November 13, 2019

5 things to do with your kids after school before electronics

This post was sponsored by Farm Rich.However, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own!

Mornings in our house are chaotic, between packing lunches and trying to get everyone dressed and out the door-let me not forget trying to find shoes. But for the most part, the kids and myself have a pretty set morning routine. It works for us, and for the most part we aren’t late. But what’s also important, is our afternoon routine. When they get home from school, they know there are some things we do first before the TV comes on and I feel like having a pretty solid afternoon/after school routine is important too! When I’m busy with work, or my husband is taking over the afternoon routine, the kids can almost do it themselves because they know we do this every single day.

So,I’m going to share with you all our afternoon school routine, and 5 things we ALWAYS do with our kids before the TV comes on.

And make sure you keep reading because at the very bottom I share about a fun giveaway with Farm Rich, which includes –a Fun Movie Night in a Box, with a Disney and Pixar’sToy Story 4movie download, Farm Rich product vouchers, $250 Visa gift card and more

5 things we do with our kids when they get home from school, before the TV comes on:

Wash hands/face and change into “house clothes”: Not quite pajamas, but not schoolc lothes. When the kids get home from school, the FIRST thing they do is change into house clothes. Which are usually older clothes that they no longer wear in public. In these clothes, they can lay on their bed and couch (without the school germs getting all over. They can play outside and get sweaty, without worrying about ruining their”going out” or “school clothes”. We also make sure they wash their faces, because for some reason they always look like a hot sticky mess after school, and then wash hands because they’re about to…..
Eat a snack: Since they basically eat a late breakfast because their lunch time is so early, I immediately whip up something quick and easy for them when they get home. I don’t like to waste too much time preparing a small meal/snack because it takes away from our personal time together, and plus dinner is right around the corner. Recently all I have been making are Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4Mozzarella Shapes from Farm Rich

This is a quick and hearty snack that they love. We are HUGE Disney fans, especially Toy Story. We’ve seen all 4 movies, and the first 3 like 15 times each. So, when the kids saw that they had their own themed foods, they were obsessed. The fun shapes that are included are, Woody’s Hat, Space Aliens, and Bunny – a brand new toy character.
- What’s great about these snacks are that they’re made with 100 percent real mozzarella cheese with a whole grain rich coating. They have the “Mickey Check” of good nutrition. Meaning, they are an excellent source of calcium (25 percent daily value) and have 14 grams of protein per serving!! My 4 year old is on the picky side, so it feels great knowing he’s getting all this protein, just from an afternoon snack!
- You can find these snacks at HyVee, Meijer, Piggly Wiggly, Wegmans, Weis, Albertsons/Safeway, Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant Eagle, Shaws, Hannaford, Harris Teeter, using the product locator on FarmRich.com oronline atAmazon Fresh.
Ask Questions about our day: I always ask these 5 questions to spark conversation, and to encourage them to be a kind person, because then they get so excited to tell me about what they did!!
1. 1. How was your day?
  2. What is something NEW you learned today?
  3. Were you a good friend? Student?
  4. Did you make someone smile today?
  5. What was your favorite part?
Clean-up/put away lunch bag and lunch container in sink:I make it clear to my older 2, that “I’m not your maid, and you WILL know how to clean up after yourself”. So, when they’re done eating, they put their own plate in the sink. I give them a paper towel, and spray the counter, and they wipe their eating area/placemat clean. They open up their own backpack and take their lunch container out. It’s their job, not mine. I make sure there is food to eat, they make sure their plates, cups and whatever else is in the sink!
Do homework:Lastly, before they watch TV or play on the Nintendo switch, they do homework. If there is no homework, we practice spelling words, we practice math facts or we read for 30 min. There is always something to do academically before the TV comes on.

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Our Afternoon Routine:

3:30pm: Change clothes/ wash up

3:40pm: Eat Snack/ talk about our day

4:00pm: Clean up from snack/put lunch container in sink

4:15pm: HOMEWORK!! If there is no homework, we read for 30 min, practice spelling/sight words, and match facts.

4:45pm: Pick an electronic of choice (TV or Switch- we don’t do tablets). While they do this, I or my husband prepare dinner for them. (My husband and I currently don’t eat the same as the kids because we’re on a nutrition plan, but we do all sit together.)

5:45pm: Eat Dinner.

6:15pm: Go to the gym. We go to the gym together as a family. Kids in the gym daycare, where they get to play with their friends, and my husband and I work out.

7:30pm: Home from gym. Kids shower and get ready for bed.

8:00pm: Kids in bed, and we all read a story together and pray as a family.

8:15pm: LIGHTS OFF no questions asked.

SO, that is our afternoon routine with 3 little ones in school, and as a family of 6. I love being able to be home with the kids 100% and do things like this with them. Even though I am a work from home mom/ Stay at Home mom, my time is precious, so having Farm Rich simplify our routine, but providing nutrients to our growing kids makes this mama happy, and my kids tummies full.

GIVEAWAY INFO:

GIVEAWAY INFO:

Who doesn’t love a giveaway? Farm Rich is so awesome and is giving away a Fun Movie Night in a Box, with a Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4movie download, Farm Rich product vouchers, $250 Visa gift card and more!!!!