The After School Loop
Ahhh the excitement of a brand new school year. There is something so satisfying about kicking off the year with freshly sharpened pencils, empty notebooks, full packs of crayons, color-coded binders, and crisp packs of notecards! Every new year holds so much potential and we are always a little ready for a return to routine after the laid-back spontaneity of the summer months. If you're looking for a helpful routine to make your after school hours a little less chaotic, we hope you find today's tip helpful!
After a long school day, the kids are exhausted, hungry, and emotional. They need some free play BUT there are also still a few things that need to be done so you can all enjoy your afternoon in a peaceful space.
In past years, our after school chaos looked something like this: Sweet babies walk in the front door and immediately dump all their earthly belongings right on the floor or spread them across the first flat surface they can find, while simultaneously having big feelings. The next hour is spent with mom trying to gather everything up, unpack lunches, backpacks, review paperwork, update the calendar, and make a snack… all while trying to be available for cuddles and connection after spending the day apart.
The solution??? Hint: it's not a fancy basket, bin, or cart…it's a routine!
Our best back-to-school secret weapon is the after school “loop”.
The loop gives all the school supplies a clear home and ensures that you are prepared for the next morning.
There are no fancy baskets or bins needed for this secret weapon, just consistency and accessibility. Create simple, easy to access, dedicated places for your kids to put all their school things as soon as they walk in the door. Place drawers, bins, and wall hooks at their height to ensure your kids are able to complete the loop independently. We often use the few minutes that it takes our kids to complete the loop to throw together a snackle box so that when they are done, their snack is ready and we are well on our way to an enjoyable afternoon. No hangry attitudes or misplaced field trip forms here!
The components of our loop currently are:
Shoes off and put back in the shoe bin that lives by our front door.
Laptop hooked up to charger and ready to be loaded into backpack the next morning.
Paperwork, homework, and art is removed from backpack and placed into their review box so I can look at it and trash/file/sign/add to calendar as needed.
Lunchbox into the sink to be washed and lunch bag put into the cabinet next to the sink.
Backpack and outerwear hung up and ready to be loaded/put on the next morning.
This is a system that makes our lives easier TWICE. It makes the afternoons/evenings more peaceful and makes preparing for and launching into the next day smoother. Perfection is not the goal, function is. You are laying the foundation for peaceful, organized afternoons for years to come!
If you're interested in organizational and home management systems, we would love to chat! We have set up after school systems for many families and they all look a little different because every family has different needs, challenges, and homes. Book a free consult call to see how we can help you prioritize peaceful evenings and smooth mornings.
