Short answer: Set a fixed time for homework — typically 30 to 60 minutes after the school day ends — and write it into the weekly timetable, so it never has to be negotiated every afternoon.
“Have you done your homework?” gets asked several times a week in most families with kids — and every time it’s asked without a fixed answer, it turns into a negotiation. Not because the child doesn’t want to, but because it was never actually decided when homework gets done. Without a set time, every “now?” becomes a fresh argument.
The fix isn’t more discipline or more reminders. It’s moving the decision from every day to once a week.
1. Why “whenever you have time” fails
“Do your homework whenever you have time” sounds flexible, but for a child it effectively means: never right now. There’s always something more fun to do first, and without a limit on when “later” becomes “too late”, the task keeps getting pushed until it turns into a standoff at bedtime.
Flexibility isn’t the problem in itself. The problem is that the flexibility lives in the child’s head instead of in an agreement you made together in advance — one that leaves nothing to negotiate in the moment.
2. Find the right window
Most kids don’t have the energy for homework right after school. The brain has spent its effort concentrating all day, and the first thing it needs is a break — food, movement, freedom. But the window closes at the other end too: too close to bedtime, and both focus and mood are too low for it to be anything but a fight.
The sweet spot is usually 30–60 minutes after the school day ends, once the worst tiredness has settled but the evening’s restlessness hasn’t started yet. Exactly when depends on the child — some need half an hour of running around first, others settle faster than that.
When homework has no set time, it becomes a daily negotiation. With a fixed window, there’s nothing to negotiate.
3. Make it a fixed part of the schedule
Once you’ve found the window, the next step is making it visible — not just agreed verbally, but written into the same place as the rest of the week: school, activities, and free time. Set up each child’s timetable once, so subjects and homework show up automatically in the daily overview, instead of having to be remembered or renegotiated every afternoon.
The effect is the same as with any other routine: the less it’s a decision, the less there is to push back against. The child knows what happens at four o’clock the same way they know what happens at eight in the morning. See how to set up the school timetable in the help center.
In Morgenrutine you add each child’s weekly timetable, and subjects show up automatically in the daily overview alongside homework, the morning routine, and driving — so the homework slot never has to be remembered separately.
See how homework & timetable work4. Keep it short and bounded
A fixed time is only half of it. The other half is a clear end point. Set an overall frame — for example 20 to 30 minutes for a younger school-age child — and let the child see when the time is up. Endless homework sessions don’t build better habits, just more resistance tomorrow.
If homework genuinely takes longer than the frame allows, that’s not a discipline problem — it’s information that the subject or the amount needs adjusting, and a good starting point for a conversation with the school.
One decision instead of a daily one
Find the window, put it in the weekly schedule, and give it a clear frame. Together, those three things mean “have you done your homework?” gets asked once a week, not every afternoon — because the answer is already in the schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Usually 30 to 60 minutes after the school day ends, once the worst tiredness has settled but before the evening’s restlessness starts. The exact timing depends on the child.
Set a clear frame, for example 20 to 30 minutes for a younger school-age child, and let the child see when the time is up.
That’s rarely a discipline problem. It’s information that the amount or difficulty should be discussed with the school.