How to Welcome Your Child Home

A good welcome is based on a good, goodbye, though the sequence may not always be in place when needed. Children at times stray into forbidden territories because they perceive them to be more welcoming than their natural environment and surrounding in the home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Anticipate your child’s coming home from school, camp or event by listing their basic needs after school. This will help your child know you had them in mind. It is a good idea to keep a selection of healthy snacks and fresh fruit so that as they arrive they may be able to re-energize once they arrive home.
2. Extend a warm welcome to your child home upon arrival. If you are picking them up, designate a meeting time and venue and go to the appointed place at least 15 minutes ahead of the specified time in order for them to realize that you were anticipating them.
3. During the first 15 minutes or more, focus on a non intrusive way of conversing about your child’s day and their joys, set backs and hopes emanating from the events during the time away.
4. When they have had their time to relax and take break take time to read their school planner to understand the homework, workload for the day and the comments or questions from teachers.
5. Prepare a structure for after school study and school-homework time. Make alternative arrangements for days when there are extra curricular activities such as sports, music etc.
6. Ensure that you are available to assist if there are topics of homework problems they cannot comprehend. Establish a homework net work and study base group that the child and parent can contact for verification or clarification of homework issues.
7. Schedule a reasonable and constant time for dinner and sleep time to reinforce a sense of security and stability that come with the concept of home. Remember to have family meal time when all members of the family can commune and keep in touch.