No-Excuses-After-School Routine: 8 Steps to Less Parenting Stress School/Education Parenting

Kids of all ages can do this no-excuses after-school routine. Here's the simple tried-and-true routine that worked with my kids:

1. Smiles and hugs. 
2. Take off and put away my shoes and jacket. 
3. Wash my hands. 
4. Empty out and sort my backpack into three categories (action, archive, trash). 
5. Hang up my backpack. 
6. Put lunch and snack containers in the sink or dishwasher. 
7. Place lunchbox in its "home" until I need it again. 
8. Snack, chat and plan.

Here's how to make the routine really work for your family. Do it every day. Especially when it's a crazy night. Be sure your kids are getting into these routines early. If this is too much at first, then tailor it down to help them be successful until they can carry more responsibility.

Bonus Tips

• Give them a place for their backpack. A hook works well in my house.

• When you sort the backpack, throw the trash out right away and take the archive papers to your command center or office.

• When you talk about the day, make sure to ask open-ended questions and ask about the problems they solved or how they overcame an obstacle, this encourages a growth mindset. Without distraction, really listen to them and then make a plan for the rest of the day.

Try this routine out for 30 days and see if it helps your kids!

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