Kids

How To Develop Good Study Habits In Kids

by Kevyn Gohu
June 26, 2025

With the school year opening up, it’s time our kids develop good study habits so they don’t get stressed from school

School will always be stressful. Maybe it’s because of the other kids, maybe it’s because of the teachers, and a lot of times, it’s because of the time management. With so many requirements, students are always finding ways to streamline and shortcut so they can have time for themselves. However, with good study habits, the stress may be a bit less. So, what can we do to help them develop good study habits?

1. Have one non-negotiable in a schedule

A non-negotiable activity gives them at least an anchor amidst all that stress. Things get stressful because there’s no certainty. They have no idea how long it’ll take them to complete their homework. Even if they use Google Calendars or whatever timer they have to keep them in a schedule, the stress will make them say, “Wait, I can finish this!” They bargain for another five minutes.

So, what we do is give them at least one non-negotiable. Like, “dinner will always be at 7 PM. Not a minute later or earlier.” Of course, there will be external forces that may cause things to shift around. However, being consistent will help them find a method that will make sure they’re present for a hot meal at 7 PM.

2. Don’t take work home

It’s hard to bring work home, but as our kids see us do that, it’ll be hard for them to create good study habits, too. They’ll think, “Work must be done! No matter what!” But there are just some things that take time and cannot be rushed. Overstudying is also a bad study habit, especially when it’s fuelled by anxiety. The fear is traumatic, making them forget what they learned.

3. Try not to be too grade-conscious

Sometimes, our kids insist on studying hard because we look too much at their grades. While, yes, grades play a role in filing for college and employment, a single 8/10 quiz is not as damaging as some believe. Every school has their own way of distributing academic weights. So, no two schools have the same priorities in terms of requirements. We’re not saying to let them completely drop the class, but maybe we can try not flipping out over an 8/10 or missing a requirement?

Because later on, we might find out that we’re the reason they missed the requirement! Juggling school requirements and family gatherings isn’t easy on the kids either.

4. Cut the internet at a certain time

It may start an argument in the house but, the internet is the reason why they stay up. As much as we’d like to think they’re just studying, they’re doing other things too. Searching up memes, watching YouTube, and other things to help them not lose their minds over their homework. Unfortunately, a lot of reels nowadays are time sinks – it’s easier to lose track of time. So, by cutting the internet at a certain time, they might be more mindful of how to use the internet. Maybe at around midnight will be okay.

However, this may not be applicable if we work the graveyard shift.

5. Don’t force them to go to family gatherings if they have a requirement

A lot of times, kids cram their work because they end up going to family gatherings. Sure, family is important, but it’s not healthy if we force them to choose between us and school. Most especially if we often preach about excellence, how can they if we keep dumping all sorts of expectations and outings on them? We’re not saying to completely uninvite them, but to at least give them a choice to say “no.”

Besides, if they’re tired and anxious about working, we know they’re not good company to have at the party either!

Study habits eventually translate to work ethic

Ever wonder why people get burned out nowadays? It’s because we’re often raised and conditioned to always achieve and that taking a break is shameful. Perfection is a consistent pursuit, that is true. But to deny that there are some bad days makes us more demanding of ourselves, leaving us full of spite and struggle. So if our kids are still studying, helping them come up with good habits will help minimize the possibility of burnout. And with that, they’ll have more time to appreciate all the good things happening too!