New routines usually take a while before everyone feels at ease with them. Starting school routines are no different. As I talked about in my recent post about [tag]after school activities[/tag] to reconnect with your school aged child, my enthusiasm at seeing them and the activities we plan to do and the tiredness and hunger they greet me with was leading to problems.
It was a mismatch.
I know we needed to change our routine from what we did before to something entirely different that would fit this purpose more.
Here are 4 awesome ideas from readers of the blog and followers on [tag]Twitter[/tag].
jdaniel4smom @playactivities We cook together. I do real cooking and JDaniel cooks with bubbles in a tub. He has a drawer for his cooking tools. [other times]..We do Starfall.com and ReadingKingdom.com together.
nurturestore @playactivities We love some kind of sensory play after sch, esp playdough, to be creative, play alongside siblings but also chill out
Mum_TheMadHouse @playactivities We have been reading as the boys have been to mentally tired or going to the park
Melissa We hang out and eat snacks and I make my girls have room time to decompress from the day. It seems to be working really well for them. Then, after some time playing or reading, they are refreshed and much more pleasant to be around!
NB: I missed taking these off my @mentions on Twitter. I had no way of finding them if I didn’t know your username. So apologies if I missed you off.
I’ve had a chance to try out these ideas at home over the past few weeks and wow they have made a difference. I had to be more organised and have the snack ready along with a drink when they get home or on the way home if we walk. What we do at home has changes and is a little flexible but everything seems so much easier after a little decompressing time and food.
Thanks for the ideas and keep them coming.
Photo credit: ? Ambjer ?
What do you do after [tag]school[/tag] to make a connection with your young school aged child who is really tired from school?
Via email: Julie S Well, its just morning preschool for us right now. But we go directly to the school play ground for 30 minutes (before the big kids come out after lunch) and play one-on-one. I do a few playground exercises I found in Parents Magazine (9/2010) and follow the leader (she’s the leader), then we do 3 laps around the sandbox (very large area) and then get back in the car and have a snack ready for her (water or juice or milk). Good time by all. Yes we have done a few things like StarFall too!
thanks for your blog!
I have to say your image also reminded me that we sometimes just have afternoon tea, hot chocolate and cakes or tea and cakes and chat and draw at the table.
Oh, I have to agree with Jen (TheMadHouse) – a little cake can work wonders 🙂 We’ve been doing some weaving after school tonight – chilling and chatting.
We like to sit round the table with milk and the odd cookie and catch up on our day. x