What does your 4th/5th grader do after school?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| They have sports and/or tutoring in the evening, so directly after school they play with neighborhood friends, either at our house or theirs. Sometimes they watch TV or play on iPad, but only if others are busy or sick. Seems to be a pretty healthy mix of social and activity, so I let them self direct what they want to do. |
Anonymous
|
5th grade DD- she spends her after school time playing with her younger brother or with the cat, reading, crafting and on the iPad. She also does volleyball a few nights and likes to do a yoga video or two. She and I also do nightly walks to get some fresh air after dinner.
On the iPad, it's talking to her friends and watching craft/baking/make up videos. She also can play the Switch instead of tablet. |
Anonymous
| During the week my 4th grader does not do screens because she does not have time. She gets home at 3:45 (at school until 3:30). Two days a week she has activities from 4-6. Other two days from 5 to 6. She also has homework every day that takes about 30-60 min. She practice her instrument a bit and might draw if she has any time off. On weekends she watches a few hours of tv. My kids aren’t into video games. |
Anonymous
|
She gets a snack and has 30-45 minutes of TV time to decompress. She then has to read for 60 minutes or play outside (if there's no sports practice later). After she's done that, she's free to play games or watch more TV.
This routine has worked out great. I've found that she's much less resistant to reading when she has the option to go outside instead. Sometimes she'll pick reading outside on nice afternoons and stay out there for a couple of hours. Same with when she opts to play outside instead of reading, she'll end up playing for longer than 60 minutes. Not heavily restricting TV/game/iPad time makes it less enticing for her, at least in our experience. Typical afternoon w/o soccer practice: -Home by 2:40 & grabs a snack to watch tv -Usually starts reading or playing outside by 3:30 for at least an hour but usually longer -4:45 - piano on Wednesdays -Dinner at 6ish -Dinner over & bath done by 6:45 -7-8 - TV/iPad/game time -8:30 bed for reading and asleep by 9 |
Anonymous
|
snack, TV, or iPad before going to dance, soccer, or whatever is scheduled later on (4/5 days).
Instrument practice too, but that takes some cajoling. |
Anonymous
|
Roblox, Zelda, creating youtube videos. I don't even know what DC does there.
Good thing is that we argue in Espanol. Today I promised to buy robux so he would go to Espanol class and not whine about it. |
Anonymous
|
Mostly reads, but also art, instrument practice, playing with dog.
Gets home from school about 3:30 and we eat by 6:00, it's just not that much time. I allow iPad / Switch if requested and instrument practice is done. |
Anonymous
|
OP here.
The reason I ask is because we're having trouble get him off screens. I can take them away, but then he'll literally sit on his bed and do nothing but pout at the wall for 3-4 hours. He once kept this up for three weeks until we gave him the TV back. It was ridiculous, but it also wasn't improving things, so... No developmental issues (we've had him screened!) He's just incredibly stubborn and has learned he can wait us out, I guess. |
Anonymous
Maybe you need a more moderate rule (rather than all or nothing). FWIW in our house he is allowed 30 minutes on the iPad (i set the screentime limit internally so the apps just go dark then) and then 30 minutes of TV at some point before bed. On weekends they are allowed more. This is not negotiable and every day so my kids go along with it pretty happily. Outside of extra curriculars, they read, chase each other around the house, play with stuff, we sometimes go for walks or to the playground. |
Anonymous
Ne needs more activities then. He can't deal with unstructured time. |
Anonymous
He needs to learn how to deal with unstructured time without screens. |
Anonymous
OP here and I agree. But it's not something I struggled with a child, so I'm not sure how to teach it. |
Anonymous
| We are lucky that the bus doesn’t get home until 4:15. Sometimes he does some of his homework on the bus. When he gets home he gets himself a snack or two. The he does his homework either before or after sports practice (if it’s a day he has practice) depending on whether practice is early or late that day. The schedule is different on different days. If he isn’t doing homework he plays outside or inside with a ball that is allowed in the house because it can’t knock things over. He knows TV isn’t allowed until the last hour or so before bedtime. |
Anonymous
Adding that we have a no tablet or video games during the week rule unless it’s a holiday or he’s home sick. |
Anonymous
| Chores, then look for friends. |