After school can be quite chaotic! I started doing these one-on-one meetings to help check in with my kids after a long day at school. Check out the blog post for tips and some questions I ask.
Yesterday on Instagram I shared how we are starting something new after school: Mommy Meetings. Each of the older girls will sign up for a 5-minute one-on-one meeting with me while the day is fresh in their minds.
Yes, we have conversations at dinner like “how was your day?” or “anything exciting happen during math today?”, but it seems as if everyone is talking on top of each other. I thought these meetings would be a great way to have conversations. Since they will be every weekday, I will have more of a sense of what is going on.
If there are any issues, like friend drama, I can be sure to follow up the next day to see how it was resolved.
How to these meetings work?
When the girls walk in the door, I have them do the usuals: take off shoes/coats, unpack lunchboxes, grab a snack. I try to give them a good 15 minutes to clean up before we start the meetings.
Find a designated area away from distractions. Let’s be honest: it’s hard to keep Liam out of the room, but I try to have my office as distraction free as possible.
Set a time limit. I try to keep the meetings between five and ten minutes, just depending on the day, since we have three meetings to make time for. If there are any homework questions, those will he handled outside of the meetings.
Have them bring their folders or any school papers you need to see. I have my phone/calendar out to jot down any field trips or important tests or dates. I also use this moment to sign any forms, etc. If homework is given for that day, I have them get it out and show me how much they have to do.
Questions to ask to keep the conversation flowing. Be specific and try to avoid yes/no answer questions.
- What did you do in (enter subject) today? Follow up during the week with additional questions. Example: If your kiddo chats about starting a new math unit, follow up with “How is the rounding going in math? Do you need help?”
- How is (insert book name) going? What are the main characters? Do you have any predictions?
- Who did you eat lunch with? Did you chat about anything fun?
There is plenty to chat about! Consider keeping a little notebook to jot down things to follow up on. As much as I’d love to say I remember everything, I have a serious case of Mom Brain.
I’ll be sure to follow up with how these are going for our family. The girls are so excited about these meetings so far and I really think it’s important to have a safe space for conversations. Hopefully I can keep them chatting with me as they turn into teenagers.
Below is the Facebook Live I did about the meetings!
How to you handle after-school chaos with your kids? What questions would you ask?
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