Homework & after school activities

[Xantheticus]

How do you manage squeezing everything in? With music practice, karate, maths sheets, reading etc some nights I'm run ragged getting through everything. The problem is the activities finish at 7pm on 3 week nights so there isn't much time afterwards. The other days are free.

what age?

mine are young enough to only get homework at weekends at the moment but I would probably suggest looking at if you can move anything to the mornings before school? perhaps music practice or reading?

They are 7 and 9

At 7 and 9 my two got homework Thursdays to be handed in on Tuesday so we did it at the weekend
They read every night in bed from 7 to 8pm
No music practice here but how much would those ages need to do ?

With great difficulty! We prioritise the homework, that gets done as soon as they get home from school. Then it's the music practise, if there's time, which most days there is, just occasionally my DD has a big project on. My DD does extra maths online after dinner (if I remember to remind her!) and we've dropped all extra-curricular activities in the week, apart from football for my DS on Weds. Oh, and the music teacher comes once a fortnight. We do a lot of sport/drama in the holidays to make up for it. It's tough and none of it happens if I don't keep my eye on the ball.

I think it is easier when they get older and there is more evening.

At 7 it was fine. At 9 DS used to try and do piano in the morning, and other instruments in the evening. Homework mostly weekends.

Priorities did/do change a bit according to music exams, school deadlines etc.

At that age mine just did homework twice a week (including weekend)

If homework clashed with dds dance then it just didn't get done.

oh - mine are 7 and 8, only homework at weekends and then a project to do over a number of weeks and reading and spelling nightly so not much really.

we have activities 3 nights a week as well as Saturday mornings.
music practice is only 1 child here though and she doesn't do very much as it is really just her trying out an instrument more than taking it seriously, she prefers her dancing which is her main hobby.

They don't seem to find it a problem, I find it all a pain personally. the couple of busier evenings they don't read and just have stories read to them as usual but the other nights they do some, the younger one doesn't fit in as much as she needs more sleep but she still does a bit.

If it is all getting too much then you need to be firm about it. no homework done, no going to activity, do try to use time in the morning, get them up a bit earlier if you are already up - they can be practicing whilst you make packed lunches or something. when they get in from school before going to activity they could do homework or reading then whilst you make tea.

and write it on a timetable for them - it will soon become habit.

At that age mine had some homework once a week at the weekends.
They read in bed.
Presumably school finishes around 3.15ish? Or are they in after school provision until late? Which would give you around 4 - 5 hours to find time for everything, even allowing for baths and eating.

Thanks for all your comments. There isn't loads of homework just reading and a worksheet most days. The worksheets take about 10-15 minutes each but they need individual attention from me. Mornings aren't an option unfortunately. It feels like I have a long list of things to check off each night. I think the timetable is a good idea. Would be great if they could be a bit more independent

I'd say a worksheet most days is too much & likely to put them off learning. A note into school to say homework won't be done on activity nights should suffice.

Can they not do their sheet on their own, and you just check it afterwards. mine to things in the car (although it would make me car sick....).
In primary my dc nly had once a week homework, which got done over the weekend.

a worksheet a day sounds a bit much to me, I would leave them to do it on their own at that age to be honest. I tell mine to read their homework task, tell me what it is about (so I know they understand what they are supposed to be doing) and then leave them to do it for whatever seems a reasonable time. usually they do it in that time, I look through it - if they are on the right track even if it isn't all correct we put it in their bag, if they are completely on the wrong track then I would explain it to them, they would redo it and I would put a note on to say that or if they got stuck then I would help etc but otherwise I don't get involved. Reading now they read to us sometimes and to themselves sometimes, the younger one tends to read to us to most days but they recognise they get through their stories a lot quicker if they can read in their heads and that makes life easier.

Could you stagger things so one is doing music practice whilst one is doing homework if you think you need to oversee it and then swap? or one does homework whilst waiting for the other one at an activity (we often do this)? one reads whilst the other is in the bath?

explain to them as well that they need to be more efficient and organised with their time if they want to carry on doing their activities. I don't think children are ever too young to start to learn that.

At primary we always prioritised other activities over homework, so this issue didn't arise. (I am against primary homework, and indeed any homework that requires a parent to stand over the child).

At secondary sometimes activities have to play second fiddle, although my older child who has a lot of activities always fits them in and seems to organise herself much better than my younger child who has only one!

I think it's worse at secondary- hobbies if they haven't been given up can become quite serious at that age.
My DD dances 6 days a week, 4 nights she doesn't get home until after 9pm. Homework can be a real struggle.

A worksheet most days is a lot. We only have one homework a week but have to squeeze in music practice, spellings, times tables and reading.

Not much use to you but mornings are really key to us. DC wake when I do but don't shower or do makeup etc so have more time than I do. They go down and do their spellings & tables unsupervised before breakfast. Reading is most days at bedtime - the older one just takes turns reading with an adult. Music practice is scheduled where it fits around other activities, including specific weekend slots.

Conceptually you have various slots - before breakfast, after breakfast, straight after school, 30 mins after getting home, before tea, after tea, before bed. More at the weekend. Not all will be available every day but hopefully you or the DC can put together a timetable.

I have no idea how anyone manages to get practice for 2 instruments in though! I think we're on the point of mopving their bedtimes later, which will help.

We do things in short bursts - so just read a couple of pages a night (but read every night Mon-Fri), short music practice, homework twice a week and often break that down into two sessions (eg come up with ideas and take notes one day, then write it up the next or do half the maths questions or online practice).