This is the question most parents would like to know – in the same way, we would also like to know how much time to allocate to extracurricular activities, socialising with other children, outdoor activities and so on.
In as much as we feel under pressure to do the right thing for our children in terms of time allocation and what is done within that time, there will be other factors to consider that will make it challenging to give an accurate allocation of time to any of the activities above.
Having said that, there are guidelines given by various bodies and organisations, but we do need to bear in mind that they are guidelines and we would have to temper them with our situations at home.
For example, if the recommended amount of time for homework with a child is given as 45 minutes daily, we may not be able to achieve that every day and may have to compromise on certain days.
We have discussed creating a schedule in a previous blog, and that would certainly be the way to go, in order to make sure the homework gets done – especially as your child gets older.
In some schools, homework is given once a week and in some, the child may get something to do every day, even if it is just reading practice.
Bear in mind homework might not just mean homework received from school, but could also mean extra work done at home, to boost your child’s efforts. In any case, consistency should be the key – to make sure something is done every day, to keep your child in the swing of things.
For a younger child, the actual homework time might be closer to 30 mins, but as we know, getting your child to settle down to do the work might take half of that time!
There are two things to consider: how much time to allocate and how much time your child actually takes to do the homework.
Children are different and will have varying speeds at which they work so, gauge how long it takes for your child to do a piece of homework and monitor until you find an ideal timeframe. We know that most tests last about 45 minutes, no longer than an hour, so that would be a great timeframe to use, as we would like them to be able to complete an exam paper when the comes!
Discuss it from that angle with your child and find out what their possible inhibitions could be, then make that timeframe, the target to work towards.
As your child gets older, he/she should be able to spend more time doing homework, especially as their workload increases.
