Homework Right After School or Play First ???

For the past 12+ years, they've come home from school, had a quick snack and done their homework. They get it done and then they can play or go to an activity or whatever. If they aren't done and they have an activity, they finish the homework and skip the activity... Needless to say, they are very good at time management... they don't like to miss out on their activities.
Now that they are in high school, they tend to work on their homework whenever they have 5 minutes with nothing to do. If they are waiting for the bus, they are working on their homework. If they are waiting on each other, they are doing homework.
Time management needs to start early.
LBC

In theory they should get to play first, to unwind a little, but it really depends upon the kind of kid, and how they operate best.

If you don't get the homework done right away, it hangs over you and the time can run out without the work being completed.
My son gets home from school he has a quick snack then gets his homework done.
The quickest way to fun is to get the work done.
And then everyone is free to relax and enjoy the evening.

My kids are in 3rd, 4th and 7th grade. They start homework within minutes of coming home. Their brains are still in school mode and I've found it a lot easier to "keep" them in school mode than let them unwind, THEN have to get them back into school mode for their homework. Of course, I always have a quick snack ready for them which they inhale before getting to work. By the time dinner is ready, the homework is all done and they have the entire evening to relax. We've done this for years and it's really the only way that works for my kids.

I depends on the age and the child. Often kids have been sitting in a classroom since lunchtime, followed by sitting in a bus/car for awhile, so when they get home they really need to run off some steam before they have to sit down again. Some kids like to get it all done then roam free.

With my kids I give them the choice of when to do their homework. On the drive home (or when the get home from the bus) we go over what needs to be done. 'I have one sheet of math, read for 30 mins, 15 spelling words, ...' Or whatever they have. We then discuss about how much time they think that will take, so they can plan accordingly. I remind them when dinner will be and anything else that needs to be done that evening, and that they must be finished with homework 30 mins. before bedtime. (rushing to finish is stressful and never produces your best work, so it is not allowed) After that they make the choices.

If homework is not done 30 mins. before bedtime, they lose the power to choose for the next week. During that week, I make them sit down to do homework the minute they walk through the door. They are allowed one bathroom break until it is done. I try to make it as unpleasant as possible, so they will want to use their power more wisely next time.

Generally speaking I use some variation of this method in most areas of parenting. I think it is good to give the power to the kids whenever possible. It teaches personal responsibility, independence, time management, and helps to build high self esteem. If in some area they are not using their power wisely, then I take over that area for awhile (usually a week) so they get the lesson that life is much more pleasant when they do what they need to do, when it needs to be done. We call it 'using your super powers for good!'

I give one reminder, but don't tell them to do it. For instance, in our house Tuesday is the day we take the trash and recycling to the curb, so on Tuesdays, when they get home from school I might say 'Don't forget it's Tuesday.' That's it. No nagging. If it gets dark outside and it is not done, I tell them to go out and do it, then there is a consequence for not doing it when it was supposed to be done (anytime between getting home and dark). For trash that means that I make them empty all trash/recycling bins in the house everyday as soon as they come home from school, for a week. We have a large property and the bins are not kept near the house, so it is pretty unpleasant especially if it is raining! If there is one piece of paper, too bad, take it out. This drove them crazy! I only had to do it once and never had a problem with trash/recycling again.

Now they are both teens and are proud of how responsible they are compared to their friends. I still hear other parents complaining that 'Johnny is up 'til midnight doing his homework!' or ' I have to nag her all the time to get her room clean.' These are 15/16 year olds that still have not learned personal responsibility or time management. I worry what will happen to them in college. My 16 year old actually asked one of her friends if he planned to bring his mom to live in the dorms with him! lol

All this to say, help your kids to figure out what works best for them. I have one that gets to work right away and one that waits, but both finish it all everyday without a problem. Every kid is different and should be treated accordingly.

My two... :)

Depends on your child.

My oldest has always done his homework first thing.

My second definitely needs a break. We always discuss what time he will begin his homework and I hold him to it.

So I would work with your child to find the right answer for him or her.

I give them 15 minutes of free play and 15 minutes for snack - then it's homework time!! The faster they get it done (done right) - the faster they can play some more!!

My daughter is now in 3rd grade and is 8 years old.
Ever since she was in Kindergarten, this is what we do:

She comes home.
I let her deflate & relax. (kids are tired and hungry after school).
I make her a snack.
I hour later, it is homework.

Think about it in adult terms: you come home from work, you are tired, you want to unwind first, too. Right? Well a kid needs the same thing.
What if RIGHT when you came home, your Husband is nagging you to pay bills, cook, do chores etc. and you didn't even get to unwind first. Too much too soon = cranky and irritable person.
Too much too soon = cranky kid who does not want to do homework.

My daughter knows, that after 1 hour of deflating/unwinding/snack, she then does homework.
I do not have to 'nag' about it.
Because, it is "routine."
And I know her, and that she or any kid, needs to deflate/unwind after coming home from school, too.

Doing homework in the evening/at night or after dinner, is TOO late. My kiddo won't want to do it then. She is then too tired.

all the best,
Susan

Generally speaking, the kids seemed to need to shake off their day when they got home, so they could get a little break and then get to homework. Since we had them in aftercare when they were little, they had til dinner, and then it was dinner, homework, bath and bed. They often started homework in aftercare (they had a set homework time) so what we did at home was finishing up.

When they were older and went home by themselves, we said they didn't have to start right away, but they had to start their HW before we got home and then we'd help with whatever they needed after dinner. In HS, they were on their own, but generally not allowed to pull all nighters, so we ask about HW situations at dinner just to put them on track.

My daughter isn't in school yet, but my fiance's son is. He is in the first grade. We have him every other weekend. so on friday when he gets to our house, the first thing he has to do is show us what homework he has. and then he sits at the table and does it. his homework only takes him a few minutes. its usually a math sheet and reading a short book. and then he gets to play all night long until dinner. we do it this way so that he can have the rest of the weekend to enjoy his time with his dad and brother and soon to be step sister. But really, its what ever works best for you and your child.

I usually give my son (7) 30 min to an hour before he starts homework. I feel like he needs the time to unwind after being quiet and still most of the day.

We always do homework as soon as they get home. They can have a snack at the table while they do their homework. I started this when my first one went to school because (1) that way they learn not to procrastinate, (2) they learn that school is important and it comes before playtime, tv, etc. Also it gives them enough time to get it done, if something is more challenging we will have time to work though it. If it isn't still fresh in their minds, which it should be.

Plus I figured if we set the rule in stone when they're little, they will be more likely to continue this when they are older in HS/College

Good luck. =)

After a long day I let my kids play and hang out...the last thing they want to do is jump into more work and I can't blame them. We do homework at night after dinner.

I left that decision up to my daughter. If she played too long and didn't finish her homework, she just got a zero for it the next day. Her homework was not my responsibility.
Most days, she came home, turned on the tv, and started her homework while watching cartoons.

We typically do homework right in the door. That way she is still in 'that' mode and then she is free to do whatever the rest of the night.

I was always a big procrastinator so I am trying to head it off by teaching her to get it done now rather than later.

We always do snack and homework first for 2 reasons. The first is, if they wait and wind up having a bunch of questions or don't understand something, it winds up being right when I'm trying to make dinner. The second is I like to get it out of the way :)

I am not at the homework stage yet but I remember it depending on the season... When the weather was good, Mom let us run around outside first to expend some of the pent-up energy then we did homework. It was not necessarily long - a half hour or so. In the winter, we had to do our homework first then if we were lucky we got a tv show or some other reward.

it best for us to play first. It gives them time to regroup and it gives me time to empty lunch boxes and book bags and catch up on what they did that day and what needs to be done that night. Plus our mail doesn't seem to arrive until after I get the kids home from school so I have junk mail and bills to deal with first.

I do both, it depends on what our schedule looks like. I do agree that having a full stomach helps a person concentrate so if she does it right after school ill fix a snack, otherwise we wait till after dinner.

I always let my son play a little bit (especially if it's nice outside!) or watch a half hour of TV. Just kind of lets him veg for a bit before he needs to do homework.
L.

When the kids get home we talk about their day and they have a snack. They start their homework within 30 min after school. I tried letting them play after school but it was a disaster on most days. They're just not in the mood to do it and it takes twice as long to get done. I tell them the sooner they get it done the sooner they can play!

When I was a kid, I would get off the bus, get a drink and a snack (watch tv for a few minutes) and get on my homework right after. I only stopped before homework was done if dinner was ready first. That was just what I did but not necessarily what I was told to do.

With my son, he rode the bus to daycare so he played for a long time before homework was started. He would start homework while I cooked dinner. If we had a sporty event after work, he would do his homework at daycare because he knew he wouldn't have time if he didn't.

I've found that a snack right after school, then homework, then play works best for us. On those times that I allowed them to play first, I always regretted it. So much easier to get them to do homework when they know that they have to do it (and do it well) or there is no play for them.

My kids have a choice with some limits though. They have to start by 5:00. (That way they are ready to eat dinner at 6:00.)

They usually don't get started until 5:00. But that's okay because they still finish before dinner time.

If it was up to my husband, they would snack after school and then start their homework. (He says that they should learn just to get it out of the way, but he knows to let me have it my way on this issue because I am the one that's around during this time and it does get done before 6:00.)

I like giving them a choice on this decision. I think kids need to have choices with some things that concern them. This is their style and they are responsible with it. They like having time to have snack and then... talk, take their hamster out, play, etc... for an hour or so before getting started on their homework.

BUT... what works for one child may not work for another. My friend told me that there is no way my routine would work with her boys. She said there would be too many problems with getting her boys to apply themselves to homework after being home for an hour or hour and a half playing.

play for a set time, homework for a set time, then back to play finish homework if needed, dinner, relax/bath etc, bed

I think it depends on the child. In most cases after sitting in a classroom all day, a child needs some physical activity. For some just the walk home from school or the bus stop is enough. I also think a child will benefit from a short break or a little down time (20 minutes) before homework.

Healthy snack-hit the books! Sometimes they lose too much steam during the transition.

Last minute or around dinner time for us, which is extremely stressful and no one is happy. I'm starting to do a little half hour whind down from school w/a snack and it has been so much better. His school day is so long, I would feel bad, but not anymore! :) good luck, the sooner you get it done...the better. Because when they're tired FORGET IT!

Homework gets done immediately upon arriving home. Otherwise, they keep wanting to put it off and it's an all-evening struggle.

Snack then homework then play. I find my son does a lot better and it's less of a hassel if he just gets it done. If I let him play first then he doesn't want to sit down and do it or complains he's too tired. Doing it first just helps evenings to go much more smoothly in our house!

I have 3 kids that have homework to complete. I have found it best for them to do right after school to ensure they have enough time. They cannot adequately judge how long it will take to finish, yet. They know that once they are done, they can relax. It works for us.

Come home, wash hands, have snack, and chat about day. Then go straight to homework. Once that is finished, and only then, can you hang out and have free time. The exception is if there is a prearranged playdate, or if an extracurricular activity is scheduled and homework is not 100% complete. In those cases then the homework is done right after the activity is over. -- I think the communication is that obligations come 1st...and you never know when something funn will pop up and you can only participate in that fun opportunitiy when your work is done. -- Otherwise the kids play outside all afternoon, then come in exhausted and are hungry for dinner, need a shower, and are too tired to get anything done. -- I think it is also about teaching prioroties for the future. Work hard, play hard...in that order.

Homework/snack first, then play. No TV or video games Monday - Thursday - that way they don't rush through or whine about doing homework. This has worked for my 13 & 10 year since kinder for both.

About 30-60 minutes of downtime when they first get home from school, depending on how much homework they have. They need the mental break in order to tackle the homework more effectively.

My sister has her kids do their homework at night (typically always last minute) and it's always a hassle and fight to get them to do it. I've told her time and time again, to do it when they get home from school so they have it fresh on the brain, and after they get it done to let them do what they want/need to do til bedtime.

But, shes the older sister and doesn't listen to me, because I'm the youngest and my child isn't in school yet lol.

My kids come straight home from school and have a snack then do homework. My reason is this way its still fresh on their mind as to what the assignment is, Plus if they run into trouble and get frustrated they can take a break and go back to it without us worrying about it inturupting dinner. Also if they get it done then they are free to relax for the rest of the day and night.

30 minutes to play then homework... this is what my schools counselor recommended and it works for us

I think a snack when they get home is best and then do homework--that way they get it done and can play until dinner!

M

I work, so home time is after the gym. Kiddos play at the gym for an hour, then we come home and they play for about 30 min until dinner, then we tackle any homework, then books, computer and or some wii family time and then bed:)

so far works great for us.

My mom was awesome with that, and I'll follow her example. We'd walk home from school and she'd have a snack for us (Peanut butter on apple slices, sometimes cookies still hot from the oven, etc) and we'd eat a little snack and talk a little before breaking out the books. We did homework after that little break, and when homework was done we'd have time to chill with the family, play nintendo, or even go outside and play with the neighborhood kids (on the evenings we didn't have church or sports practices).
I think it worked great for both me and my brother. When I was an in home childcare provider, I did the same thing for the boys. It worked fine. I'd pick them up, we'd come home where I'd either have a snack already prepared, and they could wash up, have snack, talk about the day a little. We would start homework for the boys that were old enough to have it, while the little boys would have a short nap. I let them know if they got their homework done while at my house, the rest of the evening would be free to do whatever they wanted when they got home! (Again, sports practice, video games, playing outside...)
I think kids need a little break and reset time. But not enough to get "involved" in something that they'll have trouble breaking away from like actually playing or watching a movie or whatever.

I am a nanny for a 6yr old and 9yr old. They get home from school have snack, then homework. if no homework they have to read for 20 mins they have to read anyway but even if no other homework the reading gets done. then playtime then bath, then supper then play some more and then bed

Depends on the age and time of year. I'm in New England and it get's dark at 4:30 in the dead of winter, so playtime is after school if they want to go outside and go skating or sledding or something before dark. My first grader can get a week's worth of homework done in 20 minutes so he just does his whenever he wants anyway. One of my 7th graders has ADHD and needs to burn energy after school, so he does homework after hanging out and relaxing for a while unless he has a sporting event in the evening, then it's homework first. My other 7th grader doesn't have ADHD and is a good student, so she usually gets it done right after school and does her activities at night.

My little lady is 6. I let her come home and unwind with whatever she wants to do while I make dinner. After dinner we do homework.

It was homework for me when I got home. Since I had to walk home from school that was enough time to transform from sitting in the classroom all day to activity to the ability to do the homework. As others have mentioned once the child has gotten out of school mode it is hard to get them to get back into gear and do the work.

Play time outside was a key factor. If you wanted to play you had to do your homework and chores first. I guess it was the beginning of time management.

But it does depend on how the family dynamics are set up.

Good luck with your decision.

The other S.

We have always done homework first. I find that the kids, if I let them play before they get their homework done, just aren't "in the mood" to do it (it is even hard for adults to switch gears!). We have homework time right after school from 3:30 - 5:00. If they don't have any homework, they have to "study" until at least 4:30. It has always worked well for us because they have the rest of the afternoon/evening free. The one exception is that once they are in Jr. High, many sports are right after school. For those kids, homework time is right after dinner (we eat at 6:00).

Good luck!

I always had an after school snack on the table and they did their homework right away.... that free'd us all up for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

I think it completely depends on the child. My son needs to play before having to do homework. I make him start his homework after an hour of coming home. He also takes a break after each assignment. For example, reads 15 minutes, plays 10 minutes, math worksheet, plays, etc.

Whatever works best for YOUR child.
Our daughter liked a snack a little wind down and then she was ready. If we had something planned for the evening, she would try to do it right away.
When she had reading to do in elementary school, I let her do that with her dad after dinner. It was only for about 20 min a night. He would then read her a bedtime story..

Some kids, NEED to do it when they get home while having a snack otherwise you can never get them back on task,
I know at the elementary school, the kids in after school program have snack and then do their homework.. They also receive some tutoring if needed.

We come home, have a snack and talk about his day while I go through his folder. He's just in first grade. Then he does homework before anything else. There are days when we meet friends at the park right after school or have to go somewhere and then we skip hw that day-my son gets a hw packet on Monday to be turned in on Friday. It works well for us this way because he hates to stop what he's doing and I don't want him to have a negative attitude about hw because he had to stop doing something fun to come in and do it.

My daughter eats a snack and then starts her homework. I feel bad for her because she just comes home from 7 hours of school, some days she only can do homework, eat, take shower and do dishes!
If she has so much homework she takes small breaks.

When my kids get home they have a snack and start their homework. They usually finish in less than an hour and they get to play for the rest of the day/evening until bed. We tried letting them play but by the evening they are worn out and have no energy to do their homework. Of course if it is a special occasion then we bend the rules.