Creating a Good Evening Routine
By Dr. Elise Herman
For busy families, school nights can feel rushed and chaotic. Evenings could be a time to connect, enjoy dinner together, and get tasks and homework done. Instead, too often kids and parents may be on their phones and devices, and there may not be much quality family time. Creating structure for better evenings provides stability for the family, as everyone knows what to expect. Kids who have a consistent evening routine also tend to have earlier bedtimes and sleep better, which is particularly important for school nights.
Identify what you would like to see get done in the evenings including homework, chores, family time, etc. Consider including your child in the discussion of how evenings should be structured, depending on their age. Once you have a plan, it can be written on a chalkboard (simple drawings can be used for younger kiddos). Assess occasionally and make changes so the routine works better for your family.
Heather Miller, educator and the author of Prime-Time Parenting, recommends a two-hour school night routine that helps parents support their children’s physical, emotional, and academic needs while also taking care of themselves. You may need to adjust the start time to fit your family’s schedule. Warning: this two-hour block is screen-free (unless needed for schoolwork) so parents, get ready to put away your phones.
6 PM The Huddle - Spend 5-10 minutes discussing with your child how their day went. Make a plan for any homework to be done or pick out a book or other activity (drawing, puzzles, etc.) for after dinner. The parent starts dinner, possibly with the child’s help. Kids can also set the table and do other quick chores like picking up toys.
6:30 PM Dinner Half-hour- Everyone sits down together, hopefully enjoying healthy food (take out or ready-made meals fine as occasional alternatives). Have fun conversations (see “Resources”, below)) and model good table manners.
7 PM The ‘Homework Hustle’- Be positive and encouraging as your child tackles their assignments. If no homework was given, your child can read, draw, do puzzles, or just play if younger. As your child gets older, they will of course need more than the 30 minutes in this sample routine.
7:30/ 8 PM Wind down (this will be later for older kids)- The “Bath, Book, Bed” routine gets kids calm and sleepy in anticipation of bedtime. You can read to your child or they can read to you if they are able- or take turns. Older kids may want to be on their phones before bed which is best avoided. At the very least, they shouldn’t be looking at a screen for the hour before bed as it can interfere with sleep.
8:30- 9 PM Bedtime- It is important for the happiness of the entire family that parents get some alone time, so a good bedtime routine for your child is vital. The timing of this routine will change as your child gets older, but adequate sleep is very important at every age.
Resources:
Prime Time Parenting, by Heat
