“I couldn’t do my homework because I had to go somewhere.” Sometimes this is a legitimate excuse. Most times it’s a cop out.

For the most part, homework is portable. Reading and answering questions can be done in a car, on a subway, on the train, on an airplane, in a doctor’s office waiting room, in a fast food restaurant, or while waiting for lessons to begin. Five extra minutes of downtime are five minutes that could be spent accomplishing homework.

Going somewhere? Make sure your child brings along his or her backpack and uses that time to study.

Today’s Task

Use time wisely. Sneak in studying and homework during downtime. If you know in advance that you’ll have a conflicting event, talk to the child’s teacher.