Homework before video games: how to make the rule stick
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“Homework first” is easy to say and hard to enforce — especially when you're still at work and the PC is right there. Here are three setups that hold on their own. Pick the one that fits your child, or combine them.
🎬 Video: Tasks that earn time
Option 1. Games only after a set hour
The simplest version: games don't open before, say, 5 pm on the computer. In child-time, open Kids & limits → “⏸ App”, pick the game and choose “Only outside allowed hours” with the hours when it is allowed. Before that time the game is minimized if your child opens it; Word, the browser and school apps keep working. Repeat for each game that matters — step-by-step guide.
Good for: younger kids and fixed after-school routines. Weak spot: the clock doesn't know whether the homework is actually done.
Option 2. Homework earns the game time
Create a task: “Homework done → +45 minutes”. Your child marks it done on their PC — you can require a photo of the finished work — and you approve it on your phone with one tap. Only then are the minutes added. You can limit the task to school days and to once a day.
Good for: kids who rush or “forget” assignments: the reward depends on the result, not on the clock. More ideas in earning screen time with tasks.
Option 3. A small base limit plus earned time
Set a modest daily limit for the whole computer — for example 30 minutes — and let the rest be earned with tasks: homework, reading, sport. Your child always has a little free time, and anything beyond that is tied to what they've done. A daily cap on earned minutes keeps weekends from turning into marathons.
Make it fair
- Agree on it first. Rules a child helped set are rules they follow. A short family agreement helps.
- Keep it visible. Your child sees the timer and the list of tasks on their own screen — no surprises.
- Answer quickly. Approvals come to your phone; a task that waits two hours for a parent stops feeling like a deal.