From School Bell to Bedtime: Creating Calm in the After-School Rush
Does the after-school rush leave you frazzled?
Do you dream of a stress free 3-8pm?
Do you ever wonder how your mother did it all?
Gone are the days of walking home from school alone and then staying home alone until your parents got in from work. I guess there are the exclusive cases where this still happens, however in general I think most parents are so concerned with their child’s safety that they have them well looked after. Not to mention that there are so many more activities for kids to do these days.
When I was a kid…do you hate that saying as much as most people do? 🙂
Sorry, but when I was a kid we were allowed to attend one after school activity per week. I picked ballet and my sister picked baseball. Then one year I recall my sister picking horseback riding. That was exciting as being the youngest I got to tag along on the Saturday morning outing. I was afraid that the horses would kick me so I stayed far away and just watched.
I digress.
SNACKS: Did you know that between 2-3 pm is one of the universal learning times? Our bodies are at a peak which also means it is a great time for a snack. In order to be ready for this time of day you will want to be prepared and organized.
Some of the easiest snacks to have on hand are: single serving yogurts, fresh cut up fruit or vegetables, a block of cheese that you have cut up into cubes and wrapped in packages of say 4-5 cubes, little packages of crackers, protein bars (be sure to check the ingredients as some of the protein bars on the market are just glorified chocolate bars, this is not an ideal after school snack as the sugar high might get your kids fired up), pre-portioned dried fruit and nuts are one of my favorite afternoon snacks, and air popped popcorn is also a fun alternative.
The app YUKA is so helpful for checking on food items and what their value is out of 100.
Do you have any other favorite ready to go snacks for your kids? If so please share in the comment box below.
ACTIVITIES: Did you know most kids these days feel overwhelmed by how busy their schedules are? When surveyed they commented on how they wished they had more down time. Keeping that in mind, you will want to try as best as possible to plan after school activities that require the least amount of running around. For example; if you can have all of your children attend the same swimming pool for lessons all at the same time. I know this is not always possible.
What about painting classes or pottery? Volunteering at a senior’s home or the local soup kitchen. Activities that do not require as much thinking. This will help save some brain power for the next item on the list…
HOMEWORK: I recall having to do all of my homework before anything else. I liked that idea because the school brain was still “on” before I made room for the “play” brain. Plus I was not tired. Being tired brings on procrastination.
I think we would all agree kids have way more homework these days which requires more time. In order to have your kids organized and happy you will want to make time for homework where they do not feel rushed.
15 minutes to freedom bonus tip: Make lunches and snacks the night before. Get backpacks also ready with all school notices signed.
Getting It Together is a Professional Organizing company serving Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, the Tri-Cities, Langley, Maple Ridge and beyond. Get in touch today. rowena@gettingittogether.ca
go to essentialism. Essentialism is where you pick up the item and simply say “hell yes, I want this in my life.” If it is serving a purpose for you, then that’s all that matters.
This could be the season to get active. Instead of sitting around all day with your family, like the past, you could get active within your bubble. That might be snowshoeing, a walk around the seawall, hike, or shoveling snow for your neighbours.
