A Simple Way to Make a Powerful Connection After a Long Day

After a long day of school, kindy, daycare, and or work we can all feel a bit tapped out. Before I had kids, I imagined picking them up from school and having all these beautiful conversations about their day and connecting with them. Of course, the reality is one of my kids needs to decompress before talking about her day, the other one is looking for a strong connection after a day apart from one another, both are looking for a snack, and I am exhausted from my day.

So, I've made school pick-up easy by putting two Mini Squishmallows, one pack of Compendium ThoughtFulls Cards, and one pack of Lunch Box Jokes for Kids in the glovebox of my car. Before I walk in to pick them up, I pick out one love note or a joke and put it in front of the Squishmallows on my dashboard. When the kids get in the car either Crikey the Crocodile or Platy the Platypus will read them the love note or the joke for the day. This started as a simple way to connect and has become a beautiful way of showing up for my kids during pivotal moments. Crikey has walked my eldest in when she was worried about a test and Platy has walked my youngest in when she felt left out with her friends. Over the last two months these characters have become an important part of our car family. 

If you've been to my workshops, I discuss creating a character to help kids with anything from cooperation to being there for them in their hardest times. Kids communicate through play. When you create a character, it's a beautiful bridge from the adult’s world to the child’s. There's enough distance for kids to explore their vulnerabilities and enough connection to be safe in their exploration. You can use this pick-up ritual in other contexts, like before bedtime, at dinner, etc. Make it easy on yourself and have all the supplies in the one spot.