5 Tips to Manage Your Child's Busy After-School Schedule

Does your child sign up for every after-school activity he finds interesting? Do you worry that your child's busy extracurricular schedule is taking up all of her free time? Here are five tips to help manage stress they may feel due to their hectic schedule.

In a recent KidsHealth survey, almost 90 percent of students said they felt stress day in and day out. And when kids are stressed, their parents are as well. Some of the stress is from school, classes, and everything that comes along with that, but just as much pressure can be felt after school. If your after-school schedule feels more hurried, stressful, and complicated than you would prefer, try the following solutions to make life a little simpler for you and your child. 

1. Reassess the after-school schedule.

I'm sure we can all agree that each child is different—some thrive on hectic schedules, whereas others crave downtime. Listening to our kids is the only way we'll know how they feel. Take time to ask your child if his load is too stressful or just right. 

The flip side of this equation is your personal situation. Perhaps more than children, parents feel overextended and exhausted. Managing kids, a job, transportation to sports, and of course, homework, is enough to put even the most organized and efficient parent through the wringer. If this feels too familiar, consider re-examining your children's schedules. Can one activity go by the wayside? Is there a sport or lesson that your child doesn't truly enjoy, but you insisted upon so that he doesn't miss out on an opportunity? These are the activities you might want to reconsider.

2. Create a predictable schedule.

Although each child in your household is likely to have a different schedule, it helps to create a family policy that homework must at least be started before leaving for an after-school activity. Getting a jump start on homework significantly reduces procrastination and stress later in the evening.

3. Use a white board.

It's easy to keep track of assignments with a white board. Hang a large white board near an area that will be used for homework. When your children return from school each day, insist that they write their assignments on the white board. By using this tool, you or any other adult in the home will know of the assignments each child has for the day, what has been completed, and what is still left to do. When the homework assignment list is visible, unfinished work is less likely to slip through the cracks. This is a great solution for busy households.