Homework Time

Discussion in 'Childhood and Beyond (4+)' started by gina_leigh, Feb 25, 2014.

  1. gina_leigh

    gina_leigh Well-Known Member

    When do you do homework? When the kids/you first get home or is there a little playtime or settle time before?
     
    I've struggled with when to do homework. It was easier when it go dark at 5pm, but now it's staying light until 6. And I know that's just going to get later and later. My kids are very much outside kids and they hit the door as soon as we get home, barely taking a minute to grab a quick snack. And then I struggle to get them inside to do homework before it's time for me to start dinner. And it seems like on the nights we wait until after dinner to do it, they are tired and don't seem to focus on it. 
    On the other hand, they fuss and whine through it when I make them come in early to do it. 
     
    I'm wondering if we just start the routine of doing as soon as they have their snack if it'll go better. 

    For reference, we get home around 3pm. I generally start dinner between 5-5:30, depending on what's for dinner. And we usually eat around 6. They start showers around 7:30 and are in bed by 8pm. 
     
    Dinner will probably get pushed back a little later as the daylight lasts longer too. 
     
    I do their homework separately because they have the same homework even with different teachers, so I don't want one inadvertently helping the other. Plus I think the one-on-one is better for us too. Typically homework takes around 15 minutes per child, give or take a little based on their level of fussing and whining about it. Once they do it, it's fine. It's just the getting them to do it and then getting them in the right frame of mind to pay attention/focus and do it.  
     
  2. rissakaye

    rissakaye Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I let mine run around outside till their ready for homework.  No screens (wii or kindle) till homework is done, but they can go run off energy their heart's content.  They can also play legos or whatever around the house.  I think they just tend to need to unwind for a bit. I do check and make sure it's the normal math worksheet on the way home from school.  If they were to start having more homework, I might be stricter.  
     
    Marissa
     
    1 person likes this.
  3. Katheros

    Katheros Well-Known Member

    We do homework as soon as they get home from school.  They usually have a snack while they do their homework.  Once homework is done, they are allowed to go outside.  It probably helps that mine ride their bikes home with their friends so they do get a little time outside to unwind.  When they first started school we did homework after dinner but that was a terrible idea, for us anyway. 
     
  4. gina_leigh

    gina_leigh Well-Known Member

    If I let them go until they were ready, they'd never do it! :lol:
     
    They really don't get (or want) screen time in the afternoon. At least if the weather is nice. I agree that they need some unwind time to release energy. I just get frustrated with the fussing and whining about having to come in to do it. Today wasn't actually bad. I had them come in one at a time starting around 4:45 and they did it without fussing. 
     
    When I say they are outside kids, they do not come in except to use the bathroom and do homework from the time they get home until it's dark outside. And even then, if it were up to them they'd say the street lights were plenty of light for them to still play. LOL 
    There are times on a nice Saturday/Sunday that they'll be outside from 8 or 9am until lunch (and complain about having to eat!) and then again until dinner. 
     
    I think tomorrow I'll try doing it while they eat their snack right after school. They also have soccer tomorrow, so that's another reason to get it done much earlier. 
     
  5. sharongl

    sharongl Well-Known Member

    Homework is done right away after school--the reward for doing homework is more outside time to play with their friends--or have a friend over as we still have snow everywhere.
     
    My other question is why are "you" doing their homework?  I supervise, and have since K, but I don't sit down with them unless they have a question.  When they were younger and had to read to me, I would read with one, while the other did math and vice versa.  They should be able to work near each other without over sharing, and you can have them work on opposite types of work if they do like to over share.  Homework should be done by the kids as independently as possible.  Sometimes they will struggle, but in the long run, that is actually not a bad thing.
     
  6. gina_leigh

    gina_leigh Well-Known Member

    I guess I miss typed that. I don't "do" their homework, but I do sit with them while they work on it. They generally have math and reading every night. The math is more them on their own and I help with questions and then see if they did it right. But the reading is more parent-involved. Right now they are learning about sentence structure, so they're supposed to read the sentences and then we discuss the punctuation, word spacing, capital letters and that sort of thing. So for that part, I do sit down and get very involved. They also have writing and I help with that mostly because Jason has terrible writing and I'm trying to encourage him to take his time and write neater. 
     
    We do homework at the kitchen table because it's really the only spot we have to do it. Jason tends to get distracted really easily and Reagan likes to play teacher a little too much, so I've learned it's best for all of us to do homework separately. 
     
  7. TwinsInOkinawa

    TwinsInOkinawa Well-Known Member

    We usually do homework after supper; mostly because they are with their grandma until supper and on ?Mondays are doing piano lessons and Tuesday a Bible club until dinner. Then, after dinner, we go home (dinner is at my in laws) and do homework, practice piano, play a bit, and then bed. They don't get off the bus until 4:20, so that makes things later for us.
     
  8. MNTwinSquared

    MNTwinSquared Well-Known Member

    My kids do their homework after their snack when they get home from school.  When homework/reading is done, then they can play.  They had the bus ride home to 'relax' a little.  Third grade has not had too much homework, but definitely reading. 
     
  9. KCMichigan

    KCMichigan Well-Known Member

    We do it after dinner.
     
    We often have something after school a few times a week (dance, Girl Scouts, Monthy Eco-Club, etc). We have done it after dinner since they started school.
     
    We also have them do same time- different subject (mine are in same class same teacher). They have spelling every night (M-Th), Reading/writing on M, and Math T/W/Th. They also have 20 (or more) independent reading log nightly. I only stay close (dishes, pick up, etc) and assist as needed. We do a preview spelling test on Th together. I check it when they complete it but they are expected to work independently.
     
    Our try to complete quickly so they have a bit of free time before clean-up/shower/bed.
     
    1 person likes this.
  10. tarcoulis

    tarcoulis Well-Known Member

    I leave it completely to them.  We get home around 3:00-3:30.  They get out of the car and play with the dog for a while, then come in for a snack and usually head to the playroom.  Most days they'll ask me to tell them when 10 mins is up and I do.  Sometimes they get started on homework and sometimes they play longer.  Math usually takes 10-15 mins, then they go back to playing for a while.  They read for at least 20 mins but it usually turns into an hour, then start the response to the reading (writing portion).  I am available to help but I don't sit with them.  We eat dinner around 5:30-6:00, then showers and into bed to read or finish up homework until lights out at 8:00.  They also need to complete a certain number of KidBiz, IXL, and AR points per week.  I leave that to them too.  Sometimes they do part of it at school and sometimes not.  We do not have screen time during the week and all of Friday's homework must be completed before they can have screen time on the weekend. 
     
    I used to hover over homework and have to constantly badger them about completing it, keep track of AR and KidBiz.  I was getting more stressed than they were, so one day I decided to leave it all to them.  I told them what was going to happen and what they were responsible for, let their teacher know what I was doing, bit my tongue a lot, and worked very hard to distance myself from homework.  It worked.  Their time management has improved and they pretty much get done with homework about the same time as when I was totally immersed in it.  I feel a lot better and am able to get a lot more done too.
     
  11. Danibell

    Danibell Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    My kids start on homework right when they get home from school.  Sometimes they have a snack first.  My 12 yr old takes his snack into his room to do his homework.  My 7yr old does her homework either on the coffee table near me, or at the kitchen table.  She has to read 2 short books to me and I have to fill in her reading log, then she has spelling (5 words) and a math sheet (usually 1 side) each night.  Takes her maybe 20 mins total if she's putzing around, shorter if she gets to it.

    My oldest is in 6th grade so he has anywhere from 30mins to 2 hrs of homework, depending on the night. 
     
    Most of our activities are around 5pm, soccer, baseball or karate, so they need to get their homework done first, so we can go to the other activities.  It's just easier to keep them in the routine of doing it right after school so we are ready when soccer and baseball season come around.
     
  12. threebecamefive

    threebecamefive Well-Known Member

    We do homework as soon as we get home. Play time is after homework is done.
     
  13. seamusnicholas

    seamusnicholas Well-Known Member

    We do homework right away and they eat their snack during homework.
     
  14. jjzollman

    jjzollman Well-Known Member

    I teach in the school they attend - so as soon as the bell rings at 3:20, they walk down to my room and start their homework.
     
  15. kingeomer

    kingeomer Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    We do homework almost right after school.  I go over their work in their folders and then they get a few minutes to talk to my Mom and then we do homework.  My kids do prefer it that way because it gets it over with and then they have more time to themselves.   I think preschool trained them with homework (because they had a little homework for preschool every day), so they knew homework gets done right after school.
     
  16. Leighann

    Leighann Well-Known Member

    It depends on the day and whether they have an activity after school. They usually have a snack when they get home and then do their homework right after and then they can play. To the op, what about having each sit down outside and take turns doing their homework? Do they have a little picnic table they can sit at to do their work?
     
  17. ljcrochet

    ljcrochet Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    As long as we have nothing after school, my girls do their homework as soon as they get home.  On days that they have an activity right after school, they do their HW when we get home.  If we have an activity that is not right after school, but still pretty soon after school, they start the homework and do what they can till we have to leave.  
     
    They each sit down and start their HW, i'm in the room ready to help with any questions that they might have.
     
  18. becasquared

    becasquared Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    My two are in an after school program, and I'm trying to get them to do their homework there, and about half of the time they do, so on those days, we just goof off.  We don't get home until after 5 most days, so that's why I want them to do their homework at school.  The other half of the time, they're too busy playing (either in the gym, with lego, or outside if the weather is good) and I don't mind them doing it while I prepare dinner because they're able to focus since they just spent 2 1/2 hours running around like loonybirds.  But I don't sit with them, I answer questions, like a group discussion because even though they're in different classes, they are learning the same concepts at the same time. 
     
  19. sulik110202

    sulik110202 Well-Known Member

    We don't get home from school until 5 or 5:30, so we do homework right away before dinner. 
     
  20. Fran27

    Fran27 Well-Known Member

    We're home at 3.45pm, we start as soon as they're done eating their snack. Typically they do all their homework on Monday though so it takes one hour but we're done.
     
  21. megkc03

    megkc03 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    What's homework?!?
     
  22. gina_leigh

    gina_leigh Well-Known Member

    So on the way home from school today I talked up doing homework right at first so they could play and not be interrupted later and it seemed to work pretty well after we discussed the pros. They seemed more on task and less whiny about doing it. 
     
    4 people like this.
  23. ljcrochet

    ljcrochet Well-Known Member TS Moderator

     
    I'm so glad that worked for you.
    I'm dreading homework for one of my girls this evening.  They have girl scouts then soccer practice after school.  Figure we won't get home till 7:30.  One has has HW pass that I'm making her use. Other one will have to do HW before bed.  
     
  24. Babies4Susan

    Babies4Susan Well-Known Member

    We do homework after dinner.  But my girls do not get off the bus until close to 4:45pm.  I let them play until dinner.  We eat anywhere from 6:30-7, and their bedtime is 9pm.  If we have somewhere to be, I can let homework slide until the morning because the bus does not come until 8:45am.  DH likes to be involved in the homework, so for us after dinner works.  
     
  25. hudsonfour

    hudsonfour Well-Known Member

    Mine do homework right after we get home 3:30. I teach at the same school they attend and most days we have an after school activity from 2:35-3:30 ( jogging club, art club, garden club ). When we get home they have a snack and do their homework. They go out and play afterwards for about 1-2 hours each evening.... looking forward to daylight savings.
     
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