3 Simple Tips for an Easier Afternoon With Kids• creating a life & home where gratitude has room to thrive

Do your kids come home from school in a flurry of activity, leaving a trail of backpacks, shoes, and snack wrappers in their wake? Are you left trying to create some kind of order while you attempt to get everyone ready for homework, after school activities, and sigh…dinner? In this post, learn my favorite 3 simple tips for an easier afternoon with kids so you can go from chaos to calm (and actually start to enjoy that time with your kids like you always imagined you would!).

you are going to love the 3 simple tips in this post if you’ve been asking yourself any of these questions lately:

what is a good after school routine for kids?
how can i spend more quality time with my kids?
how do i manage my daily routine with kids?
how can i help our afternoons be less stressful?
how do i get out the door faster with kids?

so first…what are your afternoons like?

my afternoons look like 3 kids getting home from school at 3 different times and then heading out to play with different friends or to 3 different activities. until i started implementing the following 3 life-changing steps, i was the only one who knew where everyone needed to be and what they needed to bring.

sound familiar?

if you’re anything like most Moms i know and love, your kids come home from school, drop their backpack, and you spend the rest of the afternoon giving out random reminders to unpack it and hang it up, and to put away their shoes while they’re at it. or you give up and do it yourself (which only makes you frustrated).

or maybe your afternoons are a bit more relaxed, but you’d like your kids to start working on time management and independence before you get to the point of frustration.

perhaps your family is like ours, and your kids head out to various practices each day. and even though they’ve been to that practice at that place countless times, they still can’t remember what time to start getting ready, what to pack, and who is on carpool duty.

so you’re left shouting various directions up the stairs while you try to find the right uniform shirt in the mountain of clean laundry. or maybe they just have to wear the dirty one. 😉

now, what if i told you the solution to this madness is actually pretty simple, and that i’ve also already done all the hard work and put in the prep time for you, so you can be on your way to effortless afternoons at your house in no time at all?

would you start doing a happy dance right now?

you see, the secret to effortless afternoons, where you get to stop repeating, reminding, and taking deep breaths (and start spending actual meaningful, quality time with your kids) lies in following these these 3 tips for an easier afternoon with kids:

have a designated place for all the papers that come out of kids’ backpacks
create an after school routine
make an after school routine checklist that’s easy to follow

THAT’S IT! even better news? the School Day Sanity Saver Pack has everything you need to do this today – with our favorite way to organize school papers, routine printables, and game-changing checklists your kids can use to stay on track (and it’s on sale until midnight tonight!).

the School Day Sanity Saver Pack was designed especially for Moms and it is already a hit. with printables (+ customizable digital files) dedicated to making smoother mornings and calmer afternoons the norm, this sanity-saving pack has everything you need to bring more order and peace to your days (yes, it’s possible!).

its magic is in its simplicity and the fact that it is divided into 4 parts – Smoother Mornings, Calmer Afternoons, Sanity Saving Extras, and Free Bonuses. you can learn all about the other parts RIGHT HERE but for now, here’s what’s included to make sure you’re on your way to…

An easier afternoon with kids:

5 Steps to Organize School Papers. Create and easily keep up this simple system that will have your sorting, storing, and saving kids’ school papers through high school – no more counter piles! (This has everything you need to help with Tip #1: have a designated place for all the papers that come out of kids’ backpacks).
School Papers Cover Page Printable. Label your new system for keeping school papers organized with a cute, practical Cover Page printable.
Calm Afternoon Routine Checklists. Help your kids move through their afternoon routine – unpacking, winding down, homework, activities, and chores – with an easy-to-follow checklist to keep them on track. (This has done-for-you routine examples + customizable checklists to help with Tips #2 & 3).
Get Out the Door After-School Activity Checklist. Be sure your kids gather everything they need for after-school activities (without a million reminders) so they are ready and on time without help! (This will also make sure you’re all set to be successful with the routines and checklists in Tips #2 & 3).

here’s a sneak peek inside the Calmer Afternoons section of the School Day Sanity Saver Pack

(and remember, each resource in the Pack comes with an explanation + real-life examples so you can see them in action. the examples are my family’s EXACT lists, to help you brainstorm and make it as easy as possible for you to get started with the goodies in this Pack! plus – you also have all the morning resources included as well and you can see pictures of those RIGHT HERE.)

alrighty Mama friend, get excited for calmer afternoons (AND smoother mornings). just follow the three tips with everything you need to make it happen TODAY in the School Day Sanity Saver Pack: