When your child comes home from school, do they have difficulty regulating their bodies and emotions? If you think about it, they have been working their minds and bodies all day! They have been learning, focusing, following directions, and engaging with others. Many of our kiddos have been doing their best just to keep it together. They then get home to their safety or place of familiarity and let their guard down. That could look like crashing or having increased energy. Either way their regulation is off! Here are some ways that may help your kids regulate after school.
Establish a Routine
After-school routines can help kids manage their time. It can bring an understanding of what is to be expected. Routines can bring a sense of security and help develop self-discipline. You can include activities such as snack time, homework, playtime, dinner, chores, family time, reading, and bedtime. Set up an after school visual schedule for your kiddo and allow them to provide their input in making it. Check out the visual schedule blog to learn how to make a visual schedule.
Have a Healthy Snack
Healthy snacks can replenish energy, they can help maintain blood sugar levels, and give a boost to help regulate the body. When picking a snack, hard crunchy foods may bring an added benefit. Sensory (proprioceptive) input is provided to the jaw when having to bite down and chew on hard crunchy foods. This can bring input to the body to help with grounding and regulation. Some examples would be apples, nuts, seeds, and many vegetables such as carrots, celery, and snap peas.
Physical Activity and Movement
Regular physical activity can help kids regulate their energy levels, enhance mood, and improve concentration and focus. Physical activity can help provide the sensory input your child is seeking. Go for a walk, play a sport, have unstructured play, jump on a trampoline, or do animal walk, craws, or jumps. Set up an obstacle course! Check out the blog post on how to set up an obstacle course at home. The impact of movements on the joints provide proprioceptive input to help with regulating the body.
Positive Encouragement and Being Present
Praise and positive reinforcement can go a long way to build-up and motivate your kiddo, especially after a whole day spent at school. Remember to praise their efforts, not just their results. Talk about positive experiences during the day such as their favorite subject, what they learned, and things they experienced. Try your best to be present for your kiddo. A listening ear can go a long way! We as adults want to be heard and understood. Kids are no different. Spending time and speaking positivity into our kiddos can help improve their self-concept and self-confidence.
Create a Homework Zone
Provide a quiet well-lit space dedicated for studying or homework. This can help them focus and concentrate better. Have them decorate or personalize the space to make it more inviting and motivating.
Create a Quiet Space
This can be anywhere that your child can go to relax, rest, or decompress after a long day. It can be in the corner of a room or on their bed. You can make a small “fort” to go into. You can also use a play tent. Having the space dark or not too bright can help with calming the body. Add pillows for comfort. You can also put up some string lights for a calmer “mood.” Put together a “calming” box with items that your kiddo likes to play with. Some items can be pop tubes or pop fidgets, stuffed animals, reading, coloring, or activity books, a sketch pad, or a puzzle. You can also find items that appeal to each of the sense to help with calming. Work together to come up with ideas for the “calming” box and designate a space. Use it whenever your kiddos need a break.
Coming home after school may look different for each child. Our hope is that these strategies will provide you with some tools and ideas to help your kiddos regulate and acclimate once they come home.
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