Back-to-School Homework Tips for Parents and Kids

Written by Brianna from Flippin' Delicious
Photos courtesy of Flippin' Delicious

School has looked different for a lot of people the past year, my family included. Keeping my children motivated and engaged in school has been a challenge. 

One thing that has been helpful in motivating my kids is using YumEarth Organic Giggles and YumEarth Gummy Bears not only as a reward, but as a tool in their education. While school is still not always a piece of cake, using YumEarth organic candy has made it a little bit easier.  

Here are 3 ways I’ve been using YumEarth candy to help us make it through the school day: 

1. Something that has really helped me teach both my kindergartener and third-grader common-core math is using candies to count, decompose problems, and make number bonds. My youngest daughter is definitely a kinesthetic learner. Having visual shapes she can see, along with bite size chewy candy that she can touch and move, has made it much easier for her to learn addition and subtraction. 

Have you seen number bonds in your kid’s homework? I think they are a great way to teach kids to visualize what they are adding and subtracting. 

I had a breakthrough with my daughter when we first pulled out some small candies for her to use with her number bonds. We went from tears and complaints to one happy learning camper! And that has been my go-to math hack ever since.

Bonus: As soon as she finishes her work, she gets to eat her treats!

2. When we are working with bigger numbers, or non-math subjects, I often use treats as a motivating reward. Both of my daughters have a hard time focusing, and small incremental rewards help them immensely (and help keep me sane). 

 All I have to say is, “As soon as you finish your writing project, we’ll have a Gummy Bear break!” and the next thing I know, the moaning and groaning is no more, the work is finished, and we’ll split a pack of Gummy Bears.

YumEarth Organic Giggles and YumEarth Gummy Bears are perfect for school time because I can open one snack pack or two, and we don't "accidentally" eat the entire bag. It helps me to make sure that our small reward stays just that and doesn’t turn into a sugar-fest! 

3. School is hard work for mom, too! I make sure to reward myself. YumEarth Gluten Free Licorice is a gluten-free unicorn! Licorice is one of those sweets that I just missed so much after I had to eat gluten-free. I love that now I don’t have to miss out! 

Organic Strawberry Licorice is one of my favorites, and my daughter’s too. It is a great reward we can all share when the school day is done. 

If you have kids with food allergies, you know how exciting it is to find treats that they can enjoy. I love that all YumEarth’s products are organic, non-gmo, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and free from the top 8 allergens. People who say “it’s like taking candy from a baby” have obviously never had to be a momma taking candy away from their kiddo with a food allergy. I can trust all YumEarth’s products, and I know they are safe for everyone in my family! Use the YumEarth store locator to find their candy and sweets near you, or shop online for all of their allergy friendly candy. 

What are your ideas for using candy not only as a motivator, but as a tool in school? Comment and tell me.

About Brianna
Brianna has been creating gluten-free, allergy-friendly recipes articles for more than 8 years. Brianna believes that no one should have to miss out on their favorite foods just because they have to eat gluten-free or are juggling other food allergies. She has also authored more than 5 cookbooks and guides to help people on their gluten-free and food allergy journeys.