Virtual learning is new for most children and making the transition from a regular classroom to the virtual classroom can take a little effort on the part of both the parent and the child. In many situations, the largest hurdle to conquer is self-discipline.
It takes considerable self-discipline to spend so much time in front of a computer daily to learn. When your child is used to interacting with teachers in person, this is particularly frustrating. The child can become more anxious if they must sit at the computer even longer to do their homework.
Over-Worked Students
Research has been conducted to find out about the stress students feel regarding homework. One of the findings revealed that some of the stress students feel is from lack of sleep. You know your kids are not up half the night playing video games, especially on a school night. They may be up that long working on homework, though.
According to the National Education Association and the National PTA, there should be a general time limit on kids’ homework. Both organizations support a standard of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. This time allotment is very different from what many children are experiencing.
Under this standard first graders would only need to do 10 minutes of homework while their older brother or sister in 6th grade would do an hour’s worth of work. In the early grades, overloading children with homework suffer from various problems, including anxiety and depression. Some have trouble sleeping or eating. Irritability and acting out are also symptoms.
Stress-Less Homework Help
You can help ease the homework blues by following these tips:
- Get an early start – don’t let homework end the day. Instead, encourage your child to do homework first, so the rest of the evening can be down-time.
- Start with a healthy snack – eating a healthy snack will give your child energy and eliminate those after-school hunger pangs.
- Designate a specific space for homework – choose an area free from distractions and well organized, so everything needed to complete the work is within reach.
- Time management – this is an important step. Go over how much work needs to be finished, then break up the job into smaller bits that are manageable.
- Don’t forget break time – brain breaks are necessary to keep your child engaged and energized. You can encourage a little exercise like stretches or jumping jacks. Get up and get moving for a few minutes before hitting the books again.
If you feel your child is getting too much homework, make time to have a conversation with the teacher. Learning tips to deal with the stress of homework is an important life skill. Be encouraging and understanding.