How to Help All Your Children Succeed in School When You Have a Big Family

When Love Multiplies, So Does the Work

Raising a big family can be a beautiful whirlwind. You have a full dinner table, built-in best friends for your children, and enough inside jokes to last a lifetime. But when it comes to schoolwork — deadlines, reading logs, forgotten logins, tears over long division — the stress doesn’t multiply. It compounds.

If you’ve ever sat down to help one child with fractions, only to be interrupted by another needing help typing a book report, and then another asking what the solar system is, you’re not alone. Many parents quietly wonder how to support each child’s learning without shortchanging the others — especially when attention, time, and energy are running thin.

Academic Needs Are Not One-Size-Fits-All

One of the hidden challenges in big families is that school rarely fits all your kids in the same way. Your eldest might be flying through her math problems while your middle child is stuck decoding double-digit subtraction. Another may need texts read aloud due to dyslexia, while their sibling thrives on visual learning. It’s complicated and human — and no, you’re not doing it wrong. It is this hard.

Rather than trying to “standardize” your help, consider customizing your approach, even if just a little. For instance, if your auditory learner zones out during reading but lights up listening to podcasts, try transforming written lessons into audio formats — perfect for car rides or before-bed listening. The Skuli App even allows you to turn lesson notes into audio adventures, starring your child as the hero, which can make tricky topics feel way more fun.

Quality Over Quantity: One-on-One Matters

It might seem counterintuitive, but you don’t need more time with each child — you need intentional time. A focused 15-minute session can do more than an hour of distracted multitasking. One-on-one moments give kids space to ask questions they may be too shy to voice in front of siblings. It’s during these moments you spot things: the quiet confusion, the small victories, the resilient effort.

Creating this time doesn’t require major scheduling overhauls. As suggested in our article on creating meaningful one-on-one time in big families, it could be as simple as taking turns cooking dinner together (and practicing math while measuring ingredients), or sitting next to one while another waits their turn with an audiobook.

Structuring the Chaos

The biggest gift you can give your family may not be extra help, but structure. When kids know what’s expected, where resources live, and what time is for who, tension eases. Homework routines don’t have to be identical for every child, but they do benefit from consistency.

Some families use color-coded folders or assign subjects to certain time blocks after school. Others create a "homework basket" with everything needed — pencils, chargers, calculator — so no one loses time hunting for supplies. If managing space is a challenge, consider alternating spots at the kitchen table or repurposing part of a shared bedroom as a study nook.

We explore this further in our guide to daily routines that actually work for big families. You may not eliminate the chaos, but you can direct it.

Let Technology Share the Load

When you're stretched thin, tools can fill the support gaps. That’s where having smart supports matters. For example, apps like Skuli are designed with multiple learners in mind — it can take a photo of a handwritten lesson and turn it into a personalized quiz that your child can tackle at their pace and level. When you're making dinner or helping another child, your other kids can still engage meaningfully with the material — on their own terms.

The key is choosing tech that empowers independence, not more screen time. The best kind lets kids feel seen and challenged while lightening your load — and that’s a win for everyone.

Accept That You Can’t Do It All — And That’s Okay

Here’s something not enough people say out loud: you will not help every child with every assignment. Some will fall through the cracks now and then. A project might not get finished. A grade may slip. And still, your child will grow up learning from your care, your effort, and the way you didn’t panic when everything wasn’t perfect.

Lean into support where you can — from teachers, family chats, and yes, even tech tools. Plan simple meals when homework nights run late (here are our favorite budget-friendly meal ideas). Streamline grocery trips so you don’t have to choose between dinner and spelling words (see our smart shopping tips here).

And most importantly: remind yourself that the moments that matter aren’t always scheduled, tidy, or quiet. Sometimes they happen while you're tearing open a granola bar with one hand and reading aloud with the other. That matters too.

Your Family, Your Pace

Big families move to their own rhythm. The way you support your children may not look like it does in smaller families, but that doesn’t make it less effective. In fact, growing up in a bustling household teaches kids flexibility, cooperation, and resourcefulness — all skills that serve them far beyond the classroom.

Your children don’t need perfection. They need presence. Encouragement. An occasional quiz that makes them feel like a wizard. And a parent who keeps showing up, even on empty.