Share your after-school routine here please, and help prevent meltdown in my house

[foxtrot]

How do you deal with the after-school grouchiness that (here anyway) sets in the minute we get home?

we hang around playing in the various playgrounds on the school grounds and are usually the last ones to leave the premises, seems to wear ds1 out sufficiently

we have snack and usually half hour of telly, mine are usually starving

but thats after a shouting match as the boots and shoes get flung n the floor and NOT hung up/put away - i would like to know where to buy coats that hang themselves, cos dd seems to think she ahs one already

Low blood sugar and tiredness.
Park for a run around followed by fruity snack or slice of toast until tea time.

Definately keeping them outside as long as possible, fresh air works wonders whatever the weather. Mine start fighting on the way home from school usually because they are hungry so they get a plate of fruit sliced up and some crackers and a drink then I have to get them back out within half an hour to an hour or I give in to the afternoon low myself.

a big bowl of fruit does wonders. ds 5 then sits in front of the telly for a while and just chills. and im such a bad mother i let him stay there as long as he wants.

always have a snack on the way home from school (you would swear they've not been allowed access to food for months the way they look starving when they come out)

and then, if they are very tired and grouchy, some TV

Snack and telly here too. Then they go back and hang up coats and put shoes away. Well, dd does. Ds copies her ineffectually.

1/2 an hour of chill- hot chocolate and cut up apple. I have taken to lighting the fire about 4pm. i get dd to do her reading first.
then spellings while i get the dinner started. then she goes off to do her written homework if there is one. then i have a coffee and a mumsnet!
a bit of violin practice. dh comes home.dd is allowed 1/2 hour on the computer and then we have dinner.

Snack (fruit or scone or toast) and drink (hot chocolate at the moment )

The they spend a bit of time playing - DS1 (7) often on computer, DS2 (4) with lego/ playmobil etc.

If we're at home we have a 'no TV before 5 pm rule' - that way they often get engrossed in something and forget about TV!

But some days one or other of them has the following:

• Judo
• Drama
• Trampolining
• Friend over

and on Weds we always go out to the library and soemtimes out for tea.

Crikey - written down it sounds quite structured - it always FEELS like chaos !

In this order:
Fresh air and exercise
Snack and a drink (often haven't drunk enough at school)
Play without direction
Very occasionally Blue Peter
Occasionally some homework, but often drawing or Hama beads or some such
Supper
Bath
Story
Bed