My Child Is Struggling at School—What Can I Do On My Own?

When Your Child Starts Falling Behind

It often begins with small signs: your child takes longer to finish homework, starts coming home frustrated, or avoids talking about their day. As a parent, especially one juggling it all solo, these moments can be deeply worrying. You may feel powerless, unsure of where to begin or whether you're doing enough. If you're reading this, it's because you care deeply—and that, in itself, is a powerful first step.

Helping your child doesn't mean you have to suddenly become their school teacher on top of everything else. But it does mean leaning into your parenting superpower: knowing your child better than anyone else. Let's explore how to do that effectively, even if you're the only adult in the room.

Start by Listening, Not Fixing

Sometimes our instinct is to immediately search for solutions—workbooks, tutors, stricter routines. But the first thing your child may need is for you to validate how they’re feeling. Are they exasperated with a certain subject? Embarrassed when they don’t understand something in front of others? Scared of being ‘the slow one’? Students who struggle at school often carry heavy emotional baggage that gets in the way of learning.

One mom I spoke to recently described how her 9-year-old would shut down at the word “math.” Instead of pushing through another workbook, she decided to start every homework session with, “What part do you want help with today?” That shift in tone created a small bridge of trust. Over time, math became just another subject—not a monster under the bed.

Create Familiar Routines, Even in Chaos

Consistency gives anxious kids a feeling of safety. You don’t need a perfectly timed schedule, but creating small, predictable anchors in the day helps. For example, maybe you always do homework after a snack and ten quiet minutes together. Maybe reading happens in the bathtub. These may seem like little rituals, but they tell your child: “This is what we do, and we're in this together.”

When evenings are already packed with dinner, dishes, and next-day prep, this might feel overwhelming. But routine can be simple. One exhausted dad I know reads spelling words during dishwashing time. A mom does French verb review during the school commute using a converted audio file of her child’s lesson—a feature she discovered on an educational app she downloaded. The point is not picture-perfect. The point is rhythm and connection.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, you're not alone. Here's how to handle homework evenings without stress.

Personalize Their Learning Without Doing It All Yourself

Every child learns in their own unique way. Some need to move, some need silence, some need color-coded notes. The great thing is, today’s tools can help personalize their experience—without requiring you to create everything from scratch.

For example, if your child learns better through play, you might try turning difficult lessons into games or storytelling activities. One innovative option even lets you snap a photo of their lesson and turn it into a custom 20-question quiz or an audio adventure with your child’s name as the main character. Tools like this work behind the scenes while you manage dinner—or take five minutes to just breathe.

Want more help tailoring learning to your child? Read how to personalize your child's learning journey.

You're Not Alone—Even When It Feels Like It

Supporting your child doesn't mean doing it all on your own. It means finding the scaffolding you and your child both need. Sometimes it’s a friend who watches your kid for a study hour, or a caregiver at the library homework club. Other times, it's digital tools or support networks reminding you that connection matters more than perfection.

Many single parents I speak with feel overwhelmed by the sheer load of parenting and educating. If that sounds familiar, consider reading our guide on building support systems as a single parent or exploring where to begin with at-home learning. Sometimes, knowing where to start is half the battle.

Your Child Doesn’t Need Perfection—They Need You

It’s easy to forget, in the hustle of to-dos and teacher emails, that your child doesn’t need the “perfect” educational experience. They need emotional safety. Encouragement. Someone who believes in them, especially on hard days. If you’re showing up, listening, and building even small routines together, you’re already doing more than you know.

Take heart. Progress doesn’t always look like a perfect report card. Sometimes, it looks like one more question answered today than yesterday. One meltdown fewer. Or the moment your child begins to say, “I think I can do this.” And that? That’s everything.

And if you ever feel unsure where to go next, take it one step at a time—because even a small change can light the way forward.

Need help juggling it all? You might like our article on finding balance between work and at-home learning.