After a full day of school, it is amazing how your child is still bubbling with energy. Honestly – where do they get it? As parents, I’m sure many of us wish we had that energy after a long and challenging day of work. It can be difficult to deal with your child’s energy as well since you probably would like to just sit down, maybe put your feet up and relax, but your child is raring to go and can’t seem to settle down.
It is important to make sure your child has a healthy and beneficial way to expel all of that extra fuel. Pent up energy can lead to your child not wanting to go to bed at a decent time, and therefore not getting enough adequate sleep, or even overreacting to situations because there’s nowhere for that energy to go. Here are some effective and constructive ways to channel that energy into productive activities in and outside of the home.
HOUSEHOLD CHORES
Daily chores at home are great if your child is old enough to take on the responsibility. Even if they are young, you can start with some very small things, such as simply picking up toys.
You can teach your child the necessity of keeping a clean and organized home as well as giving your child that independence with the responsibility to get certain things done. It also helps your child to feel accomplished and confident when finishing a chore, and sometimes can help to be rewarded (monetary or otherwise). All of this added to the benefit of being able to put that extra energy after school into something that has a purpose.
MUSIC LESSONS
One of the best ways to help your child expend energy is through an after-school activity. If you are looking for something productive that’ll also provide your child with a lifelong skill, music education provides wonderful benefits in more ways than one.
Even if you live in a bustling big city, like New York, where there are fewer directly-affiliated afterschool programs than some suburban counterparts, enrolling your child in beginner New York City singing lessons through a private coach will provide him or her with an energy outlet and offer improvement in other areas of life, including academics, social skills, and self-esteem. Channeling energy into a productive learning project such as studying an instrument or mastering a song vocally can also ignite a passion for finding your child’s innermost talent as well.
CRAFT PROJECTS
Another great way to help your child burn off some energy is through the use of a productive project. Building things or creating new works of art is perfect for a child who likes to get a little messy, too. You can even join your child in creating some useful crafts together or building something that you can use in the home.
Keep in mind that depending on your child’s age, certain crafts will be more entertaining than others to keep them using their energy. It’s also very productive to make something that can be used so that there is a purpose to it if your child is older, unlike a younger child who might just want to paint a picture for fun.
PHYSICAL EXERCISE
There are so many ways that you can help your child with their energy in something that’s physical. Not to mention that exercise routine is a great health benefit for your child. You can enroll him or her into a dance class, karate, or an after-school sport. Any activity that can be done in an after-school setting would be a good option. These are especially helpful if you notice that your child really wants to move.
If you don’t want to worry about the added responsibility of taking your child to and from an activity or place every day, you can also create a physical exercise or extracurricular activity in your routine at home. Having a daily dance party, and creating a dance routine when your child is older, or playing sports in the yard can be great activities. Working out for thirty to forty minutes during the week with your child is not only good for expending their energy but also in giving you some energy back, too. And for many parents it is hard to find the time to work out, so why not include it as an activity with your child and do it together? It’s a win-win!
TALKING
This might seem silly, but talking is a really good way to channel energy. Sometimes, kids don’t know how to express themselves and as a parent, it is important that we show interest in the goings-on of our children, so that they feel comfortable expressing themselves with us.
It can be difficult after a long day, but having a conversation with your child about what happened in their day is a great way to establish a strong relationship and trust so that your child feels they can talk to you about things, especially if you make it a routine to ask them to talk. It’s an effective way for children to deal with anxiety and pent-up feelings. It may not seem like a way to expend energy, but talking engages your child’s brain, having them recall things and utilize their memory, and your brain uses more energy than other parts of the body.
If you find yourself at a loss for topics and words to talk about with your child, try engaging them in crossword puzzles as an intriguing conversation starter. Not only will engaging them with crossword puzzles introduce them to new words and ideas, but it will also develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities as they solve crosswords together, sparking conversations you otherwise might never have had. With this unique way of engaging them, you could turn any game into an interactive learning session and maximize the time together.
MAKING A MESS
Methods of releasing energy can often require your child to get messy. In this instance, let it be okay to make messes. Let your child jump in the mud puddles, or build that fort out of blankets and chairs, create that huge tower out of blocks, or if they are really young, bang on all the pots and pans in the kitchen.
It can be fun, it releases stress, and it also channels lots of energy to create a big mess. And then, when your child is done, you can have him or her release even more energy by cleaning it all up.
After-school energy is hard to navigate. There are some really easy ways to make it more manageable and less stressful, while also being sure that your child stays productive. Constructive projects, conversations, music lessons, and physical activities are some really fantastic methods for helping your child channel that extra energy at the end of the school day.
