How Do After-School Routines Help Children?
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and schools had to adapt to remote learning, your child’s routine was undoubtedly disrupted. The never-ceasing adaptation to different school arrangements causes unnecessary uncertainty, and we understand that. To this end, having an after-school routine provides a predictable pattern for your child in the midst of uncertainty. In this article, we share with you how an after-school routine might look.
Freshen Up and Unpack
The first thing your child can do when they return home from school is to freshen up by washing their hands and face. This helps them to settle down at home and refresh their mood after a long day at work. Next, your child can unpack their bags, set up any homework that needs to be done, put dirty lunchboxes in the sink, and more.
Allocate Snack Time
Depending on what time your child gets home, they may be in need of a snack if it is way past their lunchtime but not quite dinner time. Giving them something light enough to settle their stomachs but not so heavy that it will spoil their appetite for dinner is key. If your child wishes to rest after dinner (e.g., read a book, play games), it is recommended that they finish their homework before dinner.
Have Dinner as a Family
Whether one or both parents work, make having dinner with the whole family a priority. Keep distractions such as phones and TVs off, making it a time when the entire family can talk about their respective days and unwind. With everyone out of the house for work or school, dinner time creates precious opportunities for intimate conversations and connections.
Get Ready for Bed
After dinner and a little family time, it’s time for your child to get ready for bed. Depending on your daily routine, it could start with a bath or shower, which should signal to your child that bedtime is close. After they are all clean and changed into their pajamas, they can get ready by brushing their teeth and hair and so on.
Story Time and Bedtime
The final part of the day: bedtime. But before that, storytime is a good way to bond with younger children. Whether you prefer to curl up with them in an armchair or the bed, remember to set a limit on how many stories they get per night or you may find yourself there for hours! For older children, they can enjoy some quality reading time on their own. End it off with a hearty hug and bid them goodnight.
Give Your Child the Academic Help They Need at JEI Learning Center
Having an after-school routine is helpful to build predictability, which reduces unnecessary stress and anxiety with the uncertainty from shifting school arrangements and so on. This can be unproductive to your child’s academic results. In JEI Learning Center, we provide help for your child’s academic results to help complement the after-school routine. We offer after-school individualized learning programs catered to your child’s level and ability. With our after-school educational programs in math, English, reading, and writing, you will be sure to find something that suits your child’s learning needs through JEI. Contact us to find out how you can complement your child’s after-school routine here with quality educational classes here.
