If there’s one thing that children generally tend not to enjoy, it’s homework. After all, as a grown up, nobody likes to have to go home after they’re working day only to continue having to do work. And often that is what homework tends to imply, that children have more to do because they weren’t able to get done what they should have during their school day. As a parent, helping your child with homework may make you roll your eyes.
After all, your days of doing homework are long over and done with, so the last thing you want to do is more homework as an adult. However, some schools insist that there is to be a level of homework after hours, so parents need to really get with the program to ensure that their child doesn’t fall behind. Let’s take a look at some tips for making homework a positive experience for both you and for your children even if you don’t if you don’t agree with it.
- Talk about it. It’s important that you give your kids a chance to talk about their school work during the school day, as well as the homework that follows on from it. The developmental stages of spelling are there for a reason and you can help your child to skip a couple of stages with the right support. Even if you don’t know much about a particular subject, you can still just listen and help by talking to them and helping them to find their own answers. By communicating with your children about homework, they will feel like they can come and talk to you about anything.
- Encourage them as much as possible. After a long day of school, children are tired. They’ve been exhausted by thinking all day long and by moving from class to class if they’re in high school. Helping your child to take for the organization of their homework and encouraging them to do it is going to help them to feel motivated to continue. Recognize their hard work, their improved concentration and their better handwriting, and you will end up with a child who’s extremely happy to be seen and heard.
- Use as many available tools as possible. A lot of schools have homework Diaries or day books so that parents can sign them and send them back to say that they’ve visualized their homework everyday. Show your interest and your commitment by asking them about each of their classes and what they’re learning, and sign it regularly. This will help you and your child to understand that homework is being monitored and it builds up that goodwill between you and the school.
- Help them stick to a homework routine. Maybe when they come home from school they like to slump down and play video games and switch off from the day. But if they have homework you could start a new routine whereby they get a snack plate after school and they can sit down and get their homework done before dinner. Doing it this way means that they can still slump in front of their video games after dinner is finished and they’ve had a shower, so that they can still enjoy the time that they’ve got for themselves and get their homework done. This keeps your child on top of everything.
- Put together a study zone. It’s so important that you have a zone for yourself where your child can sit and do their homework in peace. Usually this has to have no interruptions, some good lighting, and a clear work surface without any younger siblings from interrupting.
- Talk to the school. Keep it to your children’s behavior when they’re doing homework. If they feel overwhelmed or anxious, or they are simply struggling with the level of homework they have to do, it’s OK to talk to the school and discuss whether or not they can be more balanced. You are still your child’s advocate even if they are at high school age, so make sure that you are keeping up with your child and communicating with them, and if anything seems amiss, start talking to the school and get to the bottom of the issue.
- Offer rewards where you can. Homework is much more rewarding if you have some treats like staying up 10 minutes later or spending 10 more minutes on the computer. You could even build up to treats such as having a friend around. This will keep your child motivated and on the straight and narrow by doing their homework and making sure they don’t fall into any bad habits.
