Homework right after school or after dinner? Expert says the best time depends on the child

Homework might be one of the last things kids want to do after a long day at school. But the right routine can ease the annoyance and foster success. 

In Good Question, Jeff Wagner helps kids and parents build the best environment for doing homework.

Once students leave school for the day, learning doesn't stop. Often there's homework stuffed in that backpack. Some do it as soon as they walk in the door, while others wait until after dinner.

So, when is the best time to do homework? Good Question.

"Right after I get home from school," said Alan Jin, a fourth-grader at EXPO Elementary School.

 "Usually I do it like after I have my dinner," said fellow fourth-grader Whitten Stoks.

Unlike their assignments, this question has multiple answers.

"Consistency matters more than the exact clock time that we're looking at," said Caitlyn Downie, a licensed clinical social worker at the Child Mind Institute. "Every child differs. And so, more so than anything, it's important for parents to think about it in the context of who their child is."

Downie said parents should ask themselves:

• When is my child most regulated?
• When do they have the most energy to focus?
• Can they be consistent at that time?

For some kids, doing homework right after school might be the best because they're already riding the "academic momentum" from the school day. "You can just say to kids, 'Hey, let's get this done. You're already in work mode. Let's finish,'" said Downie.

The downside is kids might be depleted from a long day and need time to decompress. In that case, doing homework later in the evening, near dinner time, might be the better option since their minds will be refreshed.

Fourth-grader Ellie Noonan enjoys having a brief break from work right after school.

"Then I don't have to have my mind all focused, and I can just take a breath," she said. "I can clear my brain, so it's like right back up and ready."

Stocks agrees with the idea of letting his brain rest after school. "When I get home, I like to chill out, hang out with my dogs, and just watch something for that time," he said.

The one time to avoid would be later at night, right before bed. At those hours, kids might not have the mental capacity to best complete their homework.

Beyond the time, parents should think about creating the ideal homework environment.

Downie said the space should be:

• Quiet
• Free of distractions (like the TV, toys, or siblings)
• Stocked with the school supplies they might need for assignments
• Chosen with the student's input

Jin prefers doing homework on the kitchen table. He's away from the TV, which one of his siblings might be watching. It also puts him near his parents, who might also be in the kitchen. 

"I can easily contact someone if I need help," Jin said.

"We want to be able to arm them with the tools, the time, the space that they need to be able to do (homework)," said Downie.