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[quote=Anonymous]First of all, I'll state upfront that I think this is untenable. Unless you're living at or near poverty (and thus doing whatever you can to stay afloat) we would BOTH be looking for jobs with fewer hours or a shorter commute. We both work 9-5 M-F, everyone is home at 5:30, and honestly, that's plenty when you've got little kids.

But aside from that - how old are your kids? If they're old enough to be going to bed after 9pm, they are old enough to shower on their own. I would have them shower while you make dinner. Dinner prep should be fast, so dinner at 7, done at 7:30. That gives you from 7:30-9pm. I would allow 30 minutes of screen time for everyone (you and the kids) until 8pm. That gives you 8pm-9pm for family stuff.

Depending on the exact age of the kids, I'd try: board games, card games, something like Pictionary or Charades, arts and crafts (I find play doh is pretty fun for adults, drawing or coloring can be fun for everyone), puzzles (there are some that have some big pieces and some little piece so that people of all ages can work together, like this https://www.amazon.com/Ceaco-Disney-Bakery-Piece-Puzzle/dp/B08H9ZH99X/ref=sr_1_2), word games, verbal/car games like 20 Questions, going for a family walk, play catch in the back yard, bake together in the kitchen?

I see other people suggesting toys and things like magnatiles, but if you're already tired and struggling to interact together as a family, I would aim for something that's fun for all of you (rather than something you just tolerate), something that's a bit more "all ages." So think about your interests. Do you like board games, crafts, exercise?

Also - I know you're tired, but if you're just going from one chore to the next with some time on screens, you're not get any restorative breaks either. The pull of screens is so strong, but if you switched to doing one of the above activities for an hour instead, you'd struggle at first and then I think you'll find you're less exhausted at the end of the day. [/quote]

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