Oh those darn keys and the lanyard. Life was life. We got by!
When I was a small kid, and I’m talking under ten years old here, I was a latchkey kid. I had my key around my neck on a shoestring and when I got home there was no one there to greet me.
My mom worked so hard to keep the family running and at the time my dad was not an active part of the family. Besides all of the emotional difficulties that came with this, I had to learn how to take care of myself probably a little bit earlier than most other kids out there.
Fortunately, my parents gave me the tools that I needed to stay focused and they had paved a way for a productive future. This might not be true for today’s family situations as there are so many more distraction, so many more demanding jobs, and so much more to do to take care of daily duties.
I understand that the times have changed and that an after school program is almost essential to steer them in the next generation in the right direction. Here are some tips to help your kids get the day off on the right foot.
1) Keep them interested
This was an especially hard part of my days as part of my latchkey experience that was most difficult was to be interested. I didn’t really have a great understanding of what to do when I got home. This was a big deal because when kids don’t know what to do and what’s available, they’ll find things. These aren’t normally boring and safe things that you would approve of.
Fortunately, my mom setup the routine of getting my homework done, getting a snack to tide me over for a while, and then watching a little bit of TV before doing anything else. Normally, by the time those things were done, it was about the time she’d be home. This allowed for the whole situation to worked out reasonably well. This also allowed me to grow my self control, get my homework done, and feel a sense of accomplishment on a daily basis.
2) Keep them focused
Setting up this regular schedule of getting the most important things done also kept me focused in life. This process allowed me to get my homework done, which was great for my grades and building a good habit of doing good work for school. I don’t have the scientific proof to show, but I am sure this has helped me in my career advancement today.
Doing useful things to keep my mind on track allowed me to not let my brain wander off onto things that would be detrimental to my health, our house, and my future. Directing a fire-hose to put out a fire is so much more effective than just letting it spew out all over the place. Direct your kids’ energy, focus, and attention for the most useful output.
3) Keep them out of danger
Oh I thought it said “Danger, THEN Ice.” I was like “thanks – ice does help!”
By keeping me focused and on task, I wasn’t out running on the streets doing things I shouldn’t be doing. Now, I’m not saying I didn’t get into trouble and I didn’t do things that made my parents upset. I wouldn’t be a normal kid if that were the case.
However, by having something on my to-do list every single day, it really did keep me out of trouble. This helped keep me in the mindset of getting things done and that I’ve got things that are expected of me. After all, I didn’t need to go around causing problems when my mom’s coming home soon and will be especially upset if my homework’s not done. It worked out nicely.
Get Those Kids a Program
There are more specific after school programs out there and you should definitely look into them. These programs will be great for keeping your kids interested, keeping them focused, and keeping them out of danger. These can range from home-brewed programs to paid professional services. Figure out what works best for you and your kids. As your homework assignment, why don’t you go see what’s available in your local area and what it takes to get your kids enrolled soon.