This post was sponsored by Nabisco as part of an Integrated Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
So the kids are back in school and you have a few hours to yourself to work on that to do list or work a bit. Now that we are over a month into this new school routine – hello first grade – we are feeling like we have a nice schedule going. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure it will change now that I am feeling more organized and on track but for now…things are running great.
One area that I really wanted to focus on was our after school routine. It is really easy to walk in the door after pick up and totally lose the whole evening doing little things. Again, sometimes bed time comes just in time – adult time is necessary. But often we get wrapped up in things and forget to reconnect with the kids after school. Today, I am sharing some of my favorite tips on how to really ROCK those after school moments with your kiddos!
How to ROCK After School Moments
Let them play!
Kids need time to run and have some fun outdoors. When the weather is nice, we go outside as a family and play a little while dinner is being made. We especially like doing this when we are grilling our dinner because we can cook and play at the same time. This helps our kids not be so wild once it is time to sit down for dinner and homework /reading time. We get out the yard games, ride bikes or just run around the yard.
Once the weather turns colder we try to find activities in the house that are a bit different than indoor school activities. I know that my kids just want to have a little fun before having to do evening routines. Plus, doing this really cuts down on the screen time requests.
Get them talking!
How many times have you asked your kids “How was your day?” and you get the same answer of “Good!”? Many times I am sure. Well, I found a fun way to get the kids talking after school. This fun, and super easy After School Question Jar has become a new routine for us. We simply fill the jar with printed questions and have the kids choose a few as we enjoy dinner. This not only gets us all to the table but we enjoy one another’s conversations and hear all about each other’s days!
You can download this free After School Question PRINTABLE to get your started on building your own After School Question Jar.
Do homework together.
The whole idea of homework is new to us this year now that Jude is in 1st grade. He doesn’t have a lot of it but he does have at least one page of math, writing, and one extra worksheet to do in addition to his normal reading time. This has been a bit of an adjustment for us but it is fun to sit down with him while he does his work.
It is easy to step away and just leave him at the table while I try to get something else done but I find that he stays more focused with me or my parents sitting with him. Plus, I believe Jude really enjoys that one on one time.
Surprise them with a delicious snack.
Now, let’s be honest…kids feel like they need snacks all the time! Every few hours….”Is it snack time?” Those few hours after school and before dinner is the perfect time to let the kids enjoy a snack. Whenever we do have snacks we make sure they are snacks that are made with quality ingredients.
Over the summer we found a new favorite mom approved snack, TEDDY SOFT BAKED Filled Snacks. These are the cutest and most delicious snacks that both the kids and adults in our family really enjoy. TEDDY SOFT BAKED Filled Snacks are made with real ingredients like milk and eggs. In addition to the real ingredients they contain absolutely no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors, and no artificial colors!
My kids love them because they taste great but also because they are adorable. These cute bears are the perfect snack to enjoy after school when the kids are playing outside, giving you their daily updates or doing homework. Oh and the kids LOVE when we pack these in their lunches too! Great size for those lunchbox items and they are individually wrapped as well.
Moms, make sure you pick up some of these yummy bear-shaped snacks at Walmart in the Cookie/Cracker aisle.
Nabisco is holding a great sweepstakes. Make sure you check out the details and enter today!
Prize: 12 prizes ($50 Walmart gift card each) and two grand prizes ($200 Walmart gift card each)
Dates: September 11- 29th, 2017
I-C will randomly select 14 winners from all program entries and will facilitate fulfillment of the winning prizes.
What your favorite after school tips for moms?
This is such a cool idea! I love how involved the whole family can be! This is important especially today, since technology can steal precious moments – if as parents, we are not careful!
What a great idea, getting the kids to talk after school is really important. Parents need to know what happened at school and how things are going with the other kids and teachers
It's always important to involve, communicate and interact with kids so this post is very helpful! I'm not a mom yet but this is an advice that my sister can use. Thanks for sharing!
I love love love the question jar! it is so hard to get my kids to tell me about their days!! I will definitely be pinning this and sharing with some mom friends! Thanks for sharing!!
That after-school window before dinner is a great time to connect with the kids. They are tired from an exciting day of school, but not exhausted. A sweet snack and fun conversation will make it even more special.
It is important to connect with your kids after school. It's one of the few times each day we have to connect with our kids and show interest in who they are. Giving them freedom to play is an important aspect of that for sure. And having after school snacks for them is good too.