https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:21:30 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763818 Tue, 01 Aug 2017 11:05:02 +0000 Cole 2763818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Are there any drop in our flexible schedule classes? I sah but my husband loves taking my daughter to classes so we pick things like our music class and do short sessions (they offer 3-4 weeks sessions a few times a year with music together) or swimming at goldfish swim school which lets you just schedule drop in times. When she's scheduled for one of these classes we just factor in the cost of dinner out those nights so she goes to class, they eat out (think Chipotle) and then bedtime right away even if technically it's a bit early since it's also a busier day than usual. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763813 Tue, 01 Aug 2017 10:45:42 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2763813@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: Yup, this is us exactly. We don't do evening classes at this point because we have hellish commutes and most places we would take classes at are a longer drive than we can manage after getting to and from work, but if we had something close, we'd absolutely do it. My 4 year old is a night owl on weekdays because of the daycare nap (we don't nap on weekends), so she would be just fine with a class in the evening. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763792 Tue, 01 Aug 2017 10:24:30 +0000 looch 2763792@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: Also, don't despair, when your son gets older and is in elementary school, you'll probably see that a lot of PTOs put together after school enrichment programs for the kids. It might not be a full range of things, but you might have some martial arts, soccer, an instrument etc. So this way, your kid is there after school, participates in something but it's all done by 4:30 the latest, in time for pick up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763740 Tue, 01 Aug 2017 08:10:12 +0000 Anagram 2763740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: there are a ton of parents in real life whose kids have later bedtimes. One of the moms from my daughters ballet class complained to the school that there aren't any good times for ballet classes for working parents. She asked if the school would do an 8pm class during the week....I was honking who would take an 8pm class!? But a lot of people have kids who go to bed later and wake later. My niece is less than 2, but her bedtime is 11 pm wmd she sleeps till 9 or 10 am. Her mom likes it because the baby sleeps through all the morning breakfast/getting ready rush of the older two kids and doesn't wake up till they are on the school bus. It works for their schedule, it wouldn't work for mine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763739 Tue, 01 Aug 2017 07:56:00 +0000 gilmoregirl 2763739@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am home right now so my kid goes to soccer one evening a week at 6 pm. We do eggs or sandwiches at about 5 for an early dinner. When I'm working again, there is no way I'm willing to do this. He can handle it a lot better at 3 than he could at 2, but I'm not up for it.</p> <p>I always said I wouldn't sign him up for activities until school age unless he specifically requested something but he LOVES soccer so if he wants to continue we will switch to Saturday morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763731 Tue, 01 Aug 2017 07:17:01 +0000 Ajsmommy 2763731@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't do any. Sometimes I feel bad or like DD is left out when I see others posting what they are doing. However it just doesn't work for our family right now. We have DS who is 5 mos old and needs to go to bed around 630 and some days DD is just tired and cranky, it would be no fun to take her to a class like that. DD is 3.5 and starting preschool in fall so she'll get some activities through them (soccer and dance)during school hours. I don't foresee us doing anything else until maybe next summer when she's 4.5 and ds is 18 mos.</p> <p>Right now I feel accomplished just getting them home from daycare, fed, maybe a walk or play time outside and to bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763728 Tue, 01 Aug 2017 06:51:13 +0000 ElbieKay 2763728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We sometimes go to kids summer concerts in our town. They are usually from 7-8pm. But we don't have to commit in advance. Also my son is pretty good at rolling with a schedule change. He can definitely hit a wall and get tired but he can deal with a change in routine. He also only goes to school in the morning -- we have a sitter in the afternoon -- so he had some downtime baked into his day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763711 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 22:44:06 +0000 Corduroy 2763711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The only class we've done before dinner was swim lessons. DD is 4 but I was taking my just turned 2 yo with me. They both handled it fine. We usually do a park trip, swim or play outside from 5-6:30. If I could get them to play quietly in the living room so I could cook dinner in peace I would opt for that. That isn't what that hour looks like for us anyway so I don't mind adding something else in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763710 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 22:43:19 +0000 LemonJack 2763710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our 3 year old goes to swimming lessons before dinner once a week. She LOVES them, but I've been considering taking a break because she's always so exhausted and cranky afterward. Just something to consider.</p> <p>As far as dinner, it's either a crock pot meal or something easy those nights. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763707 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 22:20:38 +0000 macintosh 2763707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone! My gut instinct was that weeknights were a bad idea until he's older, but I have to wonder who is signing up for these classes? There is an awesome music class on the weekend we have done once before, but it's 3x the price of the park district :bummed: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763691 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 20:32:15 +0000 ShootingStar 2763691@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't schedule anything for the evenings. As it is it's a huge slog to get through the work day, commute 45 minutes home, make dinner and clean up, and then do bedtime. The most we do in the evening is honoit to dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763687 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 20:22:48 +0000 SweetiePie 2763687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: This. After a full day of stimulation I think for a 2yo up to probably grade school, it would just be too much.<br /> I know that it's so tempting to do things like this and hope for the best. I did it once with a swim lesson (4:30-5:30) and it was awful (also around 2). And that wasn't even after a full day of preschool or daycare!<br /> Is there any way you could ask the place to do a trial class without commitment? I've done that before and they've always obliged. That way you can get a feel for how he handles it and what it does to your routine/sanity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763680 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 20:01:42 +0000 erinbaderin 2763680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Last summer we did gymnastics after daycare - B was 2.5 and the class was from 4:45-5:30. We just had a quick easy dinner after. This summer, when he was 3.5, we did soccer from 5:45-6:30 - every week we packed up a dinner (usually cream cheese sandwiches, applesauce, goldfish, etc) and had a picnic in the park before class, and then offered some quick toast when we got home before bedtime. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763648 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 17:17:33 +0000 petitenoisette 2763648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, we don't. I'm off with my LO in the summer but up until this summer she had a bedtime of 6-6:30 so it was not feasible though we do get home early (4ish). I am contemplating doing swimming lessons during the week this fall so that our weekends remain free. I would not put her in another activity though, just make more of an exception for learning an important skill.</p> <p>ETA: she's 2.5 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763595 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:55:13 +0000 looch 2763595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This wouldn't have worked for my son at age 2 and it wouldn't work for him now as he's going into first grade! I think it's very much in his nature that he needs a long decompression time after being at school all day, and he was always like this. I, too, need this time, so unless it was a super special once in a lifetime thing, I'd do weekend activities...which we've done and they've been great. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763592 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:51:42 +0000 catlady 2763592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't. In fact, we don't even go to the park or playground, because I like the kids to come home, calm down, eat dinner, and have a consistent schedule. We keep our activities to weekends and it's worked out well so far. We chose a daycare that has lots of programming (for ex., our 3 year old gets piano lessons there) so I don't feel like she is missing out.</p> <p>My kids have an early bedtime though and it works for them. I imagine if they went to bed later, I'd be more likely to consider activities in the evening. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763587 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:39:56 +0000 snowjewelz 2763587@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a almost 32 month old that goes to daycare 8:30-4:30; for her (and us) honestly another activity in the evening is too much (even if I ignore the fact that my 7 mo old goes to bed 7-7:30). She is content to play at home between 4:30-6 which is when I get home and we eat dinner. Then I spend another half hour to 45 min with her inside playing, outside the yard or riding the bike around the block before I do bed time with baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763584 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:35:36 +0000 daniellemybelle 2763584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Personally I believe you have to really think about if it is for you or for your son. After a full day of daycare, he is probably worn out and had plenty of activity/stimulation for the day, and would likely prefer some quiet time at home with you reading or playing with blocks.</p> <p>I could see the benefit of a class that is offering some kind of skill that he isn't getting at daycare, like swimming. Even then I would try to find something on a weekend. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763565 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:08:02 +0000 MrsADS 2763565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on your kid. My son (will be 2 in a few weeks) would never be able to do an after-daycare activity at least at this age. He is usually exhausted and tends to have a lot of meltdowns in the evenings and has a really early bedtime (7pm at the latest). Quiet play at home is about all we can manage. I think he needs to decompress. At that age it would be WAY too much stimulation for him, he would be a wreck and it wouldn't be fun for either of us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763564 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:05:16 +0000 2PeasinaPod 2763564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Bring dinner with us a lot. So like tonight, we have a swim lesson. It's at 5:30, but they have been as late as 6:30. We'll bring dinner with us, and eat on the park benches outside of the high school. Sometimes it's the two boys eating dinner only with us eating dinner after they've gone to bed. Sometimes it's salads for us and the chicken from the salad with fruits and veggies for them. </p> <p>There are times when a sit down dinner together just isn't going to work. As the boys get older and we have nightly activities, we'll have to eat on the go...so it's what we do to make it work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/woh-parent-and-weekday-activities#post-2763561 Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:01:14 +0000 macintosh 2763561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm WOH a lot more lately, and even when I WAH DS (2) is still at daycare all day. I'm considering enrolling him in one of the parent-tot park district classes this fall, but the ones I'm interested in are both on weekday evenings. I kind of feel like it's a terrible idea schedule-wise, but on the other hand I love to spend time with him and see him have fun. Has anyone done this? My worry is anything that conflicts with making dinner makes the evening extra stressful. </p> <p>Does anyone do pre-dinner activities with a young child? How do you make it work for dinner and bedtime routines? </p>