Tidy Books Blog How to handle back to school season

Is there anything to do to over back to school season? Are vacations good for them?Shall I get my kids to do summer homework?Tidy Books team shares its thoughts with you! Is it useful to get kids to work over summer? Studies have shown that summer homework should not be seen as a burden by kids, otherwise it will lose all its effectiveness. The expression itself, "summer homework" sounds a little bit contradictive, isn't summer supposed to be the time when you can relax and get away from work?Yes it is and a real break is always appreciated, especially after a long school year. That is why it was a good idea to keep your kids away from any summer homework in July. But it does not mean that they should stop any activity implicating mental gymnastics. You can entertain your kids while keeping their minds active. Check out some ideas from our previous blog post here or our Pinterest board sharing summer activities ideas here.They should start doing some summer homework in August then? First thing, take it easy. Do not force them to work 4 hours per day. A good time management is the key, it will keep them interested and will avoid homework being seen as an unbearable task. Until 6 years old, 15 minutes a day is sufficient. Then until your child turns 12, half an hour will do the job; after that as the level of their studies increases it is good to increase the work time too but do not go over an hour.Morning, afternoon, evenings... When should they work?After lunch would be the ideal time to do the homework, after the nap for the smaller ones. It's after that they will have a lot of energy at this time of the day. Moreover after having their homework done they will be free all through the afternoon and this could be a good motivation. If you are working during the day, don't worry, late afternoon or early evenings will do the job. Bear in mind that if they had an exhausting day you should reduce the amount of work to do.How to make it work? Time is not the only matter; the way to get them to do homework will also be determinant. Find the right books that will raise their interest; if it is not the case; the homework will be seen as a burden and might be a source of conflict, everything you want to avoid! If you have time it could be nice to work with them, it will show that you care about what they are doing and also get homework seen as a shared moment with you rather that a real homework.If you really feel that today is not a good day for homework it is just fine! It is still vacation!We are constantly sharing tips and advices on our social media. Follow us so that we can exchange.Guillaume