Now that school is in full force my little ones come home a little wound-up from the hustle and bustle of the day. I noticed right away that after a little quiet time, they are a little more calm and ready for the evening. This is a simple routine that I’ve been using with them at home and it has worked beautifully. I set the expectation the first day and they haven’t questioned it since. Let me tell you more about it.
Once we walk in the door, it is complete chaos. I’m usually carrying in all the bags, the kids are running to the pantry and the dog is whining to go out. It’s not very fun walking in the door with all that going on. One day I reached my breaking point and sat the kids down and set some boundaries. I talked to them about bringing in their own backpack and lunchbox and putting them in the correct spot. For us, backpacks go on a hook and they carry their lunch boxes and water bottles to the counter so I can wash them for the next day. Only once they’ve done that can they grab a snack. They can have a one fruit and one pantry snack (i.e. strawberries & pretzels) depending on what activities we have that evening I’ll offer them something less or more substantial. This is the time we all sit together for 5-10 minutes and talk about their day (while they’re eating snack). Things they can’t wait to tell me about or ask me. It’s always a good time to reflect on behavior as well.
This is where the MUST DO/MAY DO comes into play. Once their snack is finished I “set my timer” (or decide whenever I want) for them to go up and have 10 minutes of complete quiet reading time, I always say 10 because I want them to assume it will always be the same. No, they can’t actually read but hopefully you know as a parent there is not only one way to read a book. They look at the pictures or even read outloud what they think is happening. I allow them to pick out 3-5 books from the reading corner and one “book buddy” aka stuffed animal. They both pick a comfy spot (away from each other) to read silently. They know they aren’t allowed to talk or play during this time. You would not believe how well this works. I’m not sure if they’re just tired or excited to read but they don’t give me any fuss. They actually enjoy it. They also know the reward of the “MAY DO” that’s to come. This gives me time to unwind myself. I wash their yumboxes and water bottles. I go through folders and check their news that has come home, etc.
Once the amount of time is over I come up (to the playroom) and check on them. They put their books at the top f the shelf so I can put them away correctly, they are not at the age that I want them to do this yet. And they get their “MAY DO”. This means anything that is not screen time. Most of the time they choose Legos, building blocks, coloring or free draw. I offer other things but it’s mostly what they choose.
It’s nothing special but it seems to work for us. Hopefully this will give you an idea or two for you kiddos. If my kids were older (and could read) I would definitely implement this afternoon clock. It’s a great visual for them to see what they should be doing and what’s coming next, and super easy to recreate.
Click here for the clock on Amazon.
Well friends, I hope you got an idea or two to implement in your home. I’d love to know if you tried it and especially if it worked!
