It’s 4:30pm. Snack time is over. Homework is done. Emotions are beginning to run high for all parties. Sound familiar? This time of day is often affectionately called “the witching hour” or more appropriately, “witching hours,” am I right? I have had my share of hours of crying, tantrums, fighting, you name it. And some days it’s still like that.
But over the past several months, I’ve made an effort to make these hours between 4-7pm as peaceful as possible. One of my favorite women to follow on Instagram is Emily Ley. She wrote in her book, A Simplified Life, (warning: if you read it, you will want to reorganize your entire life) she talks about eliminating “pain points” in your schedule and daily life. I think for many of us, the hours between four and seven can be a major pain point. So I set out to eliminate it, or at least feel good about the fact that I sort of have a plan that sometimes goes off without a hitch.
The key is to set up a few different “areas” in the house that can be used as solo, quiet time for kids who may be done playing together for a while. I typically turn to these once we have played outside and it’s time for me to make dinner or take care of other responsibilities. Playing outside first also gets some wiggles and energy out and makes it easier for kids to have some quiet time.
- Kinetic Sand: This is one of my favorite buys this year. Kinetic sand has the feel of wet sand at the beach, but it is formulated to stick together and not get everywhere. To clean up, all you have to do is scoop it all together and pick it up. It’s amazing. A few pounds of sand, a few scoops and toys, and the possibilities are endless. Our tub of sand has become a construction site, a dino dig, and just a place for the kids to use their hands and relax.
2. Puzzle Shelves: As a general rule, the toys stay upstairs. This does wonders for nighttime cleanup and my sanity. However, I like to have a few specific things downstairs to occupy the kids if needed. Puzzles are a definite favorite in our house! We bought an inexpensive set of shelves from Amazon (of course) and set it up inside the small closet under our stairs. All our puzzles are stacked there and are a great tool to have when the kids need a quiet activity but also might want to be within your sight.
3. Art Cart: My kids rightly named this next area as “the art cart”. It’s a cart with art supplies, so makes sense! This solution came from my desire to have all our art supplies corralled into one location, but also able to be hidden away when needed. Enter one of my favorite organizational items I have purchased. This particular cart is from Target, but I also have one from IKEA. Yep, I have two. Organizing the paper, stickers, markers, crayons, stamps, and paints in this cart has made it so easy to roll out of the closet to the kitchen table, create masterpieces, and roll it back into the closet and shut the door.
4. TV: I am not afraid or ashamed to admit that at least a couple days a week we turn to the TV during these hours. Another Instagram favorite, Busy Toddler, gives an amazing explanation about using the TV as a tool. Ever since I heard it, I try to keep that in mind when I turn on the TV, or if I’m feeling guilt about another episode of Doc McStuffins. Screens can have a place in the day when used effectively. I often try to save our screen time for these hours, so that if necessary we can chill out to Doc or PJ Masks or Octonauts, instead of have toys flying and tears flowing. See it as a tool and use it wisely!
These few areas have been invaluable to me! Get creative, hop on Amazon, and create some areas in your home to quell the emotions of the late afternoon hours!
