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Original poster

What time do your dcs have their tea aftert school?

59 replies

sunsout · 08/04/2014 09:24

I have been struggling with my dcs' bed time for years so desperate to know how everyone else manage. How do you manage to fit in everything such as reading, homework, dinner, activities etc after school and still manage to go to bed by 7 - 7.30pm. What time do your dcs eat their tea? Do you eat as a family together? Dh hardly come home much before 7pm from work!

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ThreeLannistersOneTargaryen · 09/04/2014 14:44

If I want to do only one sitting for the four children, then I have to serve the evening meal between 5pm and 5.30 on weekdays, as that's the only time they are all at home. I usually eat with them and save some for DH to heat up when he gets in at 7.30ish.

ThreeLannistersOneTargaryen · 09/04/2014 14:50

How do you manage to fit in everything such as reading, homework, dinner, activities etc after school

By being very well-organised and multitasking. At the same time, I'll have one helping me cook, another doing homework, a third reading aloud to me and the fourth laying the table. It has taken many years and much training to get to this point, and even now it doesn't take much for the whole thing to descend into chaos, stress and disharmony.

BornToFolk · 09/04/2014 14:51

On the days I pick DS up from school (I work two longer days when he goes to after school club) we're home by 3.30 unless we go to the park on the way home. He has a snack and watches TV for about 15mins, then reads his book and does any homework, then play. Dinner is between 5.30 and 6 o'clock. I eat with him as there's only two of us, there's no point me eating later. About half hour of TV after dinner, then bath, story and bed. He's usually in bed by 7.30pm.

The only regular after school activity is swimming at 5.30 one night. So we eat a very quick dinner (fresh pasta often!) after that and straight to bed.

Other activities, like shopping, going to the library, playing with friends, can be slotted in between school and tea.

Taz1212 · 09/04/2014 16:27

When we are able to eat together as a family, dinner is at 6:30. When the DC have evening activities they can end up eating anywhere from 7:30-8:30. Bedtime is 9:00.

goingmadinthecountry · 09/04/2014 17:01

Mine have always had dinner, not tea, at 6.30 ish so we can eat as a family. Quick snack after school as required. Dh is never around in the mornings to have breakfast together. Maybe I've just always had a laid back attitude with no routine. They've turned out OK.

morethanpotatoprints · 09/04/2014 17:06

There is no normal time here, due to various commitments and one offs so anytime from 3.30 - 8.00pm. If it is the earlier time then its a light tea and a good supper later.

morethanpotatoprints · 09/04/2014 17:09

goingmad

If your main meal at night is dinner, then tea should be afternoon, what time do you have tea then?

Impatientismymiddlename · 09/04/2014 17:10

We all eat our dinner hate that bloody word tea at 6pm or thereabouts. Leaving enough time for the food to digest before bath and bedtime.

Slackgardener · 09/04/2014 18:59

We eat at 7.00pm most nights, maybe 7.30 - 8.00pm a couple of nights a week, usually we try to eat with dh who gets delayed occasionally, I always eat with the dcs if I can, they are 10 though and fairly relaxed about food timing.

Taffeta · 09/04/2014 19:30

Varies on the day.

Monday DS at football so DD and I are out delivering him 4-6, so we eat at 6.30. DS takes a sandwich with him and then has a hot dinner when he gets in at 8.
Tuesday DC both eat at 5ish
Weds We all eat at 5.45, after DDs activity and before DSs
Thurs DC eat after swimming at 6ish
Friday They did eat at 5.30, again between activities but this won't be possible after Easter as DD has activities 3.15-4.15 and 6-7.20 and DS has activities 4.30-5.15 and 5.30-6.15. So probably a sandwich at 4.15 and hot dinner about 7.30 after Easter

Weekends we all eat together

NorbertDentressangle · 09/04/2014 19:32

6-7pm unless its a football/gymnastics/swimming night and then it tends to be more like 5-5.30pm

goingmadinthecountry · 09/04/2014 22:26

More than - we don't have tea - I'm the only northern one. Why would we have tea? Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Tea is a drink, unless it is afternoon tea which is special.

Jinty64 · 09/04/2014 22:30

We eat dinner as a family at 6 pm or 5.30 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays to allow for ds3's piano lessons and beavers. If anyone's not home (ds1 and ds2 are older teenagers) I plate their meal and they microwave it when they come in. Ds3 (7) does homework and music practice when he comes in from school and reading at bedtime. He goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00.

morethanpotatoprints · 09/04/2014 22:32

goingmad

They may be common where you come from and say dinner, like wot a dog has.
Having been raised in Cheshire I'm more familiar with afternoon tea, served on the lawn (thee knows)

goingmadinthecountry · 09/04/2014 22:44

Dinner is an evening meal, afternoon tea is an experience and tea is the word working class people down here use for their evening meal. Dinner is never to be eaten at lunchtime. Afternoon tea is, as you say, best served on the lawn, perhaps just after pooling around at tennis. It's not a daily meal.

goingmadinthecountry · 09/04/2014 22:51

Maybe I've just been around the block too many times to get involved in these discussions. Am v v old with 4 children so a little hardened at the edges.

Impatientismymiddlename · 10/04/2014 07:05

Middle class people as well as working class people where I live call their evening meal 'tea' and their lunchtime meal 'dinner'. I refuse to call them that as tea is either a drink or a late afternoon sandwich and cake in between meal.

Bigmrsdragon · 10/04/2014 07:17

Mine have dinner between 6-7 unless they have beavers/cubs. Then they have dinner at 5:30-6

WipsGlitter · 10/04/2014 07:27

Me and the DSs get in around 5.20. DP about 6.15 and we all eat then. DS2 goes to be 7ish and DS1 at 8. Baths on Wednesday and Sunday. Homework is done at after school reading done between 7-8 (only one gets homework).

They are starving when they get in so can have fruit while they wait for tea.

mousmous · 10/04/2014 07:30

7
but they have a sandwich after school.

Kahlua4me · 10/04/2014 07:57

Our routine seems to work well for us, but it has taken ages to reach it! Dc are now 7 and 10

Snack on getting in from school
Homework 5pm, although does vary a bit if clubs etc. Ds is 10 and mostly does his homework before breakfast as up by 6am
Tea about 6pm. Dc help to get it ready and they set and clear the table.
Showers, if having, at 7. If not we try to play a game, cards etc.
Bed by 7.30.

Dh is often in by 6 for tea but if not I eat with dc and he has his after they are asleep.

Slackgardener · 10/04/2014 12:22

Really! who cares what you call the food you eat in the evening - you understood what the op meant!

Aboyandabunny · 10/04/2014 12:30

Exactly slack, MN never fails!
My DS 10 has tea during the week at DMs with her around 4.30pm, he wouldn't be able to wait any longer. DH and I pick him up around 6.

Impatientismymiddlename · 10/04/2014 14:44

Really! who cares what you call the food you eat in the evening - you understood what the op meant!

If you read through the thread it is apparent that some people didn't know what the OP meant by 'tea'.

morethanpotatoprints · 10/04/2014 16:02

Sorry, I started the tea/dinner as a joke with a fellow x northerner. it was supposed to be tongue in cheek, but apologise if people got the wrong impression. Thanks
However, the difference does interest me in whether with some people it is a class distinction, or a geographical distinction.
As you were