Homework Solutions

Do the evenings bring about conflict over homework? Who is out of time at the end of the night, the parents or the children? Or, are you both just out of energy?

Everything can just be so rushed these days. After a long day of work, whether it be at your office or at home, there are still so many things to do! Of course you must feed the family, do the homework and get the bath. Throw in any extra-curricular activities, grocery shopping, errands, family events and whatever else might pop up and it is bedtime before you know it! Even if you have extra time, do you have the energy needed to battle the homework?

Below is a list of suggestions that may work for your family. Obviously kids need to do their homework, but, the less stressful and more productive, all the better for everyone.

Talk to the teacher and ask for assistance to group together a few homework buddies. Each child has strengths. Seek out a small group of children that have strengths in each of the major subjects. In other words, form a homework team. However, make sure your child is only calling as a last resort. They need to learn to struggle to feel the reward of succeeding.

Set aside a specific time daily for homework. This may be difficult depending on the extra-curricular activities, so flexibility is important. But, if a target time is set, all of you will be more likely to get at it when it is time.

Find a designated place in your house where you are nearby for questions and yet out of the normal commotion of the family.

Have your child summarize their homework assignments.

After each subject summarization, ask if they understand their assignment.

Stay close and available, but let your child do their own work.

If the homework is overwhelming or simply just too much for one sitting, take the assignments apart piece by piece. Decide how much can be accomplished per session.

Let your child take a break between sessions. We all get tired when we have been at something straining for too long. Children do, too. They need a few minutes to stretch their legs and clear their minds so when they come back to task there are refreshed.

Most importantly, be there for your child but remember, it is their homework.

Let them learn the sense of accomplishment and pride for a job well done!

Another handy tip:

Don't make every session a "have-to." There are many wonderful, fun and educational printable worksheets online for kids. When you have a few extra minutes, search the Internet and print some age appropriate child activities. Put them aside and bring them out when you are looking for some quite activity for the family. Kids will come to enjoy sitting down at their desk or at the kitchen table with you!

Try your best (even when our best isn't good enough) to make homework or educational activities a fun event verses a chore. The mind set of children, in reference to learning, will follow them the rest of their lives. After all, most of us don't realize what all there is to learn until we get older and realize there is so much we don't know.