How Important is the After School Routine?

After school routines can be a great way to ensure that your child maintains the productivity that they’ve been building throughout a school day. By taking a little time to design a routine that will work well for you, you can ensure that the whole family starts off the evening calm, centered, and ready to help!

How can an after-school routine help?

To best understand how an after-school routine might help in your home, consider the difference in your kids at the start of the day, and when you get them back from school. Typically, they’ll be tired out, over-stimulated, and maybe even a little upset and frustrated.

A great after-school routine can give a child something to focus on that’s not a niggling frustration from the school day. Instead, a set of clear objectives can help your child to feel in control of their time, and able to move into their evening with intent.

What should you include in your after-school routine?

Of course, this is a highly personal question! The answer depends entirely upon what you feel your kids might need a little bit of a hand with when they get home from school. Here, let’s talk about some key touchpoints that can be super helpful for most parents.

Get-in-the-door items

These are the items on any to-do list that are the most important: the ones that let you carry everything else out better! A great way to start your routine is to give your child a key time and place to put their school stuff.

Snacks

Kids have enormous appetites, so when they get in from school, they often feel the need for something tasty, filling, and quick!

Consider aiming for something with a high protein and fiber content, such as a generous helping of hummus with some crunchy veggies. This will fill them up and give them a little boost.

Hygiene

Let’s face it – schools can be quite gross. To address this, you might tell your little ones to line up at the sink and wash their hands as soon as they get home. This can be a great way to prevent coughs and colds!

How to make your routine stick

Ensuring that your after-school routine sticks is very tricky – bear these tips in mind to give you a helping hand.

Preparation

Preparing for the arrival of your kids is a great way to ensure that you’re ready to help them. Perhaps you could do a form of meal prepping by getting several snacks and drinks ready all at once. Then, you only need to hand them out when the kids are hungry.

Visualization

Once you’ve decided on what you want to do, and in what order, you can make your routine accessible by making it visible. Creating a chart or checklist can allow kids to see what comes next, and be proactive with their time.

After-school routines can be a wonderful way to ensure that your children have a process by which they come out of school-mode, and into home mode. Consider setting up a useful routine in your home soon!

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