It’s pretty easy to find help with family morning routines online, but what about your after-school routine? As much as you might look forward to seeing your kids after a long day of school, a lot of mums really dread the hectic nature of this part of the day – and I can totally relate!

However, with the right approach, you can make this often-crazy time of day a lot smoother and emerge feeling victorious rather than defeated and exhausted. Here are some tips for making your after-school routine productive without stressing.

1. Designate a bag drop-off spot

Choose a spot in your home where your kids will leave their backpacks when they get back from school and pick them back up in the morning. if you have space for a shelf or cabinet close to the front door, that’s the ideal scenario. Some people use hooks for convenience, but a cabinet with a door can keep the bags out of sight so your room looks tidier. The aim here is to empty the bags, sanitise, and have them ready for the next day.
Ou home is tiny, so we use a corner near the door for drop-off, and after the bags are sanitised they go into each child’s room to hang on hooks behind their respective doors.

2. Have an inbox

Assign a spot near the bag drop-off zone for your kids to drop off any papers that need signed and handouts from school. Act on them right away, whether you need to sign something and put it back in their bag or make a note of it in your schedule. This can help prevent those last-minute scrambles to read and sign letters from the teacher in the morning when you’re already running late. If I’m really tight on time and need to prioritise something else, I’ll leave the papers out on the kitchen counter until I get them done, so there’s no chance of me forgetting.

3. Clean up food containers in a snap

If your children bring home dirty food containers, stick them in the sink, fill with hot water and let them soak while you do other things. This will make cleaning go far faster.

4. Spray is your friend

These days, we’re all sanitising like mad when we arrive home. I find that spray sanitisers are a lot more convenient for quickly sanitising backpack contents when my kids get home, although I do still wipe down the outside of their backpacks to be extra safe!

5. Don’t forget about movement

If your kids are really young, they might be coming home with a lot of pent-up energy, so give them a chance to burn it off. This might mean walking around your block, letting them ride their bike around the garden, or heading to a green area for 20 minutes so they can let all that energy out.

6. Have a snack bin ready

I keep a snack bin stocked so we don’t have to rummage through the cupboards looking for something to satisfy hungry kids when they walk in the door. Older kids can even help themselves to their afternoon snack when you have a bin of pre-approved snacks at the ready.

7. Have the laundry ready to go

If you’re home, as tempting as it might be to do laundry when your kids are at school, it really makes more sense to wait until they get home so you can wash the uniforms they wore that day. I leave everything in the washer ready to go, with the detergent filled and the dials set to the right positions. When they get home. I just toss their uniforms in, press start, and forget about it!

8. Allow some screen time

I’ll be the first to complain when I think my kids are playing too many video games, but I do like to build a small amount of screen time into the afternoons – or just some alone time. They enjoy it, but my motives aren’t entirely selfless here. It also gives me a predictable amount of quiet time each afternoon to get things done, whether it’s starting dinner or actually sitting down for a few minutes and relaxing!

9. Don’t overlook homework

Place homework at a consistent spot in the after-school routine each day. I can’t tell you when exactly is the best moment for this; you need to follow your children’s lead. Some kids do better finishing it right when they get home and are still somewhat in “school mode” – and they appreciate the chance to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. Others, however, need to break up their day a bit by doing something non-academic after school before getting out the books again. But I do find that routine makes it all easier.

10. Reward yourself

Don’t forget to reward yourself. In fact, I’m a big believer in building it into the after-school routine so you make sure you don’t skip this super-important step! Being a mum is hard work. After the routine is done, sit down with a nice cup of tea, coffee, or whatever you like and do something you love, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Make it a ritual, look forward to it, and savour it when the time comes. It’s all about balance!

Love,

Nakita xxx