Struggling to get started on homework? Go for a run!

If your child is struggling to get started on a homework assignment, an exercise break might just be the answer.  This is especially true if your child is feeling angry, frustrated or overwhelmed. 

In the book, The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive, Siegel and Bryson explain why this works from a brain science viewpoint.  "Research shows that when we change our physical state - through movement or relaxation - we change our emotional state. ... The next time your children need help calming down or regaining control, look for ways to get them moving." 

They tell a story of a 10-year-old boy who successfully used this strategy when he was feeling extremely frustrated with all his homework.  When his mom tried to coax him into getting up from underneath his beanbag chair and sitting at his desk, he decided to go for a run instead.  The act of running as fast as he could for as long as he could helped him calm down.  When he came back home, he was ready to have a snack and start on his homework.