Contrary to what most parents believe, this happens to most kids. To further enlighten us on this topic, Wendy Wisner, discussed this and even gave tips in handling after school meltdown in her blog post in Scary Mommy.
Wendy wrote that after school meltdowns are common, and normal and will get better once the child gets older and mature. Wendy speaks from her experience both as a mom and as a child she once was. She said that one of the most likely causes is the long hours that children spend sitting still and behaving in school. So as soon as they get home, they let loose. She continued by giving the readers a few tips to handle these explosions, or at least make them less extreme or frequent.
According to an article from Scary Mommy, the first one on the list says that parents should feed them. This is the first thing they should do, and pronto because even if they had lunch, a snack, or even a birthday party cupcake, kids would always be hungry when they get home no matter what. She then adds that they should only feed the child, but don't feed the fire. Even if the kid is cranky, parents should make sure to stay calm. Getting mad as well would only make matters worse. Another tip she gave is to delay homework and keep after-school activities to a minimum. It is best to give kids time to not think about school for an hour or two and lessen after school activities to reduce their load. It is also important to give them space. Let them do whatever they want for at least an hour. Video games, watch TV, play with their friends --- whatever suits their fancy and helps them to unwind. Unless they ask for the parents' company, do not bother them. Even though parents want to know everything that happened in school, it is not advisable to ask them a question right away. Sometimes they'll give information on their own, but most of the time it is better to let them decompress and save the questions for later. The most important thing to do is always to reconnect with the kids. Maybe not right after they got home, but when they are ready so that they wouldn't seem forced. She pointed out that youth differs from one another and that some kids handle the transition between school and home easier than the others. She shared that even if she does feel lonely sometimes due to this after-school struggles, she has learned to accept that this is just how kids are at she should just figure out ways to make it easier. She encouraged the readers by saying that it would get better eventually and it is just a phase of most kids, and it would pass.
Aside from these tips, another blog from Parenting.com written by Shaun Dreisbach also shared useful things to take not off. She wrote in a here blog that setting an after-school timeline would help inform the kids what to expect and when to expect it. Another good thing to do is offer privileges or treats to encourage the child. Some things parents could do would be, giving them extra time for watching TV, providing a snack or buying them a new toy. She also added that parents should do something mellow right after bed like turning the lights off and making shadows on the wall with flashlights. This would most likely calm them down and render them sleepy.
