What is your average after school routine?

[Starbear]

Ds has just started school. I thought after school would be a fun time but I've already fallen into a rubbish routine. It goes like this Change clothes, MN cup of tea & paper for me. Get angry with Ds over him not able to learn letters. Then I clam down & play with him outdoors THEN start tea really late while he watches TV on his own and rush for him to get to bed as he has early starts and needs his sleep. Just some tips pls on a nice routine that will keep us both happy!!!!

Calm not clam down HOW can he possibly learn if Mum is rubbish

After school/school nursery routine for my ds7, dd5, ds4 is this:

Wash hands,

Snack

Homework

Get changed

freetime for whatever they want, usually nintendo/garden/tv/reading playing, while I make tea.

Tea is at 6 when DH gets in, then bed time routing from 6.30 onwards, youngest in bed by 7, eldest by 8.

Dosen't always go smoothly, especially the homework bit for the eldest, as he hates writing! But they know once its done and out the way the time is their own.

On nights when we have no activities :

Get home unpack bags check for letters fill in a huge pile of forms usually. Swear about having to make a costume by friday etc.

Kids eat the biscuits and drinks ready on table

Sit down and do homework before then can get into anything else

Then they play while i cook food

Bath/bed time for little ones 7

If mornings are calmer maybe you could do reading then. Have you tried learning letters in the bath ? It really worked with us. You can get packs of foam letters - just put the current ones he is learning in the bath and ask him to pass you certain ones - make it into a game.

Come in, change clothes, have a snack (she's always starving after school)

Chill out for AT LEAST half an hour (dd1 is Y1 and she still gets knackered, particularly toward end of week). She will either potter in her room, draw, or watch TV

Then she will generally do what she wants, normally plays with dd2 or will sometimes just carry on chilling

I'll get on with dinner (normally 5-5.30ish)

Then they both go mental after dinner (think young chimps) so I try and nip this in the bud by sitting down and playing with them

A board game is best, IMO, or Lego

Get ready for bed about 6.30, stories and in bed by 7pm

OPEN WINE TIME

I have DS1 who has just started school. We walk home often stopping at the park. I normally bring a snack for the way home. Then I let him play when we get back - maybe with the neighbours kids. We then have dinner about 5.30 with DH and other DS. We do reading after dinner - one kid per adult. Then tele until start of bedtime routine at 7. He is normally in bed for 7.30 with light out at 8.

Snack/drink
Get changed
I empty lunch bag/nag dd about what she has/hasn't eaten
Check school bag, find scrumpled up letter at bottom that has been hiding for a week - luckily it's just a sweatshirt order form and they are a)hideously expensive and b)oddly sized
text a friend - example question: is it non-uniform day this week?
Check for homework. Don't do it.
DD asks if she can play on my computer. I pretend that this is a massive favour, secretly I am rejoicing because I need to make dinner.
Make dinner, ds under my feet with cars etc. Take breaks to 'phone' Fireman Sam occasionally, or sort out paper jam/lack of ink for dd who is making endless versions of Darby's bedroom and printing them all. Try to remember if we imposed a printing limit.
Finish making dinner as dh arrives home. chivvy everyone to table (including dh)
Eat dinner/clear up
Do homework.
Play for a bit.
Bed for the kids. True Blood and Doritos for us.

TBH I think you probably need to sacrifice your mumsnet, cup of tea and newspaper!

I have two children and our house is (organised) chaos at this time of day.

DD comes in and gets chnged then I give her a snack (usually malt loaf and milk). She's allowed to watch telly for a while so I can go through her bag, clean her lunchbox etc. I usually make up the lunchbox for next day at this time too.

Then we do any homework she's got and I put the tea on for her to eat around half past five. I feed the baby while the tea is cooking.

6.15 it's bathtime. We don't come downstairs after that as it's story time and "chat" (which is sometimes a chat and sometimes an activity like colouring or doing a puppet show in bed or looking at a book like the atlas).

It's knackering. Every day feels like groundhog day, but it's not forever and I think one day I'll look back and feel nostalgic for it so that's what gets me through (and the gin, obv...)

alison56Noooooooooooooooooooooo! (I know just nagging me pls)

Thank you all so far. I read these properly tonight, not at 4pm & write a summary of this afternoon and look at the adjustements I can make from all of your suggestions

I have 3 dcs two boys (7 and 5) and dd who is nearly 9 months.

First thing I do is make sure I've fed dd and changed her nappy just before I go to fetch the boys so that she is happy and comfortable.

At the school I have to pick up ds2 from the infants first, then go round to pick up ds1 from the juniors, then send ds1 back inside at least 3 times to fetch the things he's forgotton.

When we get home the boys have to take their shoes and coats off and put them away, then put their lunchboxes by the sink.

Next its upstairs to change out of their uniforms while I prepare a drink and snack for them, followed by giving me any letters etc they have in their bags. I read the letters and fill in any forms or reply slips while they eat their snacks, then they stay at the table to do their homework and I sit with them to help.

After written homeworks we all snuggle up on the sofa with dd and they take turns to read their school reading books to us all.

Finally, ds1 always says "can I have my nintendo time now?" and I say yes they can go and play (assuming he hasn't forfeited nintendo time by commiting some heanous crime - usually picking on his brother or answering back). BadPoet I do the whole going on the computer/nintendo is a huge favour - whilst secretly wanting them to disappear to their room for a while routine as well.

Ds1 has half an hour on the nintendo and then 'helps' ds2 have his half an hour on the pc. Then they play until tea is ready.

I get half an hour to MN drink a coffee and play with dd, before I start the tea.

Dh gets home just as tea is ready, we eat together and then dh does the boys' bedtime routine as he doesn't get enough time with them otherwise.

hmm get them safely home
tell dd1 to do homework
stop them killing each other
try and think of something for tea
pray for 7pm
put them to bed

Something like this at the moment-
*Get home, wash hands, coats, shoes away, check for school letters/papers/ class marks/anything I have to do for school.
*Homework with a snack for bigger ones, others play &/or watch tv whilst I make dinner - they've already had a snack whilst waiting for the others. Or go outside with little ones whilst others do their homework.
*Dinner at 5.30/6.00 or play outside with dinner at 6.30/7.00. Bigger ones look after dog either before or after dinner.

• Piano, baths, playtime/computer time for eldest *Bed about 8.30, 9.00 for eldest & dh holds dd whilst she falls asleep - she's in bed by 9.30/10.00

DD just started school

Walk home.
Change clothes.
Snack.
That takes to about 4ish. Rest together on sofa with reading books and/or board games until about 5.20 (unless we have a playdate). Do homework reading books (if playdate, we do them in the morning).

Make dd a small dinner which she eats while I cook dinner for dh (and me) for after 6. (Doesn't work to eat together anymore, unfortunately).

Dd usually stays to chat or plays/colours/draws while we eat. Sometimes watches TV.

Dh takes her up for teeth/jammies about 6.45 and I read stories to 7.30 (we've brought bedtime forward from 8).

The most surprising thing is how little TV she watches now - very unexpected.

Reading back - seems odd to do that every afternoon perhaps but she goes to CM 2 days and playdate maybe one day so we both look forward to the snack-books-games session on the other 2-3 days. If it was every day - we would probably go to the park or something like that somedays.

DD1 has just started school and our "routine" is similar to TrinityRhino's. DD1 always knackered and v grumpy with dd2 (3yrs) who's not particularly fresh either at that time, and dd3 (15m) is underfoot trying to get a look in, poor soul!

Other people's lives always sound so much more peaceful.

Don't be fooled. I do try to stick to the routine, but very often its anything but peaceful.

There are the usual arguments about not wanting to do homework, the 20 reminders per child for every step of the routine and then the inevitable attempts to kill each other whilst playing in their room to deal with.

Most days its ok-ish, other days, particularly if they have had PE or an after school club and are tired, it can be really hard work. I still find its worth sticking to the routine though, as if we have to do things differently for some reason their behaviour always seems worse.

Thank you for the tips. Ds had a meltdown on Friday as he was so hungry.
So I think our routine is going to be this
Come home, change out of uniform. Snack & cuppa for me. Then home work for 15 mins. Around 5pm he can watch T.V while I make tea. Have tea and play with Mum until 6.30pm then up to bed for wash, P.j's & stories. if DH arrives then dad can read the story.
No more MN for me until Ds in bed!promise!