An After School Routine is the best way to maximize your school kid’s time when at home. Homework, studying, and anything else on the list can get done on time to allow your child some needed free time.
Items to consider for an after school routine
What is a good routine for after school?
- Snack time! Eat a healthy snack and talk about their day.
- Unload lunch bag and school bags. Pull-out homework and school work.
- Do Homework assignments.
- Study for any tests or do additional learning.
- Read for 20 – 30 minutes.
- Put up homework, books, and all in a backpack and put it in the designated place.
- Free Time till dinner or for a certain amount of time.
- Daily chore they need to do unless they do it on weekends.
- Help with dinner.
When I was growing up, my favorite thing to do after getting off the school bus was to get a snack. I was always starving when I got home.
Most children have something that they look forward to after school, be it seeing their pet and spending time with them, receiving love and attention from a parent, or satisfying their hunger.
Before you can create an after-school routine you need to stop and look at your child/children.
- It is important to consider each child’s individual needs and create a schedule that is tailored to them. While some children may have similar routines and preferences, every child is unique and may require different things. Therefore, it is recommended to assess each child’s distinct wants and needs and create a personalized schedule accordingly.
Should kids do homework right after school? Here are some things to consider:
- Most kids need a snack right away after school. Studying and concentrating can be hard when your stomach is growling and hungry. A small, nutritious snack like a granola bar, some fruit or veggies, or yogurt is a good idea, especially if it’s close to dinner time.
- Some kids might need some free time before starting their homework. For example, my daughter needs a good break after a long day at school. One way to do this is by giving them some free time at first. Set a timer for a certain amount of time, say 30 minutes, during which they can do whatever they want. This will help them relax and recharge before diving into homework or other tasks.
- On the other hand, my son prefers to complete his homework right away so he can have free time before dinner. This can be easily done with a quick snack to eat along with doing homework. Ultimately, let your child decide what works best for them and help adjust it when necessary.
- Creating a schedule that works for each of your children is highly important. Simply having a general afternoon schedule won’t necessarily work for each child. Be sure to customize the schedule based on the individual needs of each child.
- It’s also important to recognize that different children have different needs when it comes to physical activity. Some may have already burned off energy by walking home from school or participating in PE during the day, while others may need to move around and get some exercise before settling down to concentrate on homework.
- Observing what your child does after school or in the evenings is important. This helps you plan for homework time and ensure that your child can complete their assignments successfully. For instance, some kids may have extracurricular activities or sports that take up their time after school or in the evenings. On such days, time may be limited, and it’s vital to plan accordingly.
- If your child participates in after-school sports, they may exhaust their energy in the process. In that case, they should be able to focus on homework after having a good snack. However, if your child has extracurricular activities or sports to attend in the evenings, they may need to do their homework first and then engage in other activities later.
- Take a look at what your children need to accomplish in the evenings. Do they simply need to complete their homework and do some reading? Or do they have to study every night? We have a useful blog that provides tips for effective studying, which could be beneficial for your child. Also, consider if they need to assist in preparing dinner or completing any other household chores.
Help your child figure out what needs to be on their after-school routine/schedule
- Talk with your child and help create their routine together.
- It’s a good idea to start younger kids with a routine that includes essential tasks like having snacks, doing homework or studying, and having free time. It’s important to ensure that they get enough time to play and enjoy their childhood days.
- Some kids may feel the need for sensory or messy play after being in school all day, so you can try some sensory activities to give your kids the sensory input they may need.
- You can save chores for weekends when there is more time. Also, younger kids need to go to bed early to get enough sleep. Ensure that the tasks you have listed on their after-school routine and bedtime routine can be easily achieved.
- This to-do list is for after school routines, but you should also have a bedtime routine for kids to follow as well so that your evenings go smoothly and allow some family time.
Some people like to combine an after school chart and bedtime chart so do what works for your family. I personally like two separate charts. One that starts after school and ends at dinner. The other one starts after dinner and is for evening/bedtime. And yes a morning routine is great as well. Believe me, routines do work and yes, your child can still have free time. All family members can benefit from at least a semi-structured day.
Once you have a plan for an after school itinerary – make a chart for your child/children and start an after-school checklist
How do you get into an after school routine?
- First type out the routine checklist and print it. If you are doing this list for young ones who cannot read add pictures.
- Laminate it or put it into a lamination sleeve or paper protector so it will stay nice for a long time. And your child can use a dry-erase marker to check off items as they do them.
- Put the after school routine chart in a place where your child can easily see it and reach it.
- Do a trial run before the first day of school.
- You can do this weeks in advance to prepare your child for school. If you do it ahead of time you will know what works and what doesn’t. Also, if you need to allow more time for an item. Plus, this will get your child in the habit of doing this routine. Homework can be something you make up for them to do if they don’t have homework yet. Get some ideas from my summer homework blog.
- Make any changes to the routine as you go.
- Be consistent and help your child make this after school routine a habit.
Kids need to have a structure like an after-school schedule to get homework and studying done. Otherwise, it could be crazy and just have after-school chaos.
Afternoons can be hard to control and get things done without clear expectations for your kids. Having a routine/schedule will help you structure your day and theirs.
Be sure to talk with your kids each day after school.
Ask them how their day was. Find out about their friends. You need to open that line of communication with your kids so that they will feel comfortable talking with you.
If a child experiences any negative event or gets bullied, they are more likely to confide in you if you demonstrate a genuine interest in their day. Additionally, some children tend to be more introverted and may not share anything about their day unless prompted with a question. Therefore, it is important to ask them about their day and show that you really care.
Similarly, if your child has a wonderful day you will be happy to share that joy with them.
You don’t have to wait till your child is in school to start an after school routine/afternoon routine
- During the toddler age, it can be helpful to have a structured afternoon schedule that you can follow when you come home from work, daycare, or as a stay-at-home parent. If you are a stay-at-home parent, it is especially important to have a daily routine to help your children get used to a regular schedule. This can also help you maintain your sanity! When your day is disorganized and chaotic, it can be hard to get everything done that you need to do. Trust me, you and your kids will be happier and more content if you establish a structured routine.
- It’s a good idea to start teaching your kids how to develop positive habits at a young age. Learning how to create good habits can be an excellent life skill for your entire family. If you need some more tips on how to create a habit, take a look at some of my tips.
- Creating an afternoon routine can help transition young children to afternoon activities and structure the day for a less chaotic experience. Some kids need structure and a predictable routine to know what they should be doing. This also helps kids understand the timing of their day – they will know when it’s morning and what they should do, afternoon and what happens, and evening and bedtime. I understand that not every day is the same, and interruptions are perfectly fine. In fact, it’s good for kids to learn how to adapt to changes. However, a consistent basic schedule can be greatly beneficial to the whole family.
If you have a child who is complaining about being bored, it might be time to create a schedule for them. A routine will help your child know what to do, and in their free time, they will find things to do.
- If your child is approaching preschool/kindergarten age, start a schedule early so they can adjust. Make sure to do a trial run well before the first day.
If and when you come across issues with your child’s routine
- Be sure to talk with your child and look at reasons that are preventing them from being successful.
- Adapt and change the routine to accommodate them if their schedule after school changes or if they aren’t getting their homework completed.
- If your child doesn’t have enough time to complete their homework due to after-school activities, you may want to consider combining some tasks. Combining tasks can help children complete their work faster, giving them more free time. Alternatively, you may want to reevaluate whether your child should continue with their after-school activities.
- Reading time could always be moved to a bedtime schedule and they read while in bed. Bedtime stories are great for parents to get in some 1 on 1 time with kids.
- Combining an action movement with reading or studying is a good idea. Try reading or studying while swinging, on an exercise ball, or doing yoga poses.
- Make sure that your child’s after-school and bedtime schedules allow for items to be completed. So your child is successful and can go to bed on time and get a good night’s sleep.
- Don’t fill their chart with tons of stuff that doesn’t have to be done that day. Younger kids may have no problem getting everything done before dinner. Older kids may have to do some studying or reading after dinner.
- Allow your kids to do chores on the weekends if they don’t have time in the afternoon/evening. Kids need some time to relax in the afternoon/evenings just as you do. Look into my information on cleaning as a family and maybe that will help.
Of course, you want your child to do their homework and study but you also want to make sure that your kid can get a little downtime.
When kids work all day at school, they need a chance to chill and do something they enjoy. Whether that is a little TV time, playing video games, playing outside, or just lying around listening to music. Kids need some decompression time and a way to relax and do something they enjoy.
Children with a lot of homework or after-school activities may end up doing some of these items after dinner and that’s okay. You just want to ensure that most of their homework can be completed before dinner if possible. It’s not good if they end up going to bed late because of homework.
A note to parents: If your child has tons of homework each night and it’s taking them the entire evening to do it all, please talk to your child’s teacher/teachers. Be your child’s advocate! Homework shouldn’t be that much and definitely not take all night to complete it and go to bed late.
Some teachers have gone way overboard with homework and if your child has one of those teachers then speak to them.
As I said, you are your child’s advocate and you know what your child is going through at home so make sure you help speak up for them. Maybe your child is having to relearn something at home on YouTube because they didn’t understand it in the classroom. Help your child learn the information, talk to the teacher so they can give additional help, or look into getting a tutor for them. As a parent, it is up to you to help your child get the help they need.
Having a routine will help your kids get items done and a chance to chill and relax
Kids also need the chance to get all their energy out before bedtime. It’s best to let them get this energy out before dinner so that after dinner it’s just calm play to prepare them for sleep. So basically tons of gross motor activities before dinner and after dinner steer more to fine motor activities. Look at my blog on how to help your child sleep well. There are some great tips on there for you to consider.
I am a big supporter of routines. I do believe kids should have a morning routine, after school routine, and a bedtime routine. This will help with transitional time throughout the day. Kids along with adults do need some structure. Without routines and structure, you may not get everything done and your life might get hectic and chaotic.
Having a good after school routine/afternoon routine is an excellent way to help you relax and enjoy free time with your kids.
So, get started right away and help your family have a good and productive afternoon/evening routine.