A Calm After-School Routine That Prevents the 4pm Meltdown
5 min read
Most after-school routines pile demands on a child running on empty. This one does the opposite.
The sequence
- Snack and water within 10 minutes of pickup
- 30–60 min of low-demand decompression (no questions)
- Movement or outside time
- Then — and only then — anything cognitive (homework, chores)