How to Help Your Child with Maths Homework Without Doing It for Them

Pick one AI assistant and open a fresh chat

Open the AI you already use, or try a new one. On a phone, tap the app icon; on a computer, go to the website. Start a brand-new conversation (a "new chat" or "new thread") so the AI has no memory of past questions. You'll see an empty text box, usually with a placeholder like "Ask anything" or "Message…". If you don't see a fresh-chat option right away, look for a button that looks like a pencil, a plus sign, or the words "New chat" near the top of the screen.

You'll know it worked when the AI replies with something like "Got it — happy to help with Year 5 maths. What are we working on?"

Ask the AI to explain the idea, not solve the problem

In the same chat, type a short request that asks for an explanation — not the answer. The wording matters: "explain how to do this" gets a totally different response from "what is the answer." Mention the topic rather than the specific problem, so your child can apply the idea to the whole set. The AI will reply in plain language, often with a small example of its own. If the explanation feels too grown-up or too babyish, add "explain it more simply" or "explain it for an older student."

You'll know it worked when the AI explains the method step-by-step and ends by asking your child to try one on their own.

Hand the device over and step back

Now the key move: physically hand the phone or laptop to your child. Sit nearby — at the same table, not across the room — but stop watching their every keystroke. Resist the urge to say "no, do it like this." Their job is to read the explanation, attempt the practice question the AI gave them, and ask the AI follow-up questions in their own words. Your job is to be present without steering. If your child looks stuck after about 90 seconds, ask "what do you think the AI is asking you to do?" — that single question usually unsticks them.

You'll know it worked when your child is doing the typing themselves and you haven't said a maths word in five minutes.

When they get stuck, let the AI unstick them

If your child is genuinely stuck (not just thinking — really stuck), tell them to ask the AI for a hint, not the answer. Most assistants will give a small nudge when you phrase it this way. If they turn to you for help, your best reply is "let's ask the AI" — and let them type the question themselves. This keeps you out of the explainer role and lets the AI do the heavy lifting. If the AI gives a confusing hint, ask it to "show me an even smaller example first," then build back up.

You'll know it worked when your child gets unstuck, types the next line themselves, and solves the problem without ever hearing your voice explain a fraction.

Check the work together at the end

Once your child has finished the set, ask them to walk you through the answers out loud. Don't redo the work — instead, ask "show me how you got this one" for any answer you're not sure about. If something looks wrong, take the device back to the AI and ask it to check the working: "Here's my child's working — where did the reasoning go off?" The AI can spot the slip; you don't have to. Praise the process, not just the score: "I like how you showed your work here." If your child can't explain how they got an answer, that's a red flag — it likely means they guessed or copied. Don't argue; just mark it together and revisit tomorrow with a fresh chat. You'll know it worked when your child can explain at least one answer back to you in their own words, in plain English.

Save the chat and make it a routine

At the end of the session, ask the AI to give your child a 3-question recap of what they learned today (most assistants will do this without any setup). Screenshot or bookmark the chat so you can come back to it tomorrow. Next time, open a fresh chat for a new topic — but paste yesterday's recap in at the top so the AI remembers where your child left off. Over a week or two, this becomes "the homework spot": same time, same place, same routine. If you'd rather not keep chat history (some families prefer this for privacy), skip the screenshot and just write the recap in the back of the homework book instead. You'll know it worked when your child starts the session themselves without being asked, and maths homework stops being a nightly argument.