Primary school homework, what is the best time to tackle it?

[Mongolia]

A bit of a poll really. DS was doing his homework before bed as it was mainly reading, but now that he needs to do about 30-45 minutes of homework a day, I wonder what would be the best time for it, if just after school, before dinner or after dinner.

BTW I'm not over concerned about this, it is more lack of experience, as the school I attended was so intensive during the school day, I never had to do work at home until I was 12, then I found myself overwhelmed not by the homework, but by my lack of studying habits!

So, in order to create a good new habit (and reduce the amount of DS moaning about having to do his homework) When is the best time to do it?

DS finishes school at 3.15pm. We walk home, then have a drink a a snack and usually start homwork around 4ish.

Depends on how old the child is really and what time they get back from school.

In my case DC finish school at 3:30pm, get home by 3:50ish, Change clothes, have a meal by 4:00pm and start homework immediately afterwards.

Once completed they get to watch telly by 6:00pm....

I find that having a routine and sticking by it works fine for us...i.e absolutely no TV/games before homework

blimey @ 30 min shomework a day! My DC (DS1 is in yr 6) have homework once a week ie at the weekend.

So well anyway, they tend to do it on the Friday night if poss. Best to get it out of the way.

I agree that nightly homework I would do on arrival home if poss - esp as (in this house anyway) later on often involves some kind of club.

In fact if they all had 30 mins a day there are a number of days when we would really struggle.

dd1 only in Y1, and gets homework once a week - but we tend to do a bit most days, as she can't cope with more than 10-20mins at a time, especially as the week wears on and she gets tired.

I tend to allow a snack and one TV program on arrival home, as she's tired (mentally as well as physically) then no more TV until some homework done. Works well in small doses, and we always have it done by Friday so there is none (apart from reading) at weekends.

Am sure we'll change the routine as she gets older though, agree it depends on age!

Elibean. Are you me?

It seems then that it is after snack after school. Thank you.

May need to leave the bit of TV out (although I would welcome it myself!, as otherwise it might be a bit difficult to get DS away it...)

I take a snack to school for dd to eat in the car on the way home and then once we get home she does her homework. She sometimes saves her reading book to do with dh at bedtime as he gets home a bit later on. The tv/nintendo, etc doesnt go on until homework is finished.

Mongolia DS does usually watch some TV. He knows that he only gets to watch it for a short while and it does help him wind down after a busy school day and walk home.

Ineedsomesleep: going by your mn name, yes, quite likely

We come home, have a snack, do homework then get changed and then they can chill.

No tv/Ds unti lhomework done.

We do it pretty much straight away after a snack, otherwise it's a disaster. DD (Y1) has around 30 minutes a night - it was more until recently but I complained. DS2 (Y5) has around an hour. I LOATHE homework, my kids leave the house at 7.50am and get in at 4pm which I think is a long enough day. I really sympathise with their desire to chill out once they get home.

Schools here are not following government guidelines about homework - year 1s should have about an hour a week, and year 5s should have about 30 minutes a day.
I would complain to the school if they had more than this - they have better things to do after school at this age than tons of homework!

OK we have agreed on the following, after school he has snack and then homework, after that he can go to play, then dinner, and then play time again (but no electronic games after dinner). This followed by bath and sleep time.

I will let you know how it works

P.S. Seeker, thank you for that info, but unfortunately I'm seeing my child getting behind and the teacher not being able to do much about it, as she has another 26 children who do also need some attention.

Even when the government guidelines specify such a little involvement is needed at home, I think it does help my son, as during this time he gets personalised one to one time attention when we can concentrate on his particular needs. I'm afraid the school don't have much time for that, too many children per classroom, nothing to do with teacher's or school's performance but again, government guidelines.

However, if the homework was taking a loooong time, I would also feel the need to complain!