Time for Routine and Organization - After School

Part 3 in a 3 part series...

What happens when your kids come home from school? Do you expect homework to be completed right away? Can they have a snack? What about play time? It is important to realize each child is different and some schedules that work for one of your children may not be the best for the other.

Children do need some quiet time and down time after school. Completing homework has to be done and you will need to decide when it works for you, your after school schedule and your child(ren). Keep this a routine so that your kids will know the expectation. Also, monitor any anxiety around your after school schedule. This will help you determine what will work best. Home work should always be done in a suitable place in your home. A desk or table with a well lit area is good. Keep the outside distractions to a minimum. You should plan to supervise, encourage and praise. This is a great place to make learning creative – make sure you and your child are having fun in this process. Laughing and finding new ways to learn difficult concepts can be fun for everyone in the family. If someone is struggling with something, make a game up to play at the dinner table and have everyone participate regardless of their age. It is easier than you think to scale down an older concept or build a younger concept up. This will engage each other in this journey together.

Organization will take time and looks different each school year as your child(ren) grow. Remember that they have to start with a clean slate each year and sometimes that means parents have to be a bit more flexible in creating a new routine. Make sure that you do not over schedule your kids in after school activities. 1-2 is plenty. Let them be kids. And make sure you do not over schedule yourself in school activities and meetings. Your child(ren) need you more during the school year. And finally, everyone in the house must get a good night’s sleep so work on that night time routine and make sure that your kids are getting 8-12 hours if possible. Research shows that even through high school kids need a good night’s rest so that their brain can re-set for the next day.

In closing, remember you do not have to be super-mom or super-dad. Your child(ren) need to know that and they need to see that you have difficulties as well. This is natural and helps them understand their own feelings. It is ok to say no to your kids and to outside commitments. Keep yourself healthy, get a good night’s rest and know that if something did not get done today, there is always tomorrow.

We are building strong minds and creative imaginations. This takes a life time to achieve.

Blessings to each of you this school year!