What time do your kids do homework?

[teacups]

I was surprised today when I was at an afterschool function and they took a vote. They asked the kids what they would normally be doing RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL. They asked:
Having snack.
Playing sports.
Other classes.
Watching TV.
Playing outdoors.
Video or computer games.
Doing Homework.
MOST of the kids said they do homework RIGHT after school. What a bummer!!! I let my kids have snack and relax for about an hour or so... then, when Im cooking dinner they sit at the island so I can help if need be.
Isnt "right after school" when they need a little fuel and rest? For those of you who do have them do the homework right after school, what is the reasoning? Are they still mentally focused or something? Or, is it a matter of disipline, getting it done and staying on a schedule? Just curious...

 

[CEDmom]

I try to get my DD to do it right after school because then she can play until dinner time. If I wait until later in the evening or cut a play date short she's tired and difficult to deal with. She's only in 2nd grade and loves getting homework so it's not a big deal for her to do it. It usually takes 15 minutes or so. She has a snack while she's doing it.

 

[HeatherH]

She gets 15 minutes to decompress and then starts homework. Since it's typically 2-3 hours of homework a day, she MUST get started after school. Her attention and tolerance definitely go down as the day progresses, and if it's not done before dinner...well, it's not a pretty scene.

To each their own, whatever works for each family...but for us, the homework is the priority. TV and play time are after dinner.

 

[teacups]

She gets 15 minutes to decompress and then starts homework. Since it's typically 2-3 hours of homework a day, she MUST get started after school. Her attention and tolerance definitely go down as the day progresses, and if it's not done before dinner...well, it's not a pretty scene.

To each their own, whatever works for each family...but for us, the homework is the priority. TV and play time are after dinner.

WOW! That's a lot of work!!!
Why so much??

 

[N&B'smom]

It depends on the day. Sometimes he'll have a quick snack, sometimes he'll just get his homework done and go on with the rest of his day. A lot of the time for us it depends on what he has going on. He plays football and hockey. During football season he has practice 4 nights a week and a game on the weekend. (he's in 2nd grade btw) Anyway, practice is at 5:30. So, he gets his homework done and then eats later so he'll have energy for his practice. Same thing with hockey, we have to adjust our homework schedule around that.

Shelby

 

[dg39]

As soon as she comes home from school, homework gets started.and has some fruit while she's doing it. We have dinner between 6-7pm and its usually done by then. Right after dinner she studies for the tests she has for that week. If there's a test the next day,she concentrates on that test, if not whatever test is coming up thats what get studied. If there's alot of homework/study, then there's no tv that night, but, I then let her watch some right before bed, unless she rather read. She's in bed for 10pm.

That's what our nights are like.....

 

[js]

She gets 15 minutes to decompress and then starts homework. Since it's typically 2-3 hours of homework a day, she MUST get started after school. Her attention and tolerance definitely go down as the day progresses, and if it's not done before dinner...well, it's not a pretty scene.

To each their own, whatever works for each family...but for us, the homework is the priority. TV and play time are after dinner.

Basically that is us too. I have a dd in 7th grade and a ds in 3rd grade. He gets about an hour of work and then studying for upcoming tests.
Any new notes we get, we begin studying so we don't cram for tests.
They get out of school at 2:30 pm come home, go right upstairs and start homework. We could NEVER do after dinner, they just wouldn't have enough time. We try to get any projects done on weekends (Satudays or Wednesdays, when they get out at 12 pm).

They also both wake up on Saturdays and Sundays and study for their tests for the upcoming week. If they know all the material, they don't have too long to study, if not, they study a little longer.

Friday nights they don't study when they get home. My daughter is an 97-98 average student and my son is mid 90s. They both play sports, dd plays guitar and have friends but school always comes first.

 

[runwad]

I always did my homework as soon as I got home from school then I didn't have to think about it anymore and had the whole night free...my kids 5th grade, 3rd grade & Kindergartener do theirs right after school too and then they're done. Of course they are in sports and usually have practice starting at 6 so homework has to be done right after school because it's showers and bed when they get home from practice.

 

[BuckNaked]

The kids get home and have a snack, then DD jumps right on her homework because she likes to have it done before dinner.

DS doesn't usually start his until 8:00 or 8:30, depending on how much he has to do.

 

[Kath2003]

I used to do mine in lunch break so I had less to do when I got home

I hated homework; used to leave it to the last minute including getting up a couple of hours before school to finish it off.

Don't know how I got through school having never had a detention! Obviously I work better under pressure!

Now I'm just a lazy college student.

 

[doodlebugs]

A quick snack when they get home and then homework. The sooner it's done---the better. Then they play.

 

[aprilgail2]

We fit it in where ever we have the chance..sometimes before an after school acitivy, sometimes after, sometimes we cram it in the next morning before she goes to school since she doesn't have to be in until 9:20. Luckily it is not more than a half hour of it so we squeeze it in where we can.

 

[Gupsmom]

My son (4th grade) needs an hour after school to chill before he can do homework. Then he does it fairly willingly (and often w/o being asked). Both of my daughters (3rd and 1st) usually do their right after school. They don't mind doing it right away and then it's one less thing I have to think about.

Sometimes, if it's nice out, they all go right outside and play. None of my kids get a ton of homeowrk...I have no problem letting them play for a bit before work. It's not a matter of priority to me. Homework WILL get done...but after being at school for 6 1/2 hrs, I don't think it's unreasonable to want to play a bit before diving into more school work.

Jess

 

[Tinijocaro]

My ds7 likes the sense of completion of having his work done right away, so he rests for 15 minutes or so and then gets to his piano and homework. Homework takes no more than 10 minutes for him (other parents in the class say this same stuff takes over an hour, it just comes easily to him) Piano takes another 10-15 mintues.

dd9, can go either way- she will take it upon herself to make sure her homework is done even if I don't say anything so I don't worry if she doesn't get it done right away.


ds11 has 30minutes- an hour of homework most nights, so I let him do his after dinner.

It also depends on what is going on that day- if we have places to go, we try to get it done right away, if there's nothing, I might let them play for a while.

 

["Got Disney"]

We also do it right after school with no TV for about 2 hrs...than they can have 1 hr of comp time. One son is in Middle school and gets alot of tests and the othere even though he has 2 hrs he talks so much that it is like 1 hr.

I have tryed to wait about a half hr for down time but I have found that once they have that they don't want to do anything except get on the comp. or they just loose all there momentum. The Comp is a reward for 2 hrs studing and it goes by super fast and I am there helping them.

they are relaxed doing there work on the couch with Dinner trays and a snack. Different than working in school.

It has always worked great that way and as the time goes by they get more tiered so have to get ot done ASAP.

Our schedual basically is Mon-thur homework. None on fridays...1 hr comp Mon-thurs and 4 hrs comp on Frid sat sun...Sun 1 hr review homework...

Also sports games on the weekend.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

My youngest son, who is in 1st grade, comes home, has school, and then does his homework. That involves reading to me and doing 2-3 worksheets. If we wait until later it's hard to reel him back in and get him to do it. Sometimes I will make an exception--ie, if it's a beautiful day outside, especially when the days are short, etc. Sometimes he "forgets" to do his homework right away and I tend to ignore that and let him get away with it since I figure that's a sign that he needs that playtime. Normally, though, he seems to also prefer to do it right away.

My older boys are in 8th and 11th grade and decide for themselves when to do their homework. I don't really pay attention and don't much care as long as they get it done, keep their grades up, don't stay up too late doing it, and still wake up without a problem in the mornings.

 

[Luv'sTink]

Sometimes right after school sometimes not until after dinner. It's just busy work for him.

 

[KikiFan]

It varies. Sometimes DD (11) has it done by the time she gets off the bus, sometimes she doesn't start till the evenings. My daughter is pretty good at balancing her school work and extra-curricular activities. As long as her grades are where they need to be I don't worry.

 

[dcgrumpy]

My son is in Kindergarten, he doesn't get much homework. He does it after dinner. I also have 2yo &3yo daughters, plus I watch my 4yo niece full time. Theres' no way to get it done right after school. I wait until my niece goes home and the 2yo goes to bed.

 

[almburr]

DD8 and DS6 get home at 4:30 DS usually wont have any but DD will it is 2 worksheets. I let her take a break for half an hour we have long school days 8am -4:15. at 5 she does her homework.

DD12 get home around 6:30 due to sports. She eats does homework not alot right now. Then free time.

I need to vent sorry OP.
I dread HS. I know at lot of kids there that will stay up until 1:30am just to get math done and they still have other subjects. I think they really pile it on here at our school.
Our school does not have school on Fridays so we have longer days. Most kids are there at 7:30am and dont leave till 4:15 and if you are in sports you dont leave until 6:15.
School board will hear alot from us of there is to much homework overload. At the beginning of the year they all sign contracts about keeping up grades and such even teaches sign saying they will not overload homework.

Im sorry i vented. Just didnt know where else to go.