Take into account your child’s post-school hunger before you demand that he immediately sit down and complete homework. Begin the after-school routine with a healthy snack. Getting an apple or a peanut butter sandwich into your child’s stomach will quell the pre-dinner rumblings and allow him to focus more on his schoolwork than his hunger. Along with the after-school snack, build into the routine some time for your child to take care of small tasks and talk to you about his day before he begins homework.
Perhaps the most common after-school routine involves completing homework as soon as possible after arriving home. This routine allows your child to take as much time as he needs to get everything done. If he underestimates the amount of homework he really has, it just means that it will take him longer now, not that he’ll be scrambling to finish an assignment late at night or right before school. Get rid of as many potential distractions during your child’s homework time as you possibly can, including turning off the TV and keeping younger siblings occupied. Make sure your child knows that he is not allowed to engage in recreational activities like TV or playing with friends until his homework is complete but that he can take breaks to stretch his legs or get a glass of water as needed.
Adjust your basic after-school routine as needed to accommodate activities. For example, if your child has basketball practice or a dance rehearsal directly after school, simply bump the schedule back. Consider having dinner shortly after arriving home from extracurricular activities, especially sports practices, and having your child begin her homework after dinner. For activities that are scheduled in the evening, find a balance between homework time, dinner, and the activity in question that works well for your child. Make as many allowances to incorporate extracurricular activities as possible, but if these activities begin to negatively affect her performance in school, consider asking her how she feels about dropping an activity.
The most important aspect of implementing an effective after-school routine is to reinforce it. Many parents begin the school year with good intentions about reinforcing the routine and become more and more lax about enforcement as the year progresses. Stay on top of your designated schedule throughout the year in order to help your child succeed in school.