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It is no secret that our family is filled with gamers and techies. From family board games to gaming systems, we enjoy it all. My son loves gaming on a computer and watching/creating videos. With school right around the corner I know how important it is to keep a healthy balance between his fun time and study time. Nowadays public schools provide homework that requires the use of a laptop or tablet for almost every grade level. Below I share my tips on how to balance homework and game time when using tech.
How to Balance Homework and Game Time
Provide Clear Expectations
Make sure your kids understand what is expected from them each day. Just as a schedule is important at bedtime, an after school routine is just as imperative. Whether you require your child to do all of their homework first or you give them an hour of free time after school before studies, keeping a clear schedule will help them not get overwhelmed. This gets your kids in the habit of completing their homework before it gets too late in the evening and the tiredness causes stress for the whole family.
Setup a Homework Station
Giving your kids a small homework station away from distractions so they can focus on their studies helps them succeed. If you have a small area to setup a table or desk, perfect. If not, your kitchen table may be the go-to spot. Make sure there is no view of a television and if so that it is turned off. Your child is guaranteed to complete their homework faster and retain more information when there are no other distractions. A homework station near a window with some natural light coming through is the best option. This encourages your child to finish their homework so they can go outside to play. Plus, natural light provides energy.
Allow Time for Creativity
I hate hearing stories of how a child comes home with a large homework load that takes them hours each evening to complete. After a kid has been in school all day I strongly believe they should get some time to just be a kid. In our after school routine we always include time for creativity. Whether your child likes to draw, color, paint, craft or build – allowing them time for their creative outlet is important. Just as an adult needs time to recharge and reset, so does your child. After all, we don’t want them doing so much homework that they end up hating school. My son’s creative outlet is building and using his strategy skills on one of his computer games. I’m always amazed at the castles and underground cities he creates.
Walmart has always been our one-stop-shop for back to school needs. We get most of our office and homework station supplies there as well. Their electronic section is equipped with the newest computers. My son is loving our new family HP Pavilion Notebook. This shared computer is perfect for conducting research for their school projects, completing homework and all of his gaming and video needs.
The thin, light-weight design makes it perfect for kids of all ages to use. It can easily be moved from the homework station to sit on your lap in the living room. The all new HP Pavilion Notebook 15-au018wm has a touchscreen, making it even more user-friendly. Plus, the 1TB hard drive with 12 GB of memory makes creating videos and online gaming a breeze. Allowing plenty of space for creative play. A truly powerful audio experience: Dual HP speakers, HP Audio Boost, and tuning by B&O PLAY, delivers a rich, authentic audio experience.
Encourage Outdoor Play
Beyond homework, studying, creative play and dinner time – we encourage our kids to get outside and enjoy some nature. Our family loves to take long bike rides together, take our large dogs for walks and even work on garden projects. We live in five acres so sometimes even walking our own land is exercise. My son loves to dabble in archery so we setup a target with a bale of hay outside for him. Getting some vitamin D from the sun is good for you and stretching your legs between stationery tasks is important.
Online gaming can be more than just fun. We use our HP Pavilion Notebook for educational games, games that require strategy and building skills that utilize basic math, and even team building skills when working together or with online friends in creative play. Truly, this HP Pavilion Notebook meets all of our back to school needs.
Click image to download free printable homework checklist
How will the all new HP Pavilion Notebook meet your back to school needs?
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