Kindergartners Night Schedule

We are struggling with the same thing. Right know what is working for us is while either my husband or I make dinner the other is helping my son with his homework, then eat dinner, a little play time, and then getting ready for bed. Luckily most nights we are able to pick out son up at btw. 5 and 5:30.

I was under the impression that most afterschool care centers had the children work on their homework before the parents picked them up. If this is something that does not happen with your child, you can always ask if they would help out. Or, if you would prefer to work on the homework with your son, I would suggest doing a lot of make ahead meals and then freeze them (or pre-prep all of your ingredients), that way you are not stuck in the kitchen instead of helping your son out. An idea that is in between the two would be to have your son work on the homework at the care center, and then go over it at home, that way, the bulk is done, but you still get the experience of sharing homework together. Good luck, and I am sure you will find something that works for your family (it just might take a little bit of time to adjust)!

I would have him do his homework at daycare. When our kids went to an after school program, they had a snack, then did homework until 4 PM and then an activity from 4-5 and another activity from 5-6. Having homework time in an after school or daycare program is pretty standard.

If that's not possible, I would focus first on dinner (try to plan ahead - there are lots of things you can prep or cook in advance to have dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less) and then homework right after, then bath/books/bed. With several hours of play at daycare, there's no need for additional playtime at home.

We now have a 1st grader, but we both work and pick up about the same time. Can they do their homework at daycare? That helped a lot, and I had to remind him that he had to do his homework at daycare because we didn't have a lot of time when we got home. Most of the time it was done, but when it wasn't, the minute we got home, hubby starts making dinner and I do homework and baths. Kids are in bed by 8pm, and it worked out, it just makes school nights very hectic at first.

yes-he needs to do the homework after school at daycare

I completely understand where you're coming from. My DD started kindergarten last year and I pick her up from afterschool between 5:00 and 5:30 so it is close to 6:00 when we get home. She really struggled with homework for the whole first half of the school year, not because she couldn't do the work, but because she was just too tired to sit and focus. The afterschool program does have a homework club, but it's only for kids in 1st through 5th grade. Even in 1st through 5th grade they don't help the kids at all, they just have them sit at tables and work on it.

I agree with some of the other comments about checking with the daycare to S. if they could have him work on his homework while he's there. Maybe he could have a snack first and then sit down to work on it in a quiet area. If they're unable to accomodate your request then maybe you could talk to your son's teacher and S. if he could do the homework over the weekends and turn it in on Mondays.

I know it's hard this first year, especially when you work full time. There just aren't enough hours in the day and the last thing you want to do when you get him home is sit and do homework until bedtime. Good luck!

I agree--S. if he can start his homework at after school care right away. Then you can review it while getting dinner on the table.

Homework in kindergarten is really unfair. No advice I just think it is too much and very unfair to kids and parents. School is imposing all of their stuff onto our family time.

The Daycare, can... assist him and with the homework.
Typically, in after school care, they do have a certain time blocked off for "homework."

The other dynamic that is probably happening is: by 6:00pm, a Kindergartener is usually very tired... from their long day. And it is hard for them to just sit/focus/have the patience to do homework, at that time or later, because they are tired.

Is this Daycare, an after care that is ON the same campus of his school? Or he is bused to another location?
Is this a Daycare, that is tied to the school... or one that you picked yourself? Meaning, IF the "daycare" program... is one that is affiliated with the school and one that does after care for the kids of that school... then typically, they do, have a time blocked off for homework. AND if you are not sure, then you need to speak to the care-provider's of that after care program, and S. what their daily routine is.... for the kids of THAT age.
Kinder kids, do need assistance with homework. It just is.
They are not fully independent about it yet, nor can they time manage like an older kid.

It IS really hard. I have a son in 1st and a daughter in VPK and they both come home with homework every night. Technically, they should be doing some of the homework at daycare, but it rarely seems to happen that way. Frankly, we tag team it. One of us cooks dinner and the other sits down with the kids and homework. Monday seems to be the heaviest so I try to plan something for dinner that can be tossed in the oven and baked rather than requiring someone to stand over the stove.

Go home, start cooking dinner, eat dinner, do stuff, bath time around 8pm then bed. If you have to be at work early, like 5 or 6am then he'll need bed before 8:30 or 9 but if he gets up at 7 (ish) then 9pm-7am is 10 hours and that should be enough if he's not one that needs more sleep.

It's tough. My son is in first grade this year so I know where you're coming from. Kindergarten homework should be about 10 minutes a night, so if you make the time to do it before he gets tired, it shouldn't be too big a chore.

Most afterschool programs have some kind of homework time built in. Perhaps the daycare doesn't realize that kindergarteners have work to do. It'd be worth asking if there is time for this.

My son's current afterschool program does homework for 45 minutes when they arrive. The staff checks for completion, or notes what still needs to be done. When I pick him up at 6, they let me know that he got it all finished or didn't have his book or whatever. By the time we get home, I just need him to show me his work and answer my questions etc.

Another option is to set up a place in the kitchen where he can work while you make dinner. (that's usually how I check his spelling words... reading them out as I stir :-P).

Hope you find an option that works for you.

T.