Sometimes it is hard to determine who dislikes homework more, you or your child. What is worse is that it is hard to know how much homework is appropriate or how long it should take your child to complete it.

The U.S. Department of Education recommends 10 to 20 minutes of homework from kindergarten through second grade and 30 to 60 minutes from third through sixth. From seventh through senior high it varies from one and a half hours to two and a half. Kids college bound are likely to need to prepare more.

The easy rule of thumb that I remember when my oldest was in elementary school was no more than 10 minutes per grade. This was recommended by her teacher and was the standard for our school district. Familiarize yourself with the information on homework expectations the first week of school or during orientation before the start of school. Most schools pass out a packet of information detailing this information or discuss it during the open night.

Some kids will need more time and if that is the case breaks may be necessary. This might be a good time for a snack break if they don’t snack when they come home. My experience is though that about two snacks are necessary before dinner so a second snack break never hurt a growing child if it was healthy.

One thing I noticed as my daughter moved up through school was the lead time on various detailed oriented projects. The teachers would prepare a schedule that the student and parent would both sign off on and the due date was clearly indicated.

If your child’s school is not using an assignment date book you can purchase one for your daughter so she can keep track of assignments. The older she gets the more responsible she should be to add extracurricular activities to this calendar. At a glance she should be able to plan better for her long-term assignments so that she hasn’t saved all her work for the night of her band concert or softball game.

Discuss any problems your daughter is having with homework with her teacher. They are happy to help and are the voice of experience on what may work for your child from their years of experience teaching.

If you’re child is struggling with homework, they may be struggling in the classroom as well. Talking to the teacher will allow him or her to decide if work assignments or tests and quizzes should be modified. Simple modifications allow the child to work at the same level as their peers but in a way that they are better suited. Such modifications may be short term until your child is up to speed.

Homework shouldn’t be stressful for you or your child. Seek help early when problems arise so your daughter can move forward without dread and enjoy learning. Some resources are listed below to help you out.