Benefits of Utilizing After School Programs

Benefits of Utilizing After-school Programs for Kids and Families

School hours often don’t line up perfectly with parents’ work hours, which presents a challenge for many working families. Babysitters are expensive, and leaving your kids home alone introduces many dangers and safety risks. However, after-school programs offer an affordable alternative that provides a fun and enriching experience for students. Here are five ways that kids and families benefit from utilizing these programs.

Keep Kids Safe While Parents Are Away

The last thing you want is to come home to messes, damage or an injured child. If your kids have outgrown daycare but are too young to stay home alone safely, enrolling them in an after-school program is an effective way to keep them safe while you’re at work. When you no longer have to worry about your kids burning down the house or getting into an accident, you can be more productive and focused during your workday afternoon.

Boost Academic Performance in School

Schoolwork can suffer when kids have to stay home alone after school because no one is there to help them with their homework or motivate them to get their assignments done. After-school programs give students a chance to learn new things, participate in new activities and get their homework done in a structured environment where help is available if they need it. Whether your child is struggling academically or already doing well, spending the after-school hours in this type of positive learning environment can give their grades a boost.

Promote Nutrition and Physical Activity

Lack of exercise and poor nutrition are problems that affect many children today, and those who stay home alone are more likely to be sedentary and eat fast food or processed snacks. An after-school program can help improve your child’s health and fitness with nutrition education, structured meals and physical activities. Instead of sitting at home on the couch with a bag of chips, your child can squash their after-school hunger with a variety of well-planned, nutritious snacks and get moving with fun sports and games.

Improve Social Skills and Build Confidence

Does your child struggle to make friends, have difficulty following the rules or avoid speaking out and taking leadership roles? An after-school program can help them improve these social skills. Socializing with others in a more relaxed environment than school helps kids build confidence and learn how to respect and cooperate with their peers and authority figures. Because after-school program staff are more forgiving than the teachers and principals at school, your child may feel more comfortable trying new things and accepting gentle correction.

Discourage Negative Habits and Behaviors

Are you worried that your kids might fall in with the wrong crowd or get into trouble without supervision? Older kids and teenagers often get bored when they have to stay home alone, and the temptation to get involved with negative behaviors like smoking, drinking, using drugs, vandalism or shoplifting can be overwhelming. An after-school program not only provides supervision for your kids but also keeps them occupied with positive activities.

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