What is your routine after school?

SmlSave

My son has just started school :j

But bedtime tonight was hard work. He had a snack when home and wanted to veg. Wouldn't eat dinner but played nicely. As soon as bedtime was imminent...' I'm hungry....

So, what do you do?

Do you offer snacks? Just dinner?

fabforty

My son has also just started school. We get home at 3.30pm. He has a drink (usually a smoothie as this helps to fill him up but not too much) and then I do his main meal early at 4.30pm. At 7pm just before bed he has warm milk and toast. Bed at 7.30pm ish. If mine was hungry before dinner I would offer fruit or raisins or bring dinner forward a little (15 minutes or so).

heuchera

I would serve dinner late afternoon, maybe 5 or 5.30, and milk and a biscuit or crackers just before bed if he's hungry.

themull1

My kids come in at about 3.45 and have their tea at about 5, if they're hungry later they'll pinch something out of the kitchen!

bylromarha

When mine were that age, it was a snack + drink between hometime and 4pm after they got changed out of school uniform.

Dinner at 5pm.

Bath at 6pm.

Bed at 7pm.

onlyroz

Mine get a snack at the after-school club and then dinner at about 6:30. Any snacks or treats after that is dependent on how much of their dinner they ate.

LilElvis

I take my 5 year old a snack to eat when I collect her at 3. Some fruit, buttered crackers or breadsticks. We often go to the park with other children so they all share their snacks around.

Louk

We have a snack when we get home, before 4, get changed out of uniform (a physical reminder that school is done which I think is really important) tea at 5 bath at 6, bedtimes are a little earlier than usual as he is so tired (mine has just started yr 1 but it was similar last year) so at the moment around 6.30. He has school dinners so I don't make a big meal for tea often its sandwiches, soup or baked beans and bits.

My son has to read for ten minutes everyday as part of his homework and I find I get better results in the morning at the moment.

Nearly every child I know is worn out by school at the moment, getting used to new classes bear with it, it will improve.

Alikay

A snack as soon as we get home (3.30 ish) typically a glass of milk and a piece of cake, a small banana or crackers and cheese while we chat about the day, then vegging out in front of some non-demanding TV like CBeebies until they feel up to playing. Dinner when DH gets home around 5.30, then we play with them at jigsaws, lego, board games or a maybe a walk before starting the bedtime routine just before 7. Settled into bed by 7.30 after a story for this age group.

This has been a pretty consistant routine for our own 3 children (now in their 20's) and several foster children...works for us

Counting_Pennies_2

Try giving a pot or raisins or something the instant he gets out of school then have a meal keeping warm for when he gets home and fill him up nutritionally when he is ravenous.


Definitely veg out after school, however perhaps try to do something with him, reading him a book, playing an easy game, so he isn't zombie-fied in the run up to bed.


Often give mine a small sandwich, or banana just before bed. I find cheese or apples give nightmares or tummy aches


hth

onlyroz

To all of you putting your school age kids to bed at 7 or earlier, when do you find time for homework, reading, learning spellings, times-tables practice etc etc that the school expects us to do every day?

We normally haven't finished clearing up the pots from dinner by that time, let alone started on homework.