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Twin Cities Mom Collective

Junior Happy Hour

Do you have fond memories of your after school shenanigans while growing up?

When that ‘end-of-the-day’ bell rang, I used to run from my elementary school to the preschool next door where my mom was a teacher. There, I helped change bulletin boards, set up for the next class and talk about my day at school with her. It was a very special time and I remember it vividly.

Now I’m the working mom who logs four 9-hour days in a career I love. This means that my boys stay at their elementary school and participate in the aftercare program 4 days a week. I don’t have much guilt about working outside the home, but I do feel bad that they have such a long day at school. When I pick them up around 5:00, we have a lot to cram into our evening.

Dinnersportsactivitieschurcherrandshomeworkbandpracticereadingelaboratebedtimeroutines.

You know the drill, beautiful chaos ensues.

But Fridays are a different story. My regular day off, I have made it a goal to make Fridays after school extra special for the boys. No matter what I am doing during the day, I mentally and sometimes physically prepare to welcome them home. I actually visualize that I am receiving them into our sacred space, where they can relax, unwind and truly be themselves.

We have come to call Fridays at 3:30 Junior Happy Hour. According to Wikipedia, the term Happy Hour was actually first referenced in the 1920s by the United States Navy for a scheduled entertainment period on board a ship. This may have been their only downtime for the week and served as a valuable opportunity for sailors to relieve stress accumulated during long periods at sea.

Just like adults live for Friday afternoons when the typical work week is over, most kids are happy to see the arrival of the weekend. Fortunately, both of my kids love school, but I think they work very hard to be successful there…not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well.  As kids get older, school work becomes more difficult and demanding, and their social lives have more intricacies and sophistication. They are exhausted by the end of the week, but they tell me they look forward to Junior Happy Hour all day. Even in the summer when the demands on them are less, they appreciate this special time together.

 Here is a peek into some of our fun times together:

Hot chocolate in the snow fort

Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

Servin’ up root beer floats for the ‘hood

 Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

A special bear-themed snack after zoo camp

 Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

Writing a message with ABC cookies from Trader Joe’s

Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

A rare treat from the ice cream truck with the neighbor boy

 Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

A fun Halloween-themed snack

 Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

In the summer, I scout out lemonade stands

 Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

Going out for ice cream on the last day of school

 Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

Takin’ it on the road…Gaston’s Tavern in Disneyworld having a LeFou’s Brew

 Junior Happy Hour | Twin Cities Moms Blog

It’s important to note that this does not mean I put together some elaborate snack or activity for them. I enjoy baking fresh cookies, but when time eludes me I turn to store bought treats. Sometimes the snack is healthy like ‘ants on a log’ (peanut butter on celery with raisins) and sometimes it’s more indulgent like banana splits. Both boys would tell you that Root Beer Floats is their favorite, and that’s about as simple as they come. I leave my expectations small and try not to manipulate their mood or behavior. Sometimes there are tears or bad attitudes, but mostly it’s them sharing their perceptions of the day or week and me giving them my undivided attention.

I have learned to be very intentional with my questions if I truly want real, honest answers.  A simple “How was your day” yields disappointing replies like “Good” or “Fine.” “I’m a woman, I want details,” I tell them! Asking open ended questions will really help get the conversation flowing:

What was the most interesting thing your teacher said today?

What specialist (computer/arts/PE) did you have today?

Which friends did you sit with at lunch?

Tell me how you worked hard today?

What was your favorite part of the day?

What class rule do you wish you could change?

How were you a good friend today?

What activity did you choose to do at recess?

If you could have a do-over, what is one thing you would have done differently?

Another idea is to have your kids tell you their “Highs and Lows” for the day. Ask them to share 2 things (or more) that they loved about their day and 2 things that were not so fun about their day. This is a great discussion tool for the dinner table as well.

If you dread the after school hours (and believe me I understand, they are dangerously close to the time known as the ‘witching hour’), try starting this fun new tradition with your kids. It’s never too early to start, even if your littles are not in school yet. You can modify the food, atmosphere and questions to make it more age appropriate. Or if you have older kids, try taking 15 minutes after school to debrief with them before they begin their weekend activities and you go your separate ways. Whatever the age, I hope they will love the Junior Happy Hour experience as much as we do.

Would you do me a favor?  If you do something fun with your kids after school, will you share it on social media with the hashtag #juniorhappyhour? Maybe we can start a movement of moms making this time extra special.

Now, I best be going…it’s Friday, I have some chocolate chip cookies to bake.

Shine On-

Karri

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3 comments

Suzanne May 23, 2014 at 8:19 AM

What a creative idea! You are a great Mom!

Reply
Kristina May 23, 2014 at 9:16 AM

I love this idea!! So great and what a special time for them to know and look forward to each week. I might have to steal this idea. We don’t do anything special on Friday’s except have a little dance and say it’s friday, it’s friday! 🙂 Good job friend!

Reply
Nealy May 25, 2014 at 6:52 PM

Love this, karri!

Reply

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