# after school routine. snacks, dinner and bedtime.



## DCS

DS started reception last week and I'm wondering what others do. 
We normally get back for about 3.30 then I've been putting the dinner on.UUsually takes about another 15minutes, iI usually cook something earlier and reheat or pop something on before we leave. Then dinner. Then they will usually have some fruit about 5.30/5.45 and up for baths at 6. Every other weekday DS will be asleep for 6.45. Other days its closer to 7.30. He usually wakes up at about 6.30

I also have dd who is 14 months so we usually do everything at the same time. 
OH works evenings 2 days a week, they are usually the days DS is asleep early. The other days he will read with OH in bed before he sends him away to do some dishes. 

I just wonder if that sounds OK. I know its an early bedtime but he does seem to need the sleep. And sleeps through. If he can't sleep he just chats to himself or looks through a couple books.


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## vaniilla

That seems fine to me, all children need different amounts of sleep, as long as they're waking up refreshed that's all that matters.

Lo doesn't start full time till the end of the month but his routine will be much the same as it is now - 

lo wakes up at 7am or just before and comes into our room to wake me up, we go downstairs and put on tv 
7:30am breakfast & getting dressed 
set off for school at 8:15am with DH
come back home by 1pm or 4pm
snack time at 4pm
4:30pm ish we do 10 minutes of phonics, a 10 minute break and 10 minutes of maths games
5pm free play time/tv
6pm 10 minutes of reading 
6:30pm dinner
7pm wind down time - no more vigorous games allowed, we generally cuddle up on the sofa to watch something 
7:30pm - upstairs for the bedtime routine - quick shower, brush teeth and in bed for a story, if DH is home in good time he will do this - if not then I will and DH reads the bedtime at 8pm when he gets in. He'll then fall asleep anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour.


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## caz_hills

I'm in the same boat still figuring it out as my son started last week too.

So far he is coming home at 1.30 as they are increasing the hours slowly but my plan is:

315 collect and be home by 330
Drink and light snack
Playing
Then homework (I guess?) for ten minutes
Tea at about 5
Play after tea until six
TV time 6-630 and milk (he still loves having a cup of milk before bed!)
Bath and then books
Lights out by 715

But who knows how it will work!


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## RachA

Sometimes it's best to see how things go over a few weeks. If your DS is ok with what you are doing then stick with it. 

We tend to be fairly fluid as OH isn't always back at the same time each day plus on some days DS needs to have dinner early. 
We tend to get home around 3.30. 
They have some fruit to snack on. 
Then they'll play inside or out until dinner time (5.15 Mon/Fri, 6.30 the rest of the week). 
Then it's homework/bath and best for around 8pm. 
They wake up between 7 and 8. 

One thing you will need to consider is doing homework. Obviously if they wake up early then they may want to do it then.


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## Eleanor ace

DS started last week too. We do:
Up at 6/6.30
School at 8:45
Home at 3.45, we either have a snack on the way home or as soon as we're home. 
Playtime, and we'll incorporate some phonics homework time (10 minutes) soon 
Dinner 5.30/6- we eat with DH once he's home from work most days
Bath time 6.30/6.45
Stories and milk
Bedtime 7/7.15pm


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## DCS

He doesnt realy get homework. Needs to practice his numbers and precursive letters which he will usualy do at the table while dinners finishing up or once he has eaten. He also has to read a book, well we jave to read it together but he likes to do that before bed. 

I have noticed, ajnce he started reception he doesnt realh play when he gets home or in the mornings. He usualy has pens and paper out and is practicing his letters and numbers out of choice. So i dont realy push it on him after school, since he does it without being asked.


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## sequeena

Thomas just started reception too. Last week He was in until 11.30. This week He is in until 1. He is there less but He is sleeping 7/7.30-6 45/7.15. He is exhausted.


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## Vickie

Hannah is 7 so he goes to bed a little later but at 4-6 she went to bed at 7.

Our routine is she gets off the bus around 3:45
We go home and she has a snack (usually whatever is left in her lunch box)
Play outside (weather permitting) until dinner at 5:30. 
Upstairs for bath at 6:45
Bed between 7:30-8

She starts getting nightly homework next week so I'll have to try to figure out how to incorporate that.

She gets up between 7-7:45.


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## george83

My lo has only just started reception as well so his routine might change. At the minute we do this on a typical day:

At 3.15 we leave school, either go to the park if we can or he plays outside with his friends. If we're at home he'll have a snack (usually fruit and cheese or fruit and biscuit) some time before half 4. His tea is usually between 5 and half past. If it's a bath night he's in the bath for 6 o'clock. He then has quiet time downstairs until quarter 7 when we watch bed time stories and then go to bed. He usually then sleeps through until 7ish the next morning


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## Bex84

My daughter just started to. We leave for school about 8.35 am so generally just let dd wake up naturally as she is always awake on time. Generally she gets up about 7. I pick up 3.25 and get home about 3.35. She gets changed out of school uniform, we look at her reading books then I do snack, she then has some play time and tv time. We eat about 6pm when husband gets home then she gets time to play while I get bath ready, she then has bath with her brother then gets stories and some music on to fall asleep to. She generally goes to bed 7.30, but by Friday she has been falling asleep earlier


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## Lauraxamy

We're home for 3:30ish
I get my daughter changed into comfy clothes, she has a drink and a snack.
Then we do various things really, sometimes we visit my grandparents for an hour/go to the park/let them play outside, etc.
Dinner is around 5:30-6:00
We then do reading if she wants to or if she has a new book
6:45-7:00pm is bath time then straight to bed


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## DCS

It looks like his bedtimes fairly normal then. Maybe we are having dinner too early. It's so difficult because he has a swimming lesson at 6 on a Thursday, and OHS mum pops round twice a week at 5. Maybe I need to look at what I could move around. Dd also gets too tired to eat after a certain point which usually depends on her nap, or lack of. Maybe I will just see how we go and see how it is in a couple weeks.


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## Bex84

I know quite a few people who do dinner as soon as get home so don't think that its unusual. We only wait till 6 as that's when husband is home and we like to eat as family


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## Vickie

^as above. I know people whose kids have an early dinner and they eat later. I prefer us to all eat the same things and together as a family so we eat together (luckily my DH works from home so it's not difficult to get dinner on the table by 5:30 most nights). Do whatever works best for you :)


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## sarah0108

Im so glad i read this! I get told all the time i put my kids to bed too early (6:30-7pm) but its always worked for us and they sleep for about 12 hours.

We usually get in from school about 3:30-3:45, they have a snack aboout 4 ish and tea at 5. Then its bath, books etc after that.


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## DCS

sarah0108 said:


> Im so glad i read this! I get told all the time i put my kids to bed too early (6:30-7pm) but its always worked for us and they sleep for about 12 hours.
> 
> We usually get in from school about 3:30-3:45, they have a snack aboouut 4 ish and tea at 5. Then its bath, books etc after that.

I always get this too. They both wake so early and if i leave it any later I end up with meltdowns and 2 over tired little people which is no fun for anyone. When DS Dropped his naps he was going to bed at 5.30. I kept trying to keep him up but he would just fall asleep on the sofa so I figured I would go with what he needs. 

We All still eat together. Oh only works 3 days, he starts at 2.30 and doesn't finish till 10. On them days I eat with the kids and OH will eat when he gets in. It was such a difficult adjustment at first because I was used to eating at 9ish But when DS started eating we had to start eating much earlier. 

I remember when I was aat school, we would come home and have something like fish fingers and chips or pizza at like 4 then have a big Indian meal at around 8/9.


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## CaptainMummy

Paige is up around 7am.

We get home from school about 3.20 and she either has a snack on the way home or as soon as we get in. 
Dinner is about 4.30/5pm although since she started school it is usually closer to 4.30. She and my 2yr old go to bed together around 7/7.30pm. I usually offer them cereal/toast/porridge before bed.


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## KatieB

Louis has a snack walking home, he's hungry as he barely eats at school but hoping this will improve. Dinner is about 5pm, bathtime around 6.30/6.45pm and supper (always a small cheese sandwich these days lol) around 7.15/30pm. Wish he would go to bed earlier but there's no way he'd be asleep at 7/7.30! He is in bed around 8pm, story in bed and lights out by 8.15pm on a good night, asleep 8.30pm(ish). He wakes up around 7.30am.


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## Boomerslady

I'm going to have to come up with a whole new routine, I start a full time job on Mon so the 2 days I get him (mon and tues) he'll be going to an after school club and I'll pick him uo around 6.15, should be home for half past. 

They offer a light dinner but he's always hungry, and a fussy eater so I'll have to put something on as soon as we get in. Hopefully that'll be done by 10 to 7, he'll finish eating by 7.15, then bath and bed.

At the moment he has dinner at 4ish, and wind down/bath at 6.30, so it's going to be a change for him! He struggles to sleep though and fights it until 8ish so I'm stupidly hoping he might just crash out!


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## Kate&Lucas

Lucas gets out of school at 3.15pm and most days has a snack on the way (usually sweets/treats - I've given up policing it at this point as I don't do the pick up). Otherwise he'll have a snack at my mums, usually fruit or crackers.
Typically I'm home from work just after 3.30pm and we get back to mine for 4pm. Dinner is ready between 5-6pm and he's in bed by 7-7.30pm.
I find this routine works really well for us. If I feed him earlier he's hungry and restless at bedtime (whereas like this he just crashes out). I've heard that he goes to bed too early for his age but I have to drag him up of a morning so I couldn't make it any later (though he's going through sleep studies at the moment so that might change in the future).


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## KayBea

we get home at 3.10 & she will get herself changed while i get her a small snack, few grapes or strawberries etc.

dinner is at 4.30 & bed is 5.30-6pm

wake her up at 7.30am


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## DCS

Honestly so glad to read other people have a early dinner/ bedtime. As much as I'm all for following the kids lead I sometimes worry I'm doing it wrong.


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## KayBea

DCS said:


> Honestly so glad to read other people have a early dinner/ bedtime. As much as I'm all for following the kids lead I sometimes worry I'm doing it wrong.

if i keep her up past 6 shes super grumpy the next day!!! i also like to give her an hour between dinner & bed to let her food go down, do stories, bath, puzzles or tv time etc x


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## mummy_ellie09

Josh wakes himself up anywhere between 6 and half past, very rarely after half past. Breakfast at 7. We leave for school at 8.20(it starts at 8.45 and he likes some time to play before)

School finishes at 3.30. We don't usually leave the playground til 3.45 and then sometimes don't even leave from outside school til 4 cause of standing and chatting lol So by the time we get home its either 4 or 4.15. If its the latter, I just let J have a frube yoghurt. If its the earlier, then I let him have a bag of crisps or something. Tea is at 5 or just after. Bed is at 7


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## dizzy65

IMO It sounds like you are doing it right! 

our after school routine is:

Gets off the bus at 315pm
he finishes off what is left in his lunch of after school snack
we eat dinner at around 5
a bath between 545-6
a story teething brushing and in bed by 630


he wakes up at 630am.. i found it really helps for him to get his full 12 hours in.. he does better the next day..

I also have a 2 year old, he shares a room with my older one so i put him to bed an hour after my oldest is in bed to ensure that he won't wake my oldest up :)


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## upsy daisy1

Mia finishes school at 3:30. We walk home sometimes or if daddy is home we take the car. Home by 4. She will have a treat on the way home if walking. I put dinner on...usually eat around 5. She will go play for a bit. Bath at 6 then watch something till bed time at 7. I will lay with her for 5 mins before lights out. Now we have a new baby sometimes the routine goes out the window no matter how hard we try!


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## caz_hills

Well we are now in th swing of the routine.

We do:

3.15 pm collect him from school
Home by 3.30 pm
Snack and 10 minutes of TV
Play until tea (we haven't had any homework yet but I'm imagine doing it here)
5 pm tea
6 pm some TV before bath
6.30 pm bath
7 pm books in bed
7.10 pm lights out

I too find that he needs as much sleep as he can - if I put him to bed at 630 I think he would sleep!


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