Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Of our three routines – Evening, Morning, and Afternoon, our afternoon routine is the most flexible.

Having soccer practices last year and drama rehearsals this year, we will adjust as needed to get homework completed.

The goal of our afternoon routine is to finish up the school day before dinner.

Prior to establishing an afternoon routine, I really didn’t think I needed to plan doing homework.

However, dealing with who got help first and where to sit at the table and playing while waiting for help demanded some ground rules and a routine.

Now, that both of my school-aged children will attend full day, our routine should be simpler this year. This is how we roll in our afternoon routine.

Our Afternoon Routine

The homework section of the afternoon begins once we arrive home from running errands and playing outside.

Unload the Van

As the children enter the house, they park their backpacks in their designated spaces in our hallway. Each of the children have a section of the wall to place their items.

Once parked, they unload their lunch bags and place them on the kitchen counter by the toaster oven.

Change Clothes

Usually my children prefer to change out of their uniforms into play clothes. While they change, I prepare an afternoon snack.

Snack

As a bridge between lunch and dinner, the snack provides nourishment and energy. If they do not get a snack before starting homework, then frustration and irritability will arise. Learning from past incidents, we start homework with a snack.

Homework

After snack, we alternate between my son and daughter as to who will sit with me first. Both of them sit at the table. I will help both of them get started, and then I will work with one to completion and then work with the other.

My son is getting to the point where he can do his own homework. He just needs help studying and reviewing his items. My youngest daughter draws at the table, watches a movie, or plays quietly in the living room during this time.

When homework is done, all school work is packed up and returned to their backpacks. The children are free to play, watch a movie, or rest. During this time, I prepare or finish dinner and clean out their lunch bags to air out for the next day’s lunch.

At the end of our afternoon routine, all backpacks are ready for the next school day.

Establishing an Afternoon Routine

As a stay-at-home mom, I use time in the afternoon to get homework done. If you are a working parent, then your evening routine will include homework. The goal is to find what works for your family and adjust as needed to using time wisely.

When we worked through establishing an afternoon routine, these tips helped us nail down specifics:

1. Choose a space in which to work. Though my children have desks and small tables, we found working at the dining room table the best space for completing homework.

2. Designate sections. When one child is working with me, then he or she is sitting in the chair next to me. The other child is sitting on another side of the table to give room for working alone. When the first child is done, then the second child moves over to the chair next to me.

3. Keep supplies handy. Each of my children keeps a pencil box on the bookshelf in our dining room. The pencil boxes contain erasers, glue sticks, scissors, and pencils. We also keep crayons, colored pencils, markers, dry-erase boards and markers, and extra paper on the shelves to assist with homework tasks.

4. Clean up. Homework is not finished until all supplies and backpacks are returned to their homes. By working at the dining room table, we must clean up before dinner to have a place to eat. 😉

With lots of flexibility built into our daily schedules, I find our evening, morning, and afternoon routines helpful to keep my family on track. The late morning and early afternoon time is spent cleaning, running errands, appointments, meetings, playing, and taking care of life.

Each day is its own and is unlike any other day. However, establishing routines brings our family back together, puts us on the same page, and helps us in using time wisely. Happy routine making!

Question: What are your tips for assisting with homework?