Creative Ways To Bond With Your Children After School

The reality is that the hours after school can be a bit of a blur… one minute you’re picking the kids up, then next it’s dinner, homework, bath, bed, and somewhere in between you need to organise what’s needed for the next day and, ideally, have some time together. How is it possible?

Well, what’s important to bear in mind is that those hours after school are a fantastic opportunity - your child’s had a full day, you’ve probably had one too, and maybe neither of you need a long heart-to-heart, but you do need some form of connection - it’s so important. What we mean is that you need to spend a little time together that’s easy, warm, and fun, and it doesn’t have to be a lot or take ages, and it definitely doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful. In fact, sometimes the very best moments can just happen when you’re both doing something silly, creative, or relaxing together (or maybe all those things at once!).

With that in mind, if you’re looking for new ways to bond that are really going to work, here are some ideas to consider - keep reading to find out more.

What Is Their Energy Like?

One of the easiest ways to bond with your child after school is to gauge what their energy levels are like, and then do something that matches - some kids come home buzzing with energy, but others walk through the door tired and they’re not going to want to do anything too strenuous. The trick is to match their energy with whatever it is you’re planning to do, and that way they’ll enjoy it a lot more (and so will you because there will be fewer meltdowns to deal with).

So, if they’re high energy, maybe you could put on some music and dance around while you’re making dinner, or perhaps you could have a quick run around or game or football in the garden, for example. If they’re a bit more tired, something slower could work well, like drawing, reading together, playing some online games, or even just curling up and watching a good TV show for a little bit. The thing is, what you do doesn’t have to be totally structured and planned from beginning to end, it just needs to be something you can share, even if it’s only for a little while.

Let Them Teach You Something

There’s something really special about letting your child be the expert from time to time, and the fact is that kids love explaining things they’re interested in and know a lot about - it could be anything, from a particularly interesting lesson they had at school, to a new skill they picked up from a friend, or anything else.

So, one good way to bond after school is just to ask them to tell you about something cool or fun or interesting. Ask them how something works or watch them do something. As long as you let them lead and don’t try to help them out (it can be tempting, but stay back as much as you can), it can be a fantastic experience for both of you, and it’s sometimes quite surprising how much they can open up when they’re the one in charge.

It’s actually even better if whatever it is they’re doing or showing you is something you genuinely don’t know how to do - you get to learn, they get to feel proud of what they know, and you’re both enjoying a shared moment that’s helpful and fun.

Do Something Hands-On

The reality is that a little bit of hands-on, possibly messy, fun can be a great way to bond with your child after school, and although the idea may not fill you with joy at first, as long as you keep things manageable so tidying up isn’t a massive chore and everyone gets stressed about it, it could be the ideal path to go down.

So, what do we mean by something hands-on? Well, it could be baking, for example (or even just decorating shop-bought cupcakes), cooking dinner (which isn’t just a good way to bond, but it’s practical as well, so it ticks a lot of boxes), making salt dough figures, playing with kinetic sand, finger painting, and so on. You’re sure to have loads of craft items in the house, so make use of them and have some fun.

Of course, messy doesn’t mean it has to be chaotic, and it really just needs to feel different enough from being at school to relax everyone and let some creativity out. And if you’re not in the mood for mess, that’s fine - some days it’s just a bit too much, even if it is contained - you could get the building blocks or Lego out instead, or do a puzzle together, and so on. In the end, the specific activity matters less than doing something together, so whatever you do can easily match how you’re all feeling and fit in just the way it needs to.

Get Nostalgic

Here’s something interesting to think about - kids really love hearing about when you were little and the things you did. They want to know what games you plated, what you had for snacks, where you went on days out, what their grandparents were like back then, silly things that happened, what pets you took care of, and so much more. Children just can’t seem to get enough of hearing about how things used to be (even if it wasn’t really all that long ago!).

So, you could take a moment between school and all the evening chores that have to be done to tell your children stories about the funny shows you watched, or the music you liked, or the places you went on holiday… And what’s really great is that they’ll enjoy the stories, but you get to re-live them as well, and a bit of nostalgia definitely goes a long way. Plus, it might get them talking about their own experiences as well, and you could get to know them better because although you may well have been there for whatever it is they’re talking about, you might not have known how they felt about it, or that one specific time sticks out in their memories. It’s all important when it comes to bonding and getting to know your children as much as possible.

Keep It Low-Key

Some days, your child just won’t be in the mood. And, if you’re really honest, there will be days when you’re not either. And that’s perfectly okay.

After all, the end goal isn’t to fill up every available second with an activity (even if that’s how it might seem). What it’s really about is creating a bit of time to connect, which is so important when it comes to having a good relationship not just now, but in the future as well. Something like a walk to the local shop, sharing a snack, telling stories, or just sitting together quietly before they need to start their homework, and you go and do whatever job you’ve got to tackle next… these things can be all that’s needed.

And of course, some days you won’t do anything at all - you’ll have too much to do, they’ll be too tired and just want to go to their room alone, and so on. And that’s fine too. Bonding is great - it’s crucial - but forcing it on days where it’s just too much is a bad idea. Let it all happen naturally, and everyone’s going to enjoy it more.

Nanny to Mommy