Ah, back to school time. It's that time of the year.
Whether you have school-aged kiddos or not, back to school time is a season that my inner-self craves. Yes, I love summer with every ounce of my being; however, the routine and rhythms of the school year is my jam. And not only is it my jam, our kids thrive off of it too!
Summer has been chaotic; our schedules, our routines, and our rhythms have been all flipped on its head. So instead of dealing with the melt downs and frustrations that this has caused, I'm taking this week to reestablish an after school (or daycare in our case) routine.
The tricks to an after school routine that makes life simple:
Give everything a place.
Don’t let everything fall where it falls or else you won’t be able to find it again! Lillie has been the worst at carrying things off to another room lately (or worse, in the trash can). Give everything a designated space and make sure everything gets put in it’s place! For us, this is a drop spot inside our garage door. It is the designated area to keep everything that we need to grab when heading out the door. Our keys, wallets, lunch boxes, shoes, sun glasses, and whatever else we need to grab as we are running out the door belongs on this one section of our counter. I’m always reminding my kids that when they get home they place their bags on the counter and put their shoes in the designated space so that we can find them later.
Empty Bags.
It may sound simple, but we have gotten terrible at this over the summer. Most days we are emptying one lunch box to refill it when we are hurrying out the door the next morning. This week, however, we are allowing the kids to help with this. Having them come into the door knowing that this is just part of the routine helps establish some household duties for them and takes something off our plates. It’s a great way to begin teaching Ollie specifically responsibility and not leave the entire job in your hands.When you get into the routine of this it can help your afternoon run smoothly, which sets you up for a better evening and morning!
Grab a snack.
Make it easy to grab a healthy snack for your kids…and for you! I have two bins in our pantry with snacks the kids can choose from. They don’t have to ask me every afternoon what they can have for snacks, instead they know they can pick anything out of these two bins. I have individually packaged snacks in the bins, as well as snacks that I separated into portion bags to make it easy for them to grab and go. It takes a little work up front, but it saves so much time throughout the week. Don’t forget to keep yourself in mind during this after school routine. Grab a snack or a refreshing drink to power you through the rest of the evening.
Give yourself time to breathe.
We used to come in a turn the television on straight away. This would turn into an hour or more of Mickey Mouse each night so I could get dinner ready. Not anymore. Instead of rushing straight to the television, grabbing a snack, chatting about the day, and doing a small relaxing activity, like coloring, allows all of us (including me) to unwind from the day. Sit down with your child and ask them about school or these three questions for young kiddos (our favorites). Give everyone time to unplug and connect with each other, before having to worry about dinner and bath time.
Designate a spot for the break and snack.
Just like with our lunch boxes and things from the day, we need a spot to rest. With our new Delta Children Disney Toy Story 4 Chair Desk, Ollie or Lille now has a place to sit comfortably while they partake in snack time, crafts, coloring and more. This is a new addition to our kitchen features a sturdy seat, cup holder, and storage for easy access to toys. We have been storing coloring books, reading books, and craft items in the storage box so that they are already there to help us establish our new routine. I have been thrilled how much both kids enjoy sitting in the desk and having some quiet time as we transition out of our busy days. It has been amazing to have something that fits both kids and will continue to allow them a place to come to as they grow older and into "real school work".
Establishing an after school routine can make your afternoons less chaotic and run smoother even when you just have a toddler at home. When everyone knows what to expect, and has time to breathe, you’ll see the difference in the way your evening plays out. I’ve noticed that with all routines, it takes a while to establish them, yet it is how well my kids thrive when they know exactly what to do! They get excited about it! Not to mention how excited mama gets when the kids are excited about helping!
