If you are one of our many families who drive to and from school every day, you have the gift of undivided time with your children—time that is all yours, without other distractions! Make the most of it by using it for positive communication or fun activities. Here are some tips for having a fun and productive morning and afternoon drive time.
Morning:
- Have your child read aloud to you. Explain that driving the same way every day gets boring and that being read to will make it more enjoyable for you. Reading anything is good, but you could also tie in to something the student is studying. Then you can ask questions and discuss.
- Use the time to give a pep talk about making the most of the coming day. Don’t let it be a time of reprimand or discussing problems, which can get kids rattled. Do your best to put a positive spin on things, which gets the student’s day off to its best start. Talk about pleasant memories or anticipated fun events so that your child enters school with a positive attitude.
Afternoon:
- Ask about the school day while your child is still “captive” and you’re not competing with anything. Ask open-ended questions that encourage conversation. Instead of asking, “How was school today?” (to which the answer is always ‘Fine’), say, “Tell me one funny thing that happened today,” or “Tell me one thing you learned in social studies today.”
- Before your kids hit the ground running for snacks, computers, TV, etc., help them plan the evening. How much homework does he or she have? Are there any forms or newsletters he or she needs to give you? Also ask if there is anything that needs to be picked up for the next day, like poster board or any other project supplies, while you’re still driving.
Morning and afternoon drive time just might become the best part of the day for your family!
