The families blog
For parents: homework, exams and reading at home, in plain words with sources you can check.
Family rules for AI and homework: a printable agreement
A one-page family agreement on AI and homework: what is allowed, what needs asking first, what is off limits, and what to say when a rule is broken. Printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
What to say to your child before an exam
Sentences to say the night before an exam, on the morning and on results day, and the ones to avoid, each with its source, plus when to ask for help. Printable card.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
What to ask an app or school about your child's data: six questions
Six questions to ask any app or school about your child's data, what a good answer sounds like, the warning sign for each, a ready message to send, and a printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
A family screen-time agreement you can print
A screen-time agreement your family writes with your child, built on WHO and American Academy of Pediatrics guidance, with what changes by age and a free printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
A home reading plan: 15 minutes a day by age
A weekly home reading chart for ages 4 to 12: who reads, three questions to ask after, how to pick a book at the right level, and Arabic and English in one week.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
How much should you help with homework? A four-rung ladder
A four-rung ladder for helping your child with homework without doing it for them: what to say at each rung, when to stop, and what to tell the teacher. Fridge card PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
How to know your child's level at school without waiting for an exam
A calm week of short checks at home that shows where your child stands at school, with a printable weekly note and questions to take to the teacher.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 9 min read
Helping with maths without contradicting the teacher's method
Three methods schools teach, each with a drawing and a worked example, five questions to ask instead of giving the answer, and a two-line note for the teacher. Printable.
Raghad A. · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Questions for the parent-teacher meeting: a one-page card
A card of questions for the parent-teacher meeting, grouped by goal: how your child is doing and the evidence, the next step, helping at home, following up. PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Private lessons: when you need them and when you don't
A decision checklist for parents: when private tutoring helps, what to try first, what to ask a tutor, and how to judge it after four weeks. Free printable PDF.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Reading in Arabic and English at once: finding the balance
How to split the reading week between Arabic and English without Arabic slipping: a sample week, what each language needs, how to choose books, and a printable chart.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
When your child refuses to study: five calm steps
Five calm steps for when your child refuses to study: find the reason, a ten-minute start, a fixed ritual, what to say, and when to see the teacher or a doctor.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
How to read your child's report card and what to ask the teacher
A sample report card read line by line: marks against last term and the class average, the teacher's comment, absences, five questions for the teacher, and a printable.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Ten questions to ask before enrolling your child in a school
Ten questions to ask a school before you enrol your child, in five groups, each with a good answer and a warning sign, plus what to look for on the visit.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Sleep before an exam: why the all-nighter does not work
How much sleep your child needs by age, what sleep does for memory, and why staying up the night before an exam backfires, with an exam-week routine and a printable card.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
A weekly 20-minute school check-in with your child: a ready card
A card for a weekly 20-minute talk with your child about school: five questions in order with follow-ups, a one-line weekly note, and how to adapt it by age. PDF card.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 7 min read
A weekly study timetable your child will keep (free printable)
A printable weekly study timetable: short blocks, closed-book review spread over the week, a weekly quiz, times by age, and how to make it with your child.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read
The mid-year break: calm learning ideas without pressure
Twelve ideas for the mid-year break by age, from 4 to 13 and up: play, not homework, each with what it practises and its time. Plus a printable idea card for the fridge.
Omar Abusalim · November 8, 2026 · 6 min read