Because establishing that after school routine is just…HARD.
This little video tutorial has recently been spreading like wildfire across the internet. Have you seen it? It’s from the uber popular Kids Activities Blog, and it’s about making an “after school routine clock” for your family.
Here’s what their clock looked like…
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Their concept is that each hour after school is color-coded. You make the after school routine clock, then hang it on the wall with a key so that your family stays on track for your after school routine each day.
Great idea, right?!
Supplies for After School Routine Clock:
You can grab one of these super inexpensive wall clocks from Amazon. I bought one, and when it arrived 48 hours later, I got to work on my clock.
And while I was coloring, I got to thinking…
Remember that time I made a chore calendar?
Then there was the Pinterest-inspired behavior bingo game?
The ticket reward system…
the kindness jar…
the velcro-ed, laminated activities of daily living sequencing cards, customized with names and favorite colors??
All gone the way of the floppy disk. Just a long line of feeble attempts to rally a bit of support from the short people round the cause of ORDER or just a hint of CLEANLINESS. And here’s the reality bitch slap moment.
There will be NO order in this court.
Not today, and not after this darling routine clock is made. The reality, in our household, is that no amount of craftiness is going to make the “putting one’s dirty underwear in the clothes hamper” task any more appealing. I can magnetize that order, color it with chalk pens…
I can even whip out the label maker and stick 260 point, bold font arrows along the exceedingly difficult terrain one must traverse in order to get the undies to the laundry hamper (i.e. the 6 feet stretch of our standard, nothing notable hallway). And know what? I’d STILL be picking up those flipping undies.
I yield.
And with that, I decided that what we all needed wasn’t an after school routine clock for the kids. What we needed was, an after school routine clock FOR US PARENTS. Because parenthood is like controlled anarchy. And there’s no such thing as that.
We are like the Wicked Witch of the West in Munchkin Land, folks. We have no power here, and we best just begone before somebody drops a house on us, too. Kinda feels like that’s happened already, but I digress.
So with that said, I give you:
The After School Routine Clock…
for parents.
Let’s DO this, guys! Watch the video, then make your clock!
*Music – “Break You In” Vibe Tracks
In review, here’s our adulting-is-tough-after-school-routine-clock:
Best of luck in Munchkin Land, friends. We’ll keep all you parent friends in our prayers. Please do the same. We all need all the help we can get, right?
Anika says
This is such a cool id a! I am totally doing this!
Tisha Allen says
OH.MY.YES!!! Have you been watching us???
Great idea for keeping me focused and determined that I will make it to bedtime…and not stay up ALL night enjoying the after-party so much that we are tardy…again!
I love your blog Heather! Thanks for the laughs!
Joan says
That was so hysterical! I am now a grandma but can totally relate to your “parent clock” ! There were days and then there were years……. I am still laughing. Thanks. ? Great to see a creative lefty!