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Why attention is the real issue
Switching between a task and a notification costs more than it seems. Each interruption pulls a child out of their thinking, and they have to find their way back in. Homework that should take half an hour stretches across an evening, and feels harder than it is.
Habits that help
Set a regular time and place for homework. Keep the phone in another room during focused work, and agree on short breaks when it can be checked. Work in short blocks with a clear goal for each. These work better as family habits than as punishments.
Interruptions cost more than the minutes they take.
Screens that are part of the work
Some homework needs a device. Help your child close everything that isn’t the task, and talk about the difference between using a screen to make something and using it to fill time.
Keep the conversation going
Older children want to be trusted. Ask them what distracts them and what they think would help. A plan they helped make is one they’re more likely to keep.
What you’ll take away
- 01Interruptions cost more than the minutes they take.
- 02A phone in another room beats a rule about not touching it.
- 03Make the plan with your child, not for them.
