Homework Schedules

[PollyannaMom]

School Starts here in a couple of weeks, and I want to start off on the right foot with homework routines. What works best for your kids, and why?

 

[Luvmy4boys]

3 different kids, 3 different homework schedules.
DS17 does it as late at night as possible. (We wish he would do it earlier)
DS13 does it after dinner.
DS8 does it right when he gets home from school. (He's still young enough to have more control over. Plus if he doesn't get it done early he just gets crabbier as the night goes on.)

 

[castleview]

Off the bus and straight to the kitchen table in our house. If your schedule doesn't allow it, I would still make it first priority whenever you get home.

 

[barkley]

i'm working this out right now.

my kids don't get home (off the bus) until 4:10 by which time they are hungry (lunch at school is around 11:30), but i've found if they have a snack before doing their homework then they are'nt hungry for dinner in an hour or so. if i have them try to do their homework first, then they are understandably distracted b/c they are hungry.

i THINK we may try adjusting back our dinner so that when the kids get home it's ready to go. then following dinner they can immediatly do their homework which would leave the rest of the evening free.

btw-at ds's school the teacher makes each kid write down every homework assignment in their daily planner so the parents know right off the bat what is due. if the kids have finished it already, it's sitting there in the daily planner to be handed in the next day so there's no claiming they already did it when that's not the case

 

[descovy]

Mainly right after school... to get it out of the way... then the evening is free.

Exception... wednesdays all 3 girls take dance class, so we are up there for almost 3 hours. We DO double up homework on those nights (while sitting and waiting for class)... mainly reading, spelling, and math. It makes the time go by, and at the same time lightens the load for the rest of the week.

going into grades 1,3,5 btw...

 

[Jill in Chicago]

After school first snack and time to talk to mom. Then it's off to do homework, unless there is an after school activity or they have a "play date." We did not have a neighborhood group of friends so there was never that temptation.

My boys always did their homework right away. They never complained, though it was clearly not their favorite thing to do.

My biggest advice is not to stand over them. Tell them to only ask questions if they really, really, need help. This is their homework not yours. The teacher needs to see, from their homework that they cannot do it.

Remember too that learning is the most important thing in grade school and junior high, NOT grades. Grades do become extremely important in high school IF your child will be going on to college.

My youngest had a number of B's in junior high yet tested in to college level history and all the highest (honors) classes in high school, exactly where he was supposed to be.

I am NOT saying that you hover. I want to be clear on that, it is just a personal issue of mine when parents "do" their child's projects, poster boards, papers...

 

[princessmom29]

I said other. DD's school sends a homework packet home on Friday that is due the next Friday b/c many students have afterschool activities. We do most of it on the weekend and study for tests as needed b/c DD dances 3 days a week.

 

[CdnBuzzFan]

I set the timer for 30 minutes after we get home from school and then homework begins. DS8 needs to have a break from school and this is the idea he came up with. It worked for us last year in grade 3 and I'm expecting it to work for us this year as well. We try not do leave any homework for the weekends unless a special project or assignment is due and is taking up a lot of time.

 

[indimom]

We started in K insisting that homework be done directly after school. It just simplifies my life (yes, I admit this is selfish). From the time our two were little, we learned that it's a LOT easier on all of us to get things done first, then take a break. It seemed like whenever we did things the other way around, it was hard to get motivated again.
I get the reasoning for taking a break after school, but it just doesn't work for our family.

 

[luvmy3]

Right after school, they have a snack and fill me in on their day and then they start their homework.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

My girls do their homework immediately after dinner. No one is hungry and they have had a break. If they have an evening activity to go to, then they do it around 4:30 after a snack. This works for us and my girls get very good grades. I really think that making them do homework immediately after school is a bad idea b/c they need to play and relax so they are more ready to work.

 

[PollyannaMom]

...We did not have a neighborhood group of friends so there was never that temptation...

That was exactly our problem last year - lots of kids in the neighborhood, and all with different rules/schedules, so there was always someone ringing the bell.

 

[kinntj]

My kids do best when I have a snack and drink ready for them when they come in the door and let them destress for 20 mintues. Then I get them to empty their backpacks and start their homework. Reading is done after all the other stuff (math, spelling words). My rule is no tv, games, computer, or play outside till it's done.

On Mondays they both have gymnastics, so we try to get homework and dinner done before we leave. Their classes are at 6pm, so that means dinner at 5 or 5:30 so they have time to digest their food. If we waited until after, it would be 8pm before they got to their homework.

 

[grafxgirl]

I said other. DD's school sends a homework packet home on Friday that is due the next Friday b/c many students have afterschool activities. We do most of it on the weekend and study for tests as needed b/c DD dances 3 days a week.

My daughter's school does this for the younger grades.

 

[C.Ann]

DGD (soon to be 12) - as soon as she gets home.. She has a snack (fruit or yogurt) while doing her homework..

That's been the rule since she started school - and she's yet to complain..

 

[PollyannaMom]

I said other. DD's school sends a homework packet home on Friday that is due the next Friday b/c many students have afterschool activities. We do most of it on the weekend and study for tests as needed b/c DD dances 3 days a week.

I wish ours came home like that! At DS's elementary last year, the teachers were not "allowed" to give homework on Fridays. (I think, technically, it was just strongly discouraged, but they pretty much all bought in.) I would have liked the flexibility.

 

[smb6]

I give them options. We usually eat dinner earlier than most people, so it is seldom done before dinner. But I have a big no electonics rule Mon- Thur (no tv, vid games, ect). But if there homework, chores, and showers are done they are allowed on the computer for 30 minutes. This encourages them to get all their stuff done without complaining in a timely manner. I have been doing the no electronics for years, but I also recognize the importance of computer skills now-a-days, so just this year I started allowing 30 min of computer time even on weekdays as long as they get everything 100% done- it works really well for us

 

[punkin]

I let DD11 de-stress for half an hour, usually with a snack. She will then start homework and work straight through until she is done or it is dinner. If she has any tests, I help her study after dinner. Somewhere in there she will work in some music practice.

Mondays she also has a bass lesson at our house before dinner.

...and then there is Wednesday where she has piano and sports. I pick her up from school with a sandwich. She does her homework in the car (as much as she can) on the way to piano, continuing in the car after piano. After her sport practice, she is usually ravenous so we eat out and she finishes homework there.

Last year, other than a freak out about one big Math test on Thursday, it worked fairly well.

 

[fun4me]

2 older boys(12 &16) get home around 3. The younger(6) one gets home around 4. I let them get a quick snack and watch tv until 5. Then everything goes off and they have to do their homework or read if they don't have any. I cook dinner in peace and quiet. Youngest ds usually take a quick nap after hw.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

School Starts here in a couple of weeks, and I want to start off on the right foot with homework routines. What works best for your kids, and why?

What can I say, I am an other kind of gal.

My dd struggles with some school anxiety and went to counseling last yr. Anyway, she came up with her own schedule and ways to handle everything.

I was always insisting she do it right after school, as I did this with older dd and it was perfect for her.

My 13yodd (8th grader this yr) has to come home and destress. Now she did not follow her schedule yesterday as she is pretty beat and getting used to school this week....so I am cutting her slack.

However her "official schedule" is to come home, chill until 4pm, then work on her homework at 30 minute intervals with a 15 minute break in between each 30 minutes.

She writes in her planner what she needs to do for each day (includes projects because she cannot do things last minute) and also puts "homework due" on her calendar on the fridge so she can quickly look to see when something is due, schedule around appts., and place in her backpack for turning in for the day.

I have to say it is a pretty good system and it works for her because she came up with it.