Easy Homework Tips for the New School Year

The tears, the fights, the endless bargaining. Homework shouldn’t be one big battle. A few math worksheets or spelling words should not be stressing your family out this much!

But homework can be stressful, especially for families with a lot on their plates already.

With a few simple tweaks and tips, even the busiest of families can make homework time less stressful and more successful.

Easy Homework Tips for the New School Year

The first step is to identify your homework pain point. What’s causing you and your child stress? For some families, it’s focus. For others, it’s time - either a lack of time or spending too much time on homework.

1. Set Sensible Limits

The National Education Association recommends that homework be limited. They use a simple math formula to calculate just how long a child should be spending on academics after school.

Multiply your child’s grade number (1-12) by 10. The answer is how many total actively working minutes your child should be spending on homework nightly. For example, the recommendation for fourth graders is about 40 minutes (4 x 10 = 40) per night.

There will certainly be times that you need to be flexible, especially for bigger projects or assignments. As long as you are usually spending close to your target time on homework, you’re in the sweet spot!

2. Take Breaks

After a long day of work, I know I’m not ready to dive right back in the second I get home. Kids aren’t ready to buckle down to learning again either.

After school, give your child a chance to unwind and reset. Offer screen-free break activities, like playing outside or reading, to help them settle.

During homework time, taking regular breaks can help children to focus. It seems counter-intuitive, but it works! Working breaks should be a few minutes long. You could have a quick dance party, do sprints, or zone out to music during a homework break.

3. Eat Something

Learning is hard work for the body and the brain. After school, offer your child a nutritious snack or drink. Fruit, nuts, cheese, or a small sandwich are all great choices.

Pair their snack with an activity break to fuel their body and reset their brain.

4. Call It Quits

If you’re noticing that your child is truly struggling, it’s okay to stop homework for the night. Before you do call it quits, try other options first. Take a break or pause homework to have dinner. Try to return to the work and see what happens. Coach your child through the work without providing them the answers. Locate resources online that might help with the strategy or content.

If, after all of that, your child is frustrated and stuck, give them permission to be done. Make a note of what happened and where they ended, then send it to the teacher.

Find even more simple homework tips with a free download from our partners, MilKids Ed! Learn the 6 Steps to Stress-Free Homework today!

With a few simple changes and tricks, homework time can be much less stressful for your whole family!

Creating a space where mental health is taken into account and supported is key to happy, healthy military families. It’s why KOAH supports and advocates for School Liaison Officers at every school where military-connected children are enrolled.

Support KOAH’s mission by donating time or resources. Our military families need your help to succeed!

What are your tips for sanity during the new school year?