The 40 Minute Homework Challenge

Homework can cause a great deal of stress for children and their families. After being in school all day and many times attending after-school activities, children are exhausted by the time they get home. As a result, it can be challenging for children to concentrate and have the energy to willingly complete their homework. When homework doesn’t get done effectively, grades can suffer, and other subsequent work becomes harder for the children.

Parents frequently struggle to help their children with homework and can become frustrated every day during this routine. Setting up an efficient homework routine is crucial to a child’s success in school. There are common strategies suggested for helping children do their homework.

These include…

• Put the hardest homework at the top of your list. Why? Well, this allows you to kick it up a notch! You will have more energy for that difficult assignment if you do it first. This will also lead to reduced stress and anxiety as you move onto less challenging work.
• Use text features to preview what you are about to read. Children can read headings, introductions, bold or italic lettering, and chapter summaries to gain ideas and perspectives to start their thinking. This strategy helps them better understand what they are reading and will give them more accuracy on work that accompanies the reading.
• Set goals and rewards. Goals and rewards are a way for children to stay motivated. Having daily goals for getting work completed can keep children on task and break down larger projects that can be overwhelming. Rewards also help students who are unmotivated and need outside reinforcement.
• Avoid procrastination. It is easy to procrastinate after a long day at school. Children can be exhausted from the work they already did in class. Having a formal homework routine, which includes an established time and place for homework, will help to ensure it gets completed.
• Think of the consequences. What will happen if you don’t do your homework? Will you get bad grades? Will future assignments be harder because you didn’t do your homework? The consequences for missed homework will lead to unnecessary complications, which can be avoided.

While these common strategies can be helpful and lead to better success with homework, my professional approach is more organic and incorporates meditation practice. According to studies, there are significantly less behavior problems, improved focus, and fewer anxiety symptoms for children who practice meditation. This practice has many benefits for young children and can be implemented into their daily lives. The homework routine is a great place to incorporate meditation as it requires concentration at a time when children are feeling drained and unmotivated.

My 40 Minute Homework Approach is based on the premise that once we set an intention to do something, our body gets the message and things flow like magic. Children can set an intention and achieve goals just by connecting with the power and knowledge that comes from within. They will become more motivated to complete their homework and feel less anxiety over challenging projects.

Here are some benefits of this homework approach:

• Improved concentration. It helps improve focus, which is a common problem faced by children when doing their homework. This will enable children to get homework done faster and with fewer distractions.
• Opportunities to incorporate meditation practice into different areas of their life. By incorporating meditation into a child’s homework routine, it is likely to help in other areas of their lives. The concepts from this exercise, setting intentions, deep breathing, and visualizing, can be implemented in other situations when a child feels anxiety, fear or is simply unmotivated to do something.
• Less stress for families. Parents will have fewer tensions with their children when they are getting their homework done successfully. This strategy will hopefully lead to more structured and efficient homework routines. Families will have more time for fun activities if homework takes less of their time during the week.
• Increased engagement. Children love to be challenged! A challenge can be a way to make doing homework more fun and exciting. If they don’t get their homework done in 40 minutes the first time, they can keep trying until they do!

Are you ready to try the 40 Minute Homework Challenge?

• Mentally set an intention to do your homework from beginning to end in 40 minutes. An intention is a personal goal that you plan to carry out.
• Set your alarm for 40 minutes to help you keep track of your goal. You’ll be able to see if you successfully complete the challenge.
• Sit at a table where you feel comfortable and would like to do your homework.
• Sit up straight, take a deep breath, and let your breath out slowly.
• Close your eyes and picture a white light coming from the top of your head into your body. Visualize how this white light brings you wisdom, knowledge, and peace which will enable you to meet your intention.
• Keep your eyes closed and picture the white light inside of you.
• Take a deep breath, keep your eyes closed, and tell yourself three times:
  “I am smart. I am wise. I am guided. Everything always works out for me.”
• Open your eyes and with the knowledge and trusting that you’re wise and guided, go ahead and do your homework. Your goal is to finish your homework in 40 minutes!

If you are able to complete the challenge and finish your homework in 40 minutes, please let me know. I’d love to hear how you did! ?