Most parents don’t want their children just wandering the streets during these hours so they ask the kids to stay at home. Kids are likely to spend a lot of this time in front of the television. So how can you make sure they’re getting enough exercise after school each day?

It’s the parent’s job to make sure that happens. Parents are to be role models for their kids when it comes to exercise.

Of course, that is easier said than done. Remember that exercise helps relieve stress from your day. So, it’s not only good for your kids, but it’s also good for you. Do whatever it takes to make sure your kids get plenty of exercise to keep them healthy, even if it means leaving the dishes dirty for a night.
After a long day at work, you barely have enough energy once you come home to prepare dinner, clean the house, help with homework and get everyone ready for bed. You have a packed schedule and little time to think about kids exercise.

Here’s how you can make kids exercise more of a priority after school. Tell your children to finish all their homework (unless they need help) and chores before you come home. Then you’ll have a clean house and more free time together as a family. This will make them be active and it might even give you a few minutes on the couch to relax by yourself.

Remember that exercise helps relieve stress from your day. Recommendations for after-school programs are provided in this 3-part series entitled “Students with Disabilities: Creating Collaborative Partnership.”

1. Reinforce school information: dates of state tests, early release days, holidays, and other important school dates. For example, encourage parents to have children go to bed early on the night before state tests, and eat a good breakfast of protein before the test.

Provide nearby schools with information on your after-school programs for their introductory packets which are sent out to parents during the first few weeks of school.

5. 6. Send notices to participating schools regarding Open House dates for local

after-school programs.

7. Advocate for children participating in your after-school program; as possible, attend IEP meetings with parents as a child advocate and to provide additional information about the child.

11. Children that struggle in a school may not have many opportunities to get one on one help with academics. Some children are hesitant to ask for help while others do not get the help they need even if they ask. This can be because of too many children in a classroom or not enough time for the teacher to review and repeat lessons that a child is having difficulty.

Sessions longer than the child’s attention spam are not conducive to learning. Keep your child’s attention span in mind when scheduling the time.

Look for an individual session rather than a group session. The opportunity to get one on one help should be the deciding factor in getting a tutor. Although group sessions can cost less and are an option is finances are a consideration, try to find a group that has less than four children per tutor. Larger groups will not provide the individual attention that a smaller group offers.