Small Habits, Big Wins: Four Simple Habits That Will Help Your Child Get Homework Done

Homework doesn’t always go smoothly—and sometimes the challenge isn’t the assignment itself. For students who struggle with executive function, getting started, staying focused, managing frustration, or figuring out what to do next can all become obstacles.

The good news is that small, consistent habits can help students at any age. The goal isn’t to create a perfect homework routine overnight. It’s to give your student practical skills and strategies they can practice now and eventually use independently. Below are four places to start.

Self-Advocacy

One of the most valuable skills a student can develop is knowing what they need and communicating that need to someone who can help.

Self-advocacy means speaking up for yourself and communicating your needs. As students move up grades, they increasingly need to find ways to navigate challenges on their own.  In college, students may need to communicate with professors, advisors, financial aid offices, or disability services rather than hoping someone else will intervene on their behalf.

That independence doesn’t have to begin in college, however. Your student can practice self-advocacy skills at home and build confidence while the stakes are low.

How to Practice It

• Help your child identify what they need. Instead of immediately solving a problem, ask, “What part is giving you trouble?” Understanding their own strengths and challenges is an important first step toward self-advocacy.
• Practice asking for help. Encourage your child to explain when they don’t understand something or need additional support.
• Use scripts. If your child gets nervous talking to teachers or other adults, help them prepare a few points or questions ahead of time. 

Self-advocacy isn’t about expecting your student to handle everything alone. It’s about helping them learn when to ask for help, how to communicate what they need, and where to find the right resources.

Organizing Resources

Often, the hardest part of homework is just figuring out where to begin—especially if your student struggles with executive functioning.

If your student can’t find a worksheet, has an unclear assignment, or is uncertain about where to find information, a manageable task can easily become frustrating. Creating a predictable system for school materials can reduce some of that friction and help your child take greater ownership of their work.

How to Try It

• Make resources easy to identify. Use clear, familiar labels so your child can find what they need without asking you.
• Teach your child where to look first. Rather than automatically finding a missing assignment, ask, “Where could we look for that?”
• Gradually hand over responsibility. The goal is to move from your overseeing organization toward a system where your student can manage things independently.

And when your student takes over organization, remember that the goal isn’t to make everything perfect. It’s about finding a system that reduces unnecessary obstacles so your child can spend more energy on the work itself.

Movement

Movement can help your student improve their executive functioning when done thoughtfully.

A recent study examined the impact of physical activity on executive function, self-efficacy, and negative emotion in college students. The researchers found that physical activity was positively associated with improved executive function and self-efficacy and negatively associated with negative emotion.

For families, that means regular movement should be considered part of a productive routine—not simply something that happens after homework is finished.

How to Try It

• Have your student move before starting homework. Take a walk together, play an active game, or do some other physical activity to help them transition between the school day and homework.
• Use movement as part of the routine. Rather than treating physical activity as a reward, make play a predictable part of the day.
• Keep the transition consistent. A timer, song, or other familiar cue makes movement predictable and can signal when it’s time to move from a physical activity back to schoolwork.

The role of movement in your student’s routine shouldn’t be to add another task to their to-do list. It should be a healthy, productive way to break up their school day.

Build In Breaks

Long periods of sitting and concentrating can be challenging for anyone—but they’re particularly difficult for a student with a substantial amount of work ahead of them. Planned breaks give students an opportunity to step away for a set period before returning to the task with fresh eyes.

How to Try It

• Plan breaks instead of waiting for frustration. Ideally, breaks are a planned part of doing homework or studying.
• Make the break genuinely relaxing. Standing up, walking around, or doing another activity can provide a clear change of pace.
• Keep the return predictable. Decide ahead of time how long the break will last and when your student will return to work.

A break doesn’t mean giving up on the assignment. It’s a planned way to get through it.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to overhaul your child’s entire homework routine at once.

Choose one habit to practice first. If your student tends to shut down when they’re stuck, start with self-advocacy. If they’re constantly searching for papers or information, work on organization.

Once a new habit is routine, try adding another one to their day.

Developing these skills does more than help your student complete their homework. As they approach college, they will need to research opportunities, communicate with professors and campus resources who can help them, and take responsibility for their success.

The beginning of the school year is a great time to strengthen these skills before homework, activities, and other responsibilities ramp up. Contact The Enrichery today to schedule Executive Function Coaching or Academic Coaching for your elementary, middle, or high school student.