Scrabble bricks spelling 'study' on a desk with books in the background

We all love a hard-working child who wants to work and do well at school. We can see how much time they are putting into their homework and studying for tests. It’s great to see, so we tend to think it has many positives. It shows they have a great work ethic and drive.

But working too hard can also have a downside. If you have a child who is spending too much time on their studies (and in front of a laptop) and not doing much else, then it is time that parents intervene and give them ideas to study well. If they don’t, children can get stressed which can lead to them becoming ill or burning out. Even if the child needs to spend more time working because they don’t understand something, they will still need regular breaks, do some exercise and eat regularly. It is harder to retain information when stressed, pressured, bored or hungry.

Ideas to Help Children To Study Well

As a parent make sure you are on top of how much work your child is doing and encourage them to take time away from their studies on a daily basis. It is important that they have time to relax.

Find an activity that’s not screen or book based that gets them up and away from their desk and their study area. If they get stuck for ideas maybe suggest that they:

  • call friends
  • have a shower
  • take a walk
  • do some sport
  • help you out with something like shopping and getting food ready for dinner
  • tidy their bedroom
  • listen to music
  • do some meditation

All of these activities allow children to take a break and chat with the rest of the family or their friends. Studying can be isolating, so it’s good to talk to others to lift your spirits. Anything that will relax them and help them take their mind off work, will help them feel more alert when they get back to studying again.

It is not just the intensity of work that we want them to get away from. It is also the effect working at a laptop screen has on their eyes and their bodies. Encourage them to get up and shake themselves out at regular intervals and go and see what other members of the family are doing or even go for a run. Moving will get some oxygen into their lungs and boost their brain power. Another way to boost their brain power is to encourage a healthy appetite in your children.

Using these ideas to study well and teaching our children positive habits now will be good for them long-term. Learning to manage their workload and time is a valuable skill in the modern world. It will help children to grow into happier, more relaxed adults.


More Parenting Resources to Help Children with Studying & Exams'Exam' written in white chalk on blackboard

Mindset for Children Sitting Exams

Read 5 Tips for Helping Children to Revise. 

Helping Children To Improve Grades

Dealing with Overwhelm

Need more Parenting Help & Advice?

If your child is really struggling with exam nerves or stress and could do with some extra help, find out more about how Life Coaching for Children can help them. If you’d like to get in touch, just visit the contact us page.