Creating an Afterschool Happy Hour
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On a good day at our house, school wraps up by about 3 o’clock. The house is quiet. The girls are napping (hopefully). The boys are finishing their independent work. We do a quick pick up to signal the end of lessons and the transition to afternoon activities.
One fun thing to make that transition fun — and delicious — is to share an afterschool “happy hour.” You could call it a coffee break, an afterschool snack or tea time.
The important thing is that we take a moment to unwind, share a snack, and reconnect.
We do this at the end of our homeschool day, but I imagine that families who school outside the home would enjoy this just as much. It’s a great chance to catch up, share funny stories, and refuel for afternoon activities.
Take a moment to unwind
I find that school days can be full days. My kids have chores and school lessons to do. I have to hit the ground running just to keep up. While each child may not be busy the entire day, my minutes are filled, transitioning my attention from child to child and tackling home tasks.
Taking a break can be so refreshing — for me and the kids.
Share a snack
On a good day at our house, meals are planned in advance. The kids have had a good breakfast; we eat sack lunches. Dinner is scheduled for about six pm. Lunch seems hours ago, and it’s still too early to eat dinner.
So, it’s nice to have a snack to hold us over.
Some snacks we like:
- Apples and maple cream
- Cheese and crackers
- Graham crackers and applesauce
- Popcorn with butter
- Cake and hot cocoa
- Cookies and milk
Sharing Sara Lee
Recently, our happy hour featured pound cake from Sara Lee. This dessert is a sweet memory from my childhood. My mom often bought one for me and my four siblings.
I love the convenience of having this snack in the freezer. It’s a great last minute treat, especially since it thaws so quickly. I prefer it cold.
Drizzle it with an orange glaze, and it’s even better!
Orange Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 – 2 Tablespoons orange juiceCombine all ingredients in a small bowl, adding enough juice to create the consistency you desire. Drizzle over slices of pound cake and serve.
Reconnect
Even though I spend all day every day with my kids, there are still times when I feel a disconnect. If I’ve been busy cleaning or we’ve had company, I feel like I’ve been away from them. I miss them when we haven’t had a chance to talk.
Snack time is a good way for us to reconnect.
Looking at good days
The reality is that “good days” are hard to come by. At least in the “everything-is-going-as-I-planned” kind of good day.
The house might be a wreck. Tears might have been shed over math problems or phonics reading. Piles of laundry may be waiting in all corners of the house. FishChick 2 might have gotten into who-knows what.
But, hanging with my kids? Reconnecting after a hard day? Enjoying a little pick-me-up together?
That can make every day a good day.
It’s true that it’s easy to be home with your kids all day long, but still not feel connected.
During the summer we’d have a picnic. We’d ride our bikes to the park and eat lunch. During the winter, my son and I will play chess together. My daughter is busy with sports – I need to work on a way to reconnect with her!
My oldest of three children is four and he is away only two mornings a week. Other than that I am with them all day every day and I still feel I miss out on moments due to having to run the household. I try to reconnect with a family dinner nightly. I love to hear about the day through their eyes as they tell their dad about it.
I like sitting on the floor and watching her mind work as she plays. So fun! And I learn so much!
We like to read a book or play a game. Having a snack is always nice too!
Right after the big boys get home from school we go through bags and papers and have a snack. During winter, we have hot cocoa and graham crackers, or maybe a warm cookie if mom was really on the ball. If the weather is warm, we have a smoothie.
Its so nice to catch up with them before we get busy again with homework and dinner prep. Then we all sit together for dinner when Dad gets home.
we like to reconnect by playing board games
Reading books with my toddler is a great way to slow down and get away from all the distractions for a while!
Home made pretzels and cheese sauce or apples and peanut butter.
My kids are all teens but I find it’s important to connect with them now as well. The best way to get their attention for a chat is to offer a hearty snack and require that it’s eaten in the kitchen with me.
It’s priority in our house to have dinner together, at the kitchen table, with Dad, EVERY night. We have a great time reconnecting over a meal with no interruptions.