Taking the edge off a child's appetite can help them make a less fretful transition from child care to your care. For long commutes, bring tapes of music you can sing together or a soothing story you can both enjoy. Some children want to talk about every detail of their day. Others are more tight-lipped. Try going through the mail while your child sits next to you and thumbs through a favorite book.
Young children find junk mail far more intriguing than adults do.
Listen to answering machine messages but don't answer the phone for the first hour. Enlist your child's help with chores such as unloading the dishwasher, putting newspapers away, emptying the lunch box. Sit down together. Ten minutes on the sofa together early in the evening can make all the difference in the mood of the rest of the night.