Can't stand it when your child is glued to their phone the moment they get home from school? Arguments about screen time? We've all been there: The kids come home from school, immediately grab their phones or sit down at the console—and have absolutely no interest in doing their homework right away.
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No desire to do homework
"I really don't feel like doing homework—it's all too much work, I'm too tired, I just want to chill for now, leave me alone, I need to ask my friends first how they're handling this, I don't even know where to start …"
I don't think I'm the only one who hears that every day :)
The dilemma: How can I help my kids unwind from school stress after school, let off some steam—and how can I motivate them to study without lecturing them like a teacher, having to sweet-talk them, or coming across as pushy? Or—worst of all—ending up in arguments and fights about the necessity of homework (and the point of school in general…)?
There’s a very simple solution: turn off the screen and get moving. It sounds impossible, but it’s actually quite easy—with our top 5 tips: tried and true, proven, and successful. They help kids and teens burn off energy at home. And best of all: we as parents can join in right away.
1. Set screen time limits. How do I turn off my child's cell phone?
Your child’s cell phone has a great feature: Screen Time!! Limiting teens’ media use sounds pretty tough at first—and some parents might think, “That’s impossible; my child refuses to do it; it’s pointless; I try all the time, but it just leads to arguments and fights…”
But what really demotivates kids the most is being glued to their phones. Making the switch from an hour on the phone to doing homework is a huge step, and for many, it’s impossible to manage on their own. It’s easier to flip the script: homework first, then screen time. How? There’s a very simple solution. Set your child’s screen time and phone time-out settings correctly. The phone gives you all the tools you need to set a customized daily screen time limit. Take advantage of this feature—it’s brilliant!
I make very active use of the parental controls on my children’s cell phones. This way, I have my three children’s cell phones completely “under control.” For each of my daughters, I’ve set “quiet times” and times when they can be active. I also change these settings on the fly sometimes when I feel like my child really needs to put her phone away and do something else for a change. “Activate Time-Out”— one tap on my phone, and my child’s phone is limited to only the boring functions: making calls, the calculator, the weather app… or the homework planner (the “Always Allow” apps).
I’ve set specific short (20 min!) app limits for each of their “favorite” apps (the ones with the “sticker feature”) (here’s the Power feature on your phone: “Set app time limits”!) and when the screen time for their favorite app runs out, the kids can quickly ask me with a single click if they can get an extra 15 min, 1 hr, the whole day, etc. And you can then decide with a single click based on how you feel at the moment (or based on their homework progress or as a reward for a hard-working child…)
Extra tip: If your child is already over 13 years old, you’ll need to set up your child’s account as a “Child Account” in the Family feature and set a Screen Time passcode (be careful! Kids sometimes figure out this passcode ;-). Then you can manage app limits and downtime even for teens over 16.
I can assure you that it works wonderfully. Sure, there was some resistance at first, but after a while the kids got used to it. Now some of them even proudly tell people that they have a lot of downtime and aren’t addicted to their cell phones —and that they actually think it’s pretty cool.
So now we've come to this point: The kids realize—oh, my cell phone isn't working. What am I supposed to do now?
2. Get Moving! Stress Relief for Kids—and Parents
My tip: Get moving! It's important to establish new routines for how afternoons at home unfold. And: Exercising at home is much more effective than many people think.
Why? Exercise releases endorphins —being active improves concentration, lifts your mood, boosts energy, and reduces stress. Your child will immediately experience a sense of accomplishment.
No time? Just 15 minutes is enough. Even this relatively short period of physical activity after sitting around at school all day is enough to clear your head of negative energy and lethargy. And there’s hardly any excuse for not having those 15 minutes. That’s how you clear your head—and get ready to focus again.
3. Get fit together and spend time together as a family
My third suggestion: Join in yourself! That way, you can build some “quality time” with the kids right into your day and give them an extra incentive. If you incorporate little competitions (like a plank challenge!), they’ll really try their hardest to beat their parents. In short, exercising together—even if it’s just for 15 minutes—strengthens your bond tremendously. It’s worth turning that shared 15-minute exercise session into a ritual. While it can be tiring at first (especially for parents) to incorporate routines into daily life, the effort pays off twice over. Once they’re established, they run almost on their own—without requiring any extra energy.
So, when the kids come home from school, don’t ask right away, “How was school?” or “What’s your homework?” Instead, it’s better not to mention school at all at first — just do a quick activity together. Maybe the kids will say something on their own—or maybe not. Either way, you’ll have a nice time together and have fun. And that’s much more important than asking about the math test.
4. Punching Bag – The Perfect Training Partner for Indoor Workouts
All right, a quarter of an hour of exercise—but how? From yoga to dance workouts, the possibilities are endless, and it's fun to try out lots of different things.
My personal insider tip: boxing! Boxing is a super-effective way to let go of frustration and tension. It provides a direct outlet for pent-up emotions and thus prevents uncontrolled outbursts of anger.
By training on a punching bag or with a “sparring partner”—a sibling or parent—children and teens can effectively relieve stress, let go of frustration, and clear their heads. As an added bonus, boxing also improves coordination, strength, endurance, reaction time, and concentration. It’s the perfect antidote to “brain rot” caused by too much screen time.
That's exactly why we designed a kids' punching bag —to make exercising at home even easier and more inviting.
If you're also interested in boxing at home, I recommend checking out these articles:
5. Exercise in Everyday Life with Teens: Mini-Challenges and Home Workouts
Mini-challenges make exercising at home even more fun! Here are a few simple ideas to try out:
Do squats every time you brush your teeth
Planking is even more fun with this challenge: Who can hold it the longest? Who can do the most reps?
Film a short video of yourself doing planks every day. My kids took photos of themselves every day to document their progress. After a month, it turned into a funny time-lapse video (which, of course, was posted …).
Every time you happen to walk past the punching bag in the room: punch it 10 times
Plus, of course, there’s an endless selection of at-home workout videos on YouTube for every goal and age group. My kids often squeeze two of my yoga mats side by side in their room and do a half-hour workout or Pilates session together using one of those videos—wearing the right workout clothes, of course.
Conclusion: Physical activity motivates learning
Even though it often seems unavoidable, there’s really no reason to spend every afternoon arguing about homework, school, or cell phone use. With downtime, a quick 15-minute workout, and mini-challenges, kids and parents can recharge in the afternoon—not through words, but through movement. Then the rest (almost) falls into place on its own.
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