The Witching Hours

They are aptly named, those hours between when the kids get home from school and when they go to bed. During that time, moms are supervising homework, approving or disapproving play time, cooking dinner, feeding the dog, and saying "no" more times that it seems they've said it all day.
So what to do? There are only so many hours in the day, and so much, it seems, gets crammed into the five hours after 3 p.m.
My mom kept a routine: Homework got done first, supposedly while the lessons from school were fresh. That was hard as a kid, especially when the days got short and it was dark before I was finished. But she stuck to it, and it usually meant I didn't fall aasleep doing the homework. Other parents let their kids wait until after dinner, which I think is a good idea if only so that the kids get some playtime during the day.
I say moms can take it a step further by releiving themselves of the dinner burden. Have dinner in the oven or crock pot by the time the kids get home. Try it at least twice a week, and see what a difference it makes.
By reducing the number of things you have to do during the witching hours, you can spend more time putting out the fires caused by the tired, hungry and cranky that come at the end of the day.
--Misty