You’ve heard it all before: the whining, the excuses, the yelling, and the crying about doing homework. (And that’s just from the parents.) There are many opinions about the best ways to get your child to do their homework; here are a few from a long-time mom.
1. Empower Your Child. It’s not your homework, it’s theirs. Do not do the work for them. If they refuse to do their work, let them find out the consequences at school the next day. This doesn’t mean that you ignore the situation, but don’t be an enabler. Make homework your child’s responsibility.
2. Teach Time Management. See when each assignment is due. If one is due tomorrow, they should do that one first. If there are multiple assignments due tomorrow, start with the most difficult subject first, and get it out of the way. Long-term projects can be completed over a longer period of time. For example, if a report is due in 8 days and it will take 2 hours to complete, work on it every day for 15 minutes.
3. Lighten Up. Just because you studied a certain way, doesn’t mean your child has to do it the same way. If they are doing well and they feel more comfortable doing math in their bean bag chair, so be it. If you allow them to choose the way or the place they study, they may be more cooperative. Adversely, if their study environment is detrimental, change things up a bit.
4. Listen to Music. Music raises a person’s mood and energy level. It may be difficult for your child to work in silence. Suggest that they turn on the radio or listen to music on their MP3 player. Using headphones could help block out any distractions. And let them listen to their music, regardless of how you feel about it.
5. Take a Break. Use short breaks as incentives to getting work done. If your child has multiple assignments to complete, suggest that she take a 5-minute break after each one is done. Don’t let the break stretch out so long that they get involved in some other activity. Just let her stretch, get a drink, or play with the dog for a few minutes, then get back to work.
Try to look at homework as a routine task, not a mountain that must be conquered every day. Spend some time teaching your child new habits and build on their successes. Stop arguing and start enjoying.
This article was brought to you by award winning teacher, Chaunna Brooke. She regularly blogs about child behavior and discipline. Chaunna helps parents make a dramatic change in child behavior even if nothing else has worked before. Be sure to check out some of her parenting tips on Facebook.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Great tips!