Reply to Working parents, what do you do with kids on weekday evenings?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I work in an office downtown and live in Fairfax. And I am home by 5 almost every day. Because that is what this season of life requires. My kids have sports practices nearly every day so our evenings are rushed in a different way than yours- quick dinner, out the door, quick snack, bed time. On days we don't have practices we go for a walk, go to the playground or maybe run an errand. There are usually kids riding bikes in the neighborhood and my kids will join in.

Anyway my point is mainly to note that you need to figure out a work schedule that had a spouse home earlier each day. Like I said, I do it even with a messy commute. My team knows that days I'm working in the office I leave at 4pm. But from 9 to 4 I am very dedicated and available and fully focused on work. From 4pm on I'm focused on my family. It is possible.[/quote]

Such a typical DCUM response. What you mean is that it’s possible FOR YOU. The vast majority of parents go into work and work required hours in person. You live in an UMC bubble. No matter what I do, I cannot pick up my kids before 5:30 and we don’t get home until 6:15. I am a teacher and need to work my after school job in order to pay the bills. My second job ends at 5:30 and I pick the kids up around 6pm. If I quit the second job, bills won’t get paid. Period. [/quote]

Wait, OP do you actually work this late?  I thought she said that her kids get home late because they are doing numerous weekday after school activities!!

A lot of folks on here are describing these quaint little routines where they take family walks, and eat dinner at 5, and blah blah, blah.  Your kids are obviously still very young or must not be involved in many activities.  I WFH and start early so I log-off every day at 3:30.  But my ES kids are also in activities (which they LOVE!!!) so we can't laze around at home or have dinner at 5 even if I wanted to.

Also, FWIW, my 4 year old goes to bed between 8:30 and 9, but doesn't gets up until 7:30.  It works great for us.

The key for you OP sounds to be some meal planning so you have an arsenal of very simple and quick dinners or some pre-made dinners.  And then from there less screen time and more time doing something together (although some screen time to decompress is ok).  [/quote]

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