Taking care of your children’s and your own homework stress

It can cause tension for both parents and children. Everyone in the household may suffer from homework, but there are strategies to finish those after-school tasks without losing your mind.

It can be the last thing anyone wants to do after a demanding day at work or school. According to Cleveland Clinic pediatric psychologist Emily Mudd, “There’s a lot of stress that happens around homework time in general in homes.”

Your family can succeed with homework if they do these six things.

Attend to their basic needs first. If the kid seems hungry, get them a drink and a snack.

Establish a homework schedule second. Finish your work at the same time every day. “For one child that might mean that do their homework right after school while for another child it might be after dinner and making it just part of a structure,” says Mudd.

Third, store any unnecessary electronics to prevent distractions.

Work in a common area of the house, fourth. According to Mudd, this lets them know that you’re here to support them should they need it.

Fifth, take mental breaks—especially if your youngster is struggling with concentration. “Getting outside if the weather is nice, getting some sunshine. It could be something as simple as taking a shower, or getting some movement in, dancing,” says Mudd.

Lastly, if you are having trouble understanding a concept or solving a math problem, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. Admitting that is acceptable.

“You can model: I’m going to take a deep breath. I’m going to take a break. I’m going to talk to the teacher to see how we can better manage this together. You really want to take those opportunities to model how to positively overcome challenges with your child.”

According to Mudd, it’s crucial to recognize and commend children for their efforts. A child may become anxious if they hear about grades all the time, so Mudd advises concentrating on the process of achieving good grades. According to her, doing so will increase the child’s intrinsic motivation.