Often I don't even seem to manage that.
Recently the oldest , 7, has started to ask to play out in the cul-de-sac and a patch of weeds near-by - am torn in regard to letting him go.

Once a week we have no-clubs or after-school play evening, I dig out some games or buy somehting from a charity shop and have an early and easy tea (sarnies and cakes type) just so that I can force myself to stop cleaning up and sit with them for a while !.

I let DS (4) unwind, do what he wants. Which is usually indulging in whatever quirk he has that week/month. This week it's looking at maps and memorising road names and where they are I potter around making dinner/whatever responding with a constant stream of "Is x street really a cul-de-sac, how fascinating"

By the time dinners over with, we watch a bit of TV, bath and bed :)

Mine have asc twice a week, and a playdate once a week. We've just started swimming once a week too, so that only really leaves one completely free evening. I have to say they watch a lot of tv - they will switch it on when they get home from asc and as soon as they get in on their free evening.

Mine often have after school clubs - DD every day - so by the time we are all back it's normally 4.30 ish. Then they do a mixture of playing, TV, homework when we have it (once a week), reading, sometimes playing games, once a week they have beavers, or play out with friends. Ever so often we go into town for something (e.g. we need to get fathers day stuff tomorrow).

DC have afterschool club twice week, and after activities and homework, there are only really two full afternoons left a week, DH has them on of these days, me on the other.
DH often takes them swimming, I sometimes go to the park, sometimes they have friends over, otherwise they mainly mess about, drawing, helping me cook, going in the garden, playing with the neighbours' DC. They also spend a lot of time choreographing dances in the front room to various songs (at the moment, Abba and the Moshi Monsters songs) which they then want me to watch - I try to draw out the rehearsal time as long as possible and restrict the viewing time to three songs max.

VonHerrBurton to be fair, I think for some people, making cakes with their DC or building a den with them does not count as entertaining the DC, but just something they all enjoy doing together (not all adults have completely grown up yet...)

They play with each other (that's the whole point of having two!) I potter around getting dinner ready, help with homework (if required) or I might watch a bit of TV with them (Horrible Histories for instance). They have a piano lesson once a week, but other than that no fixed mid-week activities so can take up the occasional after-school invitation. I think having unstructured time off teaches them how to amuse themselves - and I think it's actually taught them to do that rather well.

another you misunderstand me, it's the boasting type of parent who has to say that loudly at every pick up that I have an issue with, and not necessarily those activities - if my ds asked me one afternoon if we could do either/both that would be fine. The point I was trying to make is some dc expect 'things to be doing' all the time and I was reassuring OP that no, that isn't real life for most people.

There's a couple of kids ds used to be friends with that we have had over after school (in the past, say 2/3 yrs ago) and they have just stood around looking to me/dh to 'do stuff' whilst ds just wanted to play - little games in the garden, in the water - whatever. Now he is friends with like minded kids.

VonHerr You are right - I try very hard to blank that sort of parent out of my life, and you are bringing back memories! I don't seem to meet them at school any more, but I guess they are the same as the parents at my DD's gymnastics class who say loudly after the class things like 'did you show them the amazing bridge/four-handed cartwheel/triple backflip that we practiced so hard at home, darling?'

Mine are 5 (Reception) and 8, both girls. Depending on their energy levels, they jump on trampoline, torment the dog, draw and write (esp dd2), do a bit of homework (dd1), 'help' me cook, read, watch a film, etc

Or they have a friend over to play or, rarely on weekdays, play with each other (they play a lot together at weekends, but argue a lot during the week )

Once a week, they have jazz dance classes. Once a week, dd1 plays netball. At their absolute peak, dd1 was doing 3 after school clubs, and dd2 one.

If either one is really tired after school, they flop on to sofa with a cup of tea, a biscuit and a TV programme. Then they feel better and run off to play.

I am sometimes talked into playing memory card games involving Disney Princesses with dd2, or helping 'make' something. But mostly, they like their own company after a day of non stop doing/talking!

We've just got back from school. DS2 is reading his book to me (I am multi-tasking) on his request and DS1 is looking up something on the computer that his teacher showed him today. They often just want to play on the wii, watch TV, too tired to do much else. They both do after school clubs on some days, Beavers and Cubs too.

We just cuddle on the sofa and talk about our days and I love every
minute of it.

Currently trying to ignore mine by 'working from home'. DD1 is doing homework that should have been done over the half term - she is in big trouble and dd2 is playing nicely in the living room. Must go and feed them shortly.

That's them another!!! Don'tya just love 'em! x

Nothing apart from providing a snack, drink and tea. Mine are happy to chill with each other, watch tv, play games...

Mine have always gone to after school clubs because DH and I both work f/t, but it's pretty much a matter of food, relaxation, then when we get home shower, evening meal, homework and a bit of play time/tv. I always read to them at bedtime, and a lot of the time they read for themselves as well. We don't schedule anything on weeknights, we're all too knackered.

Nothing.

DS is now 14 - he doesn't get home until 4.30 anyway - so tends to vanish upstairs and do whatever he does in his room.

From being younger though - half the week he was at a childminder or After school Care as Iwas at work - and by the time we got in - it was 6pm - made and ate dinner, then it was his bedtime. The other days he just did his own thing.

I have never been that good at entertaining - which is good - as I think that children need to be able to occupy themselves. DN follows his mum around and won't let her alone at times unless she plays with him.

DS1 has an afterschool sports club once a week. Otherwise when we get home I sort out packed lunches/tea etc while they play in the playroom or garden (usually interrupting me with their squabbles every two minutes ). they have tea about 4.30/5 then a bit more playing, then TV for half an hour before bathtime.

Thank you thank you thank you for this thread - i nearly didn't click on it as i thought it would be full of we do this that and the other together and then we do this too.
My DCs either go to friends houses or have friends over 2 or 3 times a week (mostly the same friends, their mum's my friend so we sit and chat while DCs entertain themselves) , we have piano lessons now once a week and DD1 goes to brownies, sometimes when I can be bothered we go swimming but that's not very often at all at the moment. When the weather is nice I make them go in the garden. I try to read with DD2 but it's hard to catch her between being tired from school and being tired ready for bed. DS sometimes plays out with friends again when the weather is nice but as the weather is so foul mostly we come home and the DC out and watch tv and play on the computer - regularly feel guilty we should do more but mostly DCs are tired after day at school.

I'm interested to see that lots of people make packed lunches the night before. Does that include sandwiches or do you make those fresh in the morning?

My DC are in the 'TV and arguing' camp after school BTW...!

Try to keep them from killing each other or the cats

Oh, and,
distribute biscuits & other snacks
unpack bags
read any letters from school
process other paperwork that has come in the house that day
organise stuff to go out door next morning
repack lunchbags & school bags (I find sarnies keep one day fine)
distribute more snacks
prepare for any after school clubs (4:30pm swim lessons on Tuesday)

Make all packed lunch the night before including sandwiches. Stored in fridge overnight.

After school, we may go to park. Usually not though. DD doea netball once a week so that requires her being dropped off/picked up. Otherwise, after a bit of chat at school gate and as we walk to car, we go home, have a snack, DC chill and unwinde plus do a bit of homework. I cook dinner. Then it is either dinner, bath/shower and bed with a bit of TV/reading thrown in. Or dinner, then off out to cubs or guides.