8/26/09

ARTICLE: After school activities

Whether you are a working mother and need your children occupied in the afternoon or your own children are asking for them, after school classes and activities are an important part of motherhood. Choosing the right ones can sometimes be a little tricky. Keep this in mind:
  • Always make sure your child enjoys the after school activity. School means enough pressure for them and they don´t need to stretch it out into the afternoon.
  • If you are choosing more than one activity, make sure at least one is one that involves exercising (dancing, soccer, gymnastics, track)
  • Encourage your child to make new friends in the activity.
  • If the activity is making your child too tired or sacrificing lots of homework time, drop it.
  • If you have more than one child with lots of activities and you´re staring to feel like a cab driver, have each child choose only one activity.
  • Make sure you meet the activity´s instructor and talk to him or her about what they´ll be doing during the class.
  • If the activity involves exercise, be ready with a water bottle afterwards.
  • Keep a small bag in your car with an extra change of clothes in case of an emergency to and from the activity.
  • Most of all, keep in mind that the after school activity should bring a positive influence to your child.

TIP OF THE DAY

Use Cheetos as croutons in cream of carrot soup. The taste is great and it will make your children gobble it down!

DAILY RECIPE: Crunchy Chicken

3 cooked boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
1 stick butter
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
40 Ritz crackers

Place cooked chicken in baking pan. Mix chicken soup and sour cream and pour over chicken. Dot with butter. Crumble Ritz crackers on top. Place in 350°F oven for 20 minutes.