Share your tips with Birds Eye: how do you manage the after-school evening routine? £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

With the new term officially up and running, getting your DC back into a good routine after the holidays can be tricky; from juggling after-school clubs, homework, chores, mealtimes and bedtimes. Birds Eye want to know your top tips on managing your family's evening routine.

Here’s what Birds Eye have to say: "Evening times are extremely busy for young families, and at Birds Eye we’re committed to helping mum and dad when it comes to easing stress at teatime. Our entire chicken range has just been awarded Mumsnet Rated, following an independent tasting panel judging us on our taste and quality - this is something we are incredibly proud of. All of our chicken is made with 100% chicken breast, and can be cooked in 20 mins. It is also packed with protein, and has no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and makes a great addition to a nutritionally balanced meal. Convenience without the guilt, freeing up your evening for other important tasks."

So, do you opt for great meals from the freezer? Is there a no-TV-until-homework-is-finished rule? Or maybe you take inspiration from this ‘fidget spinner chores’ and turn your evening routines into a fun game? Whatever it is, Birds Eye want to hear it!

Share your top tips on the thread below and every MNer who posts will be entered into a prize draw. One lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a £300 Amazon voucher.

Thanks, and good luck.

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[insancerre]

My tip is not too many after school clubs
They are just not necessary and eat into family time

[ggjacks]

I try to be organised! Have some meals ready prepped and some night use freezer food when there is limited time! A favourite of my sons is frozen breaded chicken with salad in a wrap, quick and easy! Homework as soon as we are in the door, then get dinner ready, some nights I manage to sit down before 9!

[Jocelynne123]

We have a rule that we all sit at the table together for dinner and discuss our day. Then everybody helps clean up xx

[VickyRsuperstar]

We take the kids to the park while the weather is still nice for a short play time. Then we go home and make a quick snack. This might be pizza, cereal or something else just to tide them over until we cook the main meal later on when the older children come in from school. I make them put all their bags and shoes away and find any homework. After that its TV or time to play on the computer while I make the main meal. Birds Eye Chicken dippers and mashed potato with peas always goes down really well for those days we get short of time!

[ItsAMackerel]

We don't get in until after 5pm but DC often manages to get homework done at school which helps.

Otherwise it's home, change into comfy clothes and finish any homework (with a drink and a small snack). Tea tends to be sandwiches, soup, beans/egg/mackerel on toast with yogurt and fruit since they have a good, hot meal at lunchtime. DH and I eat later on. I rarely cook for DC in the evenings although there might be the odd fish finger sandwich!

We do try to have a rule that we stay in the kitchen until homework and tea is finished. After that I'm happy for them to relax until bath/bed - watch tv, play with electronics, play games etc.

[NerrSnerr]

After preschool my daughter is exhausted so we either watch telly or play quiet games like puzzles until bedtime.

[Sleepysausage]

We eat homemade food almost every night. We have a freezer full of home made meals for nights when time is short or we just can't be bothered

[BellaVida]

Evenings usually go like this:

• wait for DC to finish activities or matches at different times & gives the waiting ones a snack.
  
• Get home and immediately start homework at kitchen table.
  
• Cook tea whilst simultaneously supervising homework, testing spellings, mental maths etc etc etc. Bought a small chest freezer which makes quick meals easier.
  
• Iron uniform and lay out in piles for next day whilst DC eat.
  
• Sort night wear then showers or baths.
  
• Milk, reading time & bed for 3 DC. Eldest goes later.
  
• Any other jobs like dishwasher, rubbish out, preparing my work clothes etc.
  
• My shower then light dinner before bed or falling asleep in the sofa if I am really tired!

[JemIsMyNameNooneElseIsTheSame]

DS has only just started Reception and is exhausted, so there has been lots of TV watching, and luckily no homework or reading to fit in yet. We always sit down to eat together. On the days I work, it's something quick like beans on toast or soup, the other days will be something 'proper'. Bath, story and bed as early as possible at the moment.

[CherriesInTheSnow]

My DD is preschool age but life around that and work is still hectic even with a SAHP!

Meal prep is helpful as well as planning the odd "off" night at least once a week day where we can shove something in the oven and watch a movie together.

[Sillysausage123]

I give my son a snack and a drink as soon as he gets in and then homework and tea later on

[torthecatlady]

A snack! Usually a piece of fruit and milk as ds is ravenous.

Homework (if any).

If uniform is salvageable for another days wear, it comes off before anything messy and hung up! If it's dirty, in the wash basket and a change of clothes.

A quick play while I'm getting some food ready. We try to eat as a family as much as possible (not always) and always at the dinner table.

Clear the table. Then some more playing or some screen time (favourite is currently Pokemon) while I do the dishes.

Some family bonding.

Bath if necessary and teeth.

Into Pjs and some winding down time.

Toilet first, then to bed with the gang of Pokemon teddies. A bedtime story and lights off (minus the nightlight)!

Then we crash! (I'm worn out just typing this!)

[villagefox]

After school is a bit of a mixed bag depending on whether we have clubs to attend. Monday and Tuesday are quiet evenings and I try to make sure that as much homework as possible is done on those nights. The remaining three school nights are a blur of activity with everyone eating at different times. We always ensure that we have completed our reading on these days and can often be heard doing spellings in the car or in the swimming pool changing rooms :)

[HairsprayBabe]

Slow cooker with a timer changed my life! Means we can have home cooked meals everyday with less than 15 mins in the kitchen before serving up!

I do a decent amount of prep on a sunday evening, usually 1/2 hour for the whole week is plenty (chopping and freezing etc.) then in the morning tip the ingredients in, set the timer and get on with my day!

We have a no ipads/phones rule after dinner so we can wind down and chill with out constantly being interrupted by social media.

[Laaadyofthehousespeaking]

We come home from school, empty their bags so I can wash their lunch boxes & drink bottles and I'll check for any notes/homework. Kids will then get on with their homework which I will then check before everything is packed into their bags for the next day. They can go out to play until dinners ready at around 5.30/6 and then we'll read before I take them to bed at 7. Eat. Sleep. School run. Repeat

[PeasAndHarmony]

I do a food shop, the laundry and ironing and prep some meals on my non working days so I have the bare minimum to do when we get home from school/ work as everyone is knackered after a long day.

We get in at 6pm, dinner at 6.30, shower at 7.15, story and bed at 7.30.

Then I wash up, sort school bags and packed lunches out for the morning and have a well deserved glass of wine!.

Homework gets done at the weekend.

[Rigbyroo]

Kids have school dinners most days so I feel pretty confident they've had a cooked meal. We do tend to eat more convenience food during the week eg pre marinated chicken, pre prepared pies etc. Something that I can easily cook in 30 min so we have time for reading, spellings, bath, stories. Feels like there's always so much to cram in.

[vaseandcandle]

I find the hard part about the evening routine is we don't get much quality time. I'm preparing dinner, then eating dinner, then cleaning away, then bath, then bed. My DC does help with the meal prep and we chat over dinner, but I don't get to have relaxed play time with him, it's always on to the next thing so we can get to bed at a reasonable time.

[Snafflebrain]

I have everything prepped before my kids arrive home. Drink and snack already made and set out on the table usually with a game or Lego. Change of clothes already brought downstairs. I couldn’t stand the whines of kids as they stepped through door of being tired/hungry/thirsty and this way minimises it. Once they’ve eaten and had a drink they morph back into normal human beings and they put their school clothes away.