After School Tea Time: A New Take On an Old Idea: Things That Are Real

    The Analog is about what’s real. We are avid Tea drinkers, but now, for our children it has become a traditional part of the day.
    People search for a time to have sit down and have a real conversation with their children, everything is fast, especially the amount of time you have to impart values and structure to them. So, with our oldest in kindergarten this year, and the knowledge that he functions well with routine, we instituted family tea time.  

    Everyday, he gets off the bus, brings me his bag, and sits down to tea and some kind of light snack (the baby just drinks his milk and munches biscuits if he’s awake) and tells me about his day, we review his folder, and discuss his behavior marks for that day (all good so far!) and then after that he goes on and plays for a bit before dinner.  

    This accomplishes so much! They get a light snack to hold them till dinner, an idea like English Tea Time, and the French le gôuter.  He tells us something about his day, it instituted a daily time where I am to be shown his school work (and in the future) his homework, so that it is addressed immediately upon coming home.  My mother is one of those parents who says “I knew about projects the night before!”  Well, lesson learned.  

     Most importantly though, with the exception of showing him pictures his teacher posted on the class to help him remember what he wants to tell us, cell phones, iPads, leap pads, television, and so far even the record player are all banished.  I know what your thinking, but I rebanished the phone after snagging a couple of photos.  People, cookies, tea, talk.  Oh, and some dishes that I may get a cold stare from my grandmother for using, should it turn out she reads Analog Savage by chance.  

    I know it is hard to find time to do things with your kids, especially real things.  I am essentially a stay at home parent when school is out, and there still isn’t a full days time to work with it seems.  The demands of life combined with modern convenience are a strong duo, but where there is time, make the best of it.  

What are your after school traditions (should you be able to have them)?

Analog Savage

Brandon Bledsoe