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by Isabell Fisher, co-founder of Little Hands Learning
At the end of the school day, many children can be tetchy. Can we blame them? Being at nursery or school involves having to follow numerous instructions, and they need to cooperate and compromise with a large number of others – their sensory systems take a battering. If your child is prone to being a grump after school/nursery, what can you do?
1. Get some food in them
I give my son a snack as soon as he leaves school. He will often have a sandwich, or a piece of fruit, or crackers, or a flapjack – whatever it takes to prevent his blood sugar levels from hitting rock bottom.
2. Easy with the chatter
If I ask my son how his day was, and all I get is a “fine”, I leave it at that. Just like adults, children sometimes appreciate a bit of quiet. I have found that as my son relaxes from his day at school, he slowly offers up more and more nuggets of information.
3. Be patient
The best way to get your child to spend time with you is to give them space. When we first get back from school, my son does exactly what he wants: colouring, TV, running around the garden. Whatever will help him to start to unwind. I find that after he’s had some time, he will want us to do something together.
4. Give them control
From the moment our children wake up they have been told what to do: brush your teeth; eat your breakfast; sit down; eat lunch, etc. So, give them some control back and allow them to be in charge of what they get up to after school.
At home, we have a jar filled with lolly sticks, and on each lolly stick I have included simple after-school activities that I know my son enjoys. So that when he is ready, he can choose an activity for us to do together (or separately if he prefers).
All of these activities are open-ended; they have no rules and there is no right or wrong way to interact with them. Now is not the time for handwriting, phonics or sums!
The activities on the sticks include:
Playdough
Playing with playdough is a wonderful way to release tension and can calm stress away. Add cinnamon, rosemary, and jasmine to your playdough to give the activity an extra calming element.
Waterplay
Water play is wonderfully open-ended and there is no right or wrong way to engage with it. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Simply fill a deep tray or a basin with water and add some jars and ladles and pour water from one jar to the other.
Reading
There is something really soothing about someone reading to you. Let them choose the book, cuddle up on the sofa together and escape to wherever the story is set.
Small World
Small-world play is a wonderful way for children to act out and process any difficult situations that may have happened. So just put out some playdough and some figures and see where you both end up.
A walk
Getting some fresh air can help us all feel calmer and happier. If my son chooses to go for a walk after school, he is the one to choose which direction we head in. We often return with our pockets full of various natural treasures.
Arts and craft
My son enjoys arts and crafts after school, and when his hands are distracted with drawing or crafting, he will often share more about his day. Doodling, colouring, painting with watercolours and cutting and sticking can all offer creative outlets to destress. However, my son will stop the activity and move away if I give him too much direction about what he is creating. The process is much more important than the end product.
Remember that you are the person your children can show their vulnerability, frustration, and anger to. You will see the very worst of them because you are their safe space, and they know that you will love them no matter what. They are showing you how they feel through their behaviour because they love you. So don’t take it personally if they’re not always a ray of sunshine.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Isabell Fisher is co-founder of Little Hands Learning, an educational and eco-friendly subscription box for children aged three and over. Every month your child will receive an exciting gift in the post containing a beautiful book and everything needed for engaging and fun activities linked to the book.
The fun and meaningful activities are designed by teachers to focus on key areas of the National Curriculum. The curated books together with the activities help nurture healthy minds and encourage literacy skills, giving children the best start to their education.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
Contact: [email protected]
