HELP! MY KIDS WON’T DO THEIR HOMEWORK
What parent has not felt the frustration when a child refuses to cooperate at homework time? Is this is a time when battles begin as kids won’t pull out pencils, “forgot” homework at school, and just flat out refuse to do it? With the distractions of multi-channelled television and high tech children's games and toys, it can often be a struggle to just make a start. Although you can’t make kids enjoy homework, here are some ideas to help you keep it together for this part of the day so you can have a peaceful night and save time for other things.
USE POSITIVE WORDS AND PROVIDE ROUTINES
Instead of “homework time”, try study or review time. This will take the focus away from homework, and kids can’t wiggle out of the routine if they don’t have any physical homework. By just taking time to take books out and show you assignments, you are creating daily accountability with them, as well as good work habits. Knowing that you are going to check and expect work will help with the “I forgot I had homework” excuse to some extent.
Give your kids somewhere to work, free of distractions. Make sure that kids have access to help; either numbers for other students if they do forget an assignment, a homework helpline, or online textbooks. Keep these in the study area so kids can easily access them. This will set a mood for studying, much like routines for other things get your mindset in the right place. You may even look at buying a kid's desk for their bedroom.
Kids will live up to expectations and even if they are resistant at first, with consistent behavior on your part your kids will begin to respond. Be patient as you try new approaches, and make sure to allow time for them to establish habits.
MAKE CHILDREN RESPONSIBLE
Do not do the work for your children. When they start lagging in their assignments and “can’t do it”, don’t ignore their concerns, but resist the urge to take over as well. Ask leading questions, such as
*Explain what you don’t understand.
*Tell me what you are trying to do.
*What do you think the answer might be.
*Give me an example.
When you phrase questions in this way, you are teaching your child to be independent thinkers who must find out on their own. This will assist them in real life skills as they grow older, while they still know they have a support system with their parents.
TEACH BY EXAMPLE
Kids learn by watching. They will be watching to see how to organize time, and how to use it effectively. Your example is the best teacher of all. By providing the environment for them to be productive, you are giving them the opportunity to do, but show by example how to create an organized space. While children are working, show them the TV and other media venues can stay off. Let them see you being productive as well. You might be surprised at how much time the TV steals.
While there is no magic pill, consistency is the best homework tip there is. Work with the teachers in a positive manner to find out what your child is accomplishing in class - most teachers don’t want to assign extra homework because that’s extra grading for them - and help your child do the best they can.
This is an original news article © The Kids Window
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