We all love hard-working children who want to work and do well at school. We see how much time they are putting into their homework and studying for tests and delight in the fact that they are hardworking and motivated. It shows us that they have a great work ethic and drive. But working too hard can also have a downside……
If you have children who spend too much time on their studies (and in front of a laptop) and not doing much else, then it is probably time to intervene and give them ideas on how to study better. If they don’t change the way they study, your children can get stressed, which can lead to becoming ill or burning out. Even if your children need to spend more time working because they don’t understand something/retain information well, they will still need regular breaks, have time to relax and eat regularly. It is much harder to retain information when stressed, bored (of revising) or hungry. So how can parents help them?
Simple Ideas for Study Breaks
As a parent, make sure you are on top of how much work your child is doing and encourage them to take time away daily. 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 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. 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 that 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.
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 having a better life balance.
[Published May 2023 | Updated April 2026]More Parenting Resources to Help Children with Studying & Exams
Mindset for Children Sitting Exams
Read 5 Tips for Helping Children to Revise.
Helping Children To Improve Grades
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.
