How to Unwind After the Homeschool Day Ends
The homeschool day is a full one, from reviewing yesterday’s materials with your child to the next chapters in different subjects. There’s work to do on paper and online, and your kid is excited to play during breaks and after homeschooling ends that day. Helping them unwind later on is important so they avoid overstimulation. Here are some suggestions:
Make It Clear When the School Day Ends
Something that can happen when you two spend so much time together is that the line blurs between the homeschool hours and the time afterward. So, it’s a good idea to clearly signal when the homeschool day ends, whether that’s by firmly closing a book or saying upfront that the school part of the day is over. With that end, you and your child may clean up the learning space together or have a short talk about what they learned today. The point here is to help them mentally separate teacher from parent and school time from personal time.
Encourage Calm Activities
After a full day of learning, many kids benefit from downtime. That’s not to say that they’re sleeping or just watching TV. Instead, encourage them to do creative activities that require focus without a lot of pressure. Creative outlets like drawing and writing are some examples. Your kid isn’t worried that they might get an answer wrong or feel the need to be right, the way they would on school tests. Instead, they’re having fun while still being curious about things and using their imagination.
Use Music as an After-School Activity
Music is an effective way to end the homeschool day, since you’re still in the house, and they’re still learning, although in a calmer way. For example, at-home piano lessons in Atlanta and elsewhere are a great after-school routine to get into. They’re still learning, but it’s in a more creative way than the textbooks and quizzes earlier in the day. Many kids want to learn to play piano because it’s fun, they like having a special skill, and it provides a challenge without feeling like school.
Go Outside Too
Being outside helps them relax after hours of reading, listening, and focusing indoors. It’s a great change in environment. They might feel overloaded, so stepping outside, especially before it gets dark, helps reduce mental fatigue. You might feel burned out, too, so join them outside for a walk or to do some stretches. That helps you both get some exercise, release any excess energy, and unwind for a calm evening ahead.
Take Time to Connect
While you two have been connecting over books and learning during the homeschool day, it’s important to continue moments of connection after school ends, too. That helps your child understand that you don’t always have to be learning when you’re together. You could cook or bake together, take a walk, or play cards, for example. Maybe you’ll even create something together, such as a painting or drawing. Taking the time to unwind after the homeschool day together, you two will have a positive evening.





