How to Help with a Child’s Homework the Right Way

The battles, the constant harassing, and the lost papers— is kids’ homework a chore for you? Turns out you’re not alone, a study done by Education Week found that nearly 50 percent of parents struggle to help their children with homework.  With expectations constantly rising and with distractions like iPads, iPhones, and extracurriculars increasing it’s becoming more and more difficult for parents to wrangle their children into doing homework.

We know as a parent you want the best for your kids so we’ve put together some tricks to help you whip homework into proper shape.

The first tip to helping your child with homework is to create a plan. Review your child’s schedule and organize a time where they can give their homework their undivided attention. Consistency is key, so stick to your schedule! Once your child gets in the groove of things, homework will become a natural part of their day.

A second tip is to know your child. If your child is resisting, make it fun. Turn homework into a game or competition. Another option is to give your child an incentive to finishing their homework, such as putting a sticker on a chart or earning 10 minutes of iPad time.

Be there to monitor. Sit next to your child to support and guide them as they work through the problems. Be cautious of overstepping, and remember that monitoring does not mean correcting.  By overseeing your child’s homework, you show them that you care and you can follow their progress. Let your child work through their homework and learn from their mistakes.

Communicate with your child’s teacher regularly. By talking to your child’s teacher, you are once again exhibiting that you care. Your child’s teacher can be very helpful and give you feedback on how your child is doing in class. If your child struggles with homework or a particular subject, ask the teacher what tools work best to get your child’s attention and motivation in class.

Set goals and expectations. You don’t have to set a huge list of goals or place overly high expectations on your child. Two or three simple and age appropriate goals are plenty and signify a target. By agreeing and setting goals you create a way for you and your child to measure progress. Goal setting teaches your child maturity and hard work and is associated with high self-efficacy.

Sources:

• http://www.meredith.com/brand/parentingcom
• Reid, K. S. (2013, September 20). Survey Finds Half of Parents Struggle with Their Children’s Homework. Retrieved September 20, 2017, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/parentsandthepublic/2013/09/half_of_parents_struggle_to_help_their_kids_with_homework_survey_finds.html
• How to Help Kids with Homework (Without Doing It for Them!). (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2017, from http://www.parents.com

References:

• Reid, K. S. (2013, September 20). Survey Finds Half of Parents Struggle with Their Children’s Homework. Retrieved September 20, 2017, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/parentsandthepublic/2013/09/half_of_parents_struggle_to_help_their_kids_with_homework_survey_finds.html