This post was in partnership with Brainiac Foods, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
"Back to school season is in full swing and with it comes a slew of after school activities. If, like me, you have been run ragged by back-to-back lessons, sports, and other activities, you know that it can get quite stressful. After school activities are one big lesson in juggling: schedules, transport, snacks, homework—it all has to happen after school. And, honestly, there are only so many hours in an afternoon, and so many adults to make it all happen.
So what does this mean for busy parents and busy kids? How do you take the go, go, go of after school and make it, dare I say it, fun? Believe it or not, it doesn’t have to be so chaotic. We’ve rounded up a few tips to take the stress out of after school activities, so you and the kids can focus on fun, learning, and do it all with ease.
1. Stock Up on Nutritious Snacks
The after school snack often ends up being one of our more important meals during the week. I know my son tends to not eat a ton during lunch at school (it’s hard to focus with a bunch of other little people around you!). So before we dive into homework or after school activities, I like to provide a little brain fuel.
Brainiac Foods makes it easy and affordable to get your little ones that extra nutrition they might need to power through the day. In our house, we’re particular to the Brain Butters on a banana or apple for an after school snack (or even sometimes breakfast!) but I also always have Brain Bars stocked up in our pantry snack bins. When he eats these, I know my son’s getting a jolt of good-for-him energy that’s not full of sugar. Plus, Brainiac Butters and Brain Bars come in a range of flavors (we love the Chocolate Almond!) that make my little guy feel like he’s getting a treat.
With 155mg of Omega-3s and 4-7 grams of protein, these little packs are the perfect snack to get kids (and parents!) through a busy afternoon. Available in Honey or Chocolate Almond and Honey or Chocolate Peanut flavors. Use code 20EVERYMOM to get 20% off your purchase on Amazon and the Brainiac Foods site! These whole grain bars are so nutritious and they're the only granola bar that's Clean Label Certified! Plus, they're an easy on-the-go snack for that 3 p.m. haul. Use code 20EVERYMOM to get 20% off your purchase on Amazon and the Brainiac Foods site! In Mega Apple, Apple Strawberry, and Apple Cinnamon flavors, these little pouches pack a big punch when it comes to nutrition as the only fruit snack with added Omega-3s DHA and Choline for developing brains. Use code 20EVERYMOM to get 20% off your purchase on Amazon and the Brainiac Foods site!
Brainiac Foods
Brainiac Foods
Brainiac Foods
2. A Checklist Goes a Long Way
On the first day of school, I get two checklists ready for the next few months: morning and after school. It’s hard enough to ease back into those routines, so a helpful visual reminder goes a long way for both my kid and myself (is it just me or do you ever walk out and realize, oh he forgot to brush his teeth!?). This doesn’t have to be a huge production or something that breaks the bank—I’ve found some really cute customizable checklists on Etsy and on Canva that I can personalize with favorite characters, print at home, and tape to the back of the door or next to his little breakfast area.
An editable template makes it easy to customize for your routine.
Etsy | Mindyana Jones Designs
3. Get the Schedule in Front of Everyone
Like having a helpful checklist, it’s important to have a visual reminder of where everyone is supposed to be when. It gets overwhelming when trying to juggle parents’ schedules with after school schedules and having an easy central place where everything is listed can be a lifesaver on a busy afternoon.
No "oops I forgot" excuses with this dry-erase family calendar that keeps everyone's activities front and center!
ETSY | CIRCLE AND SQUARE DECOR
4. Create an “After School Station”
If you can, grab a corner of your kid’s closet, a mudroom, garage, or just an area by the front door to create a quick grab-and-go after school area. Store what you need for sports, ballet, gymnastics, and other activities that require a wardrobe change or accessories. I keep my son’s martial arts uniform (and a couple extras) in a bag in a cubby in his closet, that way it’s easy to grab and go on the way out the door.
5. Don’t Over-Schedule
Last year, we got a little over-zealous with after school activities and had a different sport or lesson every single day—sometimes two a day—all over town. That ended up in a downward spiral of missed classes, a grumpy child, and an over-stressed parent.
This after school season, I’m keeping it more mellow and focusing on two to three activities that we know we can keep up with. That will make it easier for my son to focus on each activity, since he’s not being pulled in so many directions. And it will keep me sane to not be juggling five different activities for months.
6. Create a Homework-Ready Area
Preparation is half the battle. If we’re running short on time after an activity, I know it will be a struggle to get my little guy to sit down and practice his reading and writing. I’ve taken a corner of his room and created a makeshift homework area using his activity table.
For my little guy, it’s all about the markers and colored pens he gets to use and a fun notebook (he’s partial to his Spidey notebook), so I set those up in easy Container Store bins that he can access quickly. He knows that when he comes home, that is his own space that he can sit at and practice writing, drawing, and have some quiet time.
Source: Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels
7. Don’t Stress on Screen Time (but Make it Educational!)
The reality of screen time in our house is that it will occur. Whether it’s the hour between getting dropped off by the bus and an after school activity or the post-activity wind down, I know my kid is going to reach for that iPad. To keep him from mindlessly watching videos that have little educational value, I’ve downloaded a few apps that I can trust will keep him entertained while using his brain. Noggin is a favorite around here for the Nick Jr. characters, but we also love codeSpark, Disney Coloring World, ABCMouse, and Osmo.
Your little one won't even realize they're learning with their favorite characters! Try Noggin for free for the first 30 days, then pay only $7.99 a month!
Noggin
8. Ask for Help If You Can
I’m one of those people that has an incredibly hard time asking for help, but if the last couple of years has shown me anything, it’s that sometimes you need to lean on your village. Reaching out to a mom friend for help with bus pick-up, or carting my son along to the same after school activities as their kids has been a game changer in reducing the amount of stress I was feeling from juggling all of the pick-ups and drop-offs with work commitments.
My circle of mom friends is all feeling the same thing, so we feel comfortable going back and forth on the “Hey, can you pick him/her up from the bus with yours?” trade off. Whether it’s a mom friend, partner, grandparent, other family member or babysitter, you don’t have to do it all alone—and you’ll be surprised how eager people in your circle are to help.
This post was in partnership with Brainiac Foods, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.