When Is a Good Time...... - Canyon Country,CA

My kids come home, eat a snack and then get their homework done that way if it's still light out then they get to go out and play and if we need something we don't have to complete the homework i have the time to run out and get it,it's a habit I have instilled in them over the years and they all get great grades, and I'm a mother of 6...

Hi M. W,

I have four children and raised them all while my husband supported all of us. I have a schedules routine with my four children when they're growing up. I always drop them off to school and picking them up in school. We have to used our time wisely since they're all in boy scout and girl scout. I am stay home mom, I usually pick them up and then I have four table for each one of them to do homework or projects, at the same time, they're have snacks and drink waiting for them to have while they're doing their homework. I always reminds them to work first before play. After they finished their homework, they can do what they like to do. all of my four children has things to do extra like curricular activities and boy scout,girl scout. That's why they can accomplish things because I monitor them doing their priority work is homework. Four of my children are musical talent and art. But I challenge them to experience different kinds of activities that they enjoyed doing it. My 25 yrs old daughter is married and had 19 mths daughter is gifted child,honor student and played 5 musical instruments in a school band, played soccer goalie and traveled to Hawaii to competite, joined musical choir and traveled to Florida to competite, good in art also. My 21 yrs old son is played clarinet in a school band, joined in boy scout,and loved art. He lived and studied in NY with game and video designer. He is a soccer player also. My third daughter is 16 yrs old and already in Junior College. She is gifted child,Honor Student,played 5 musical instruments,joined the high school Marching Band, they traveled within Southern California and competite, they traveled to Europe this past summer and went to Spain,Southern France,Monaco,Southern Italy,Switzerland,Germany then we went to England for one week to visit family. She is also in girl scout and right now I am her Co-leader in her girl scout troop group and we are working in her Gold Award Application. My youngest son is 14 yrs old, freshman in high school, also in a Drumline, traveled and competite, boy scout. All four of them has also a private music lesson at my home once a week for an hour, my 21 yrs old goes to an art class twice a week because he loved art so much. Every school vacations, we traveled to Asia, Costa Rica, Europe, Alaska, Washington D.C. NY. We took our children to skiing and snow boarding. I hope you won't mind if I share with you how I raised and guide my four children when they're growing up. All of them also has a bedtime at around 8:30 pm and they're up at 6 am in the morning to get ready and have breakfast. All of the hard work that I input with my four children pays off right now because they're doing well in schools. I believe that mother is such a very important role in children life and growing up because we are the one who will influence them how to be successful in life. But each mother has a different way of raising and guiding their children, which I respected that.
Good luck and work,sacrifice now and it will help you later in life.

Regards,
A.

Hi M.,

My children are all grown, although two of them are still in college, the other one is married, and I will soon be a grandma. Yeah!!!

Anyway, when my children were younger, I found it best to let them unwind for a while when they got home. Usually about a half hour, sometimes up to an hour if they were involved in a game or something that they needed to finished to feel relaxed. Then they would do their homework. In their younger years I sat with them in case they needed help, this became a special time for us. Telling them how smart they were when they figured something out, and praising them after I helped them understand something they were confused about.

As they became order and became involved in sports, it became more hectic. Sometimes the practices were right after school. In those cases we adapted, and had dinner after practice and homework right after dinner. Sometimes when practices were in the evenings, they would only get a ten or fifteen minute break when they got home from school before homework time. Let me tell you there is nothing worse then having to do homework after an evening practice. The kids are just too tired by then.

You will have to adjust over time to whatever is taking place in their lives. But it is ideal when they can have 30 to 60 minutes to relax after school, then do their homework, then relax and have dinner, then family time and stories before bed. If only it could stay that way.

God Bless,
kathy

Hi M.,
My daughter just started 3rd grade on August 1st and she has a ton of homework! Fortunately I am not working right now because I am very pregnant and we are able to work on it during the afternoon instead of cramming it into the dinner hour.
I have her desk in our living room (next to the kitchen) so that I can keep tabs on her progress and help her if she gets stuck. She is a good student, but easily distracted so I find that it's better if I can be right there. On a regular school day we are home by 3pm and I have been having her start her homework by 4:30. This year she takes at least an hour each night. She usually finishes up by the time that we sit down to eat and then it's bathtime and bedtime...maybe even time for an evening walk.
It was a lot tougher when I was working and didn't pick her up from ESS until 5. They usually offer homework club or homework time at the schools, but because she is so easily distracted, she never got a lot done there. I feel for all you working parents!

I know; it seems like there's never enough time, doesn't it? I let them come in, have a snack, spend "x" amount of time (30-60 minutes) on something fun (preferably, physical exercise), then do the homework. Putting it off longer than that means that they might get stuck on it too late and lose sleep, or will rush through it to get to bed on time. If they work on it early enough, they can ask me questions while I'm doing dinner, etc. and there's enough time for me to adjust the evening schedule to help them.

I feel its' best to give them a snack and perhaps 30 minutes of relaxation or play time, then right to homework. I've noticed with my stepdaughters, they wait until the evening and it always becomes a battle, as they are tired and don't try very hard and tend to get very frustrated. If they came here after school, instead of after dinner, I'd make sure their homework got done BEFORE dinner time.

I have children who are 10 & 7 (almost 11 & 8) I find it easier to homework when we get home from school and after a snack. Otherwise my children are too tired later on.

What has worked for us is after school I let my son play for about an hour, then we have a snack and do homework. The reason why this works for us is because he is not to tired or hungry to sit down for an half hour or so.

Gosh, every child is different with each their own temperaments and attention spans, and household routines. For us, my daughter is just TOO tired right after school... I let her de-flate, and unwind, have a snack, and rest and just chill out first, or even nap. Then, when she is feeling re-energized, we do her homework. That is usually before dinner, or right after dinner. But all before bedtime... as you know, the evenings can be so darn hectic though, with homework having to be fit in to the evening routines and everything else. I'm curious to see what the other's say too... since my daughter is only 5, just started kindergarten, and I'm still seeing what a good routine is. Good luck!
~Susan
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