If there’s one complaint that can bond almost all parents of school-aged children together, it’s our common frustrations with completing homework. It often seems that no matter the size of the task, kids find reasons and ways to avoid doing homework. Parents often feel that it’s their job to make their kids excel in school. So, more than their child’s schoolwork, homework becomes the focus of their concern because it is something they think they can control. This often results in an unpleasant scenario of an overly committed parent nagging his/her child who struggles to focus during study time. That’s why in this article, we’re going to share with you 10 parenting hacks to help your kids get their homework done.
Keep in mind that none of these parenting hacks require you to hover around your kids or do their homework for them. What you can do is give guidance and assistance when necessary. Parents can introduce strategies to reduce stress and help their kids develop good study habits. After all, doing homework teaches kids to
- Read and follow directions independently
- Manage their time and work to deadlines
- Organize and prioritize different tasks
- Take responsibility for their own work
- Get better at skills they’re learning in class
Parents can benefit from helping their kids do their homework, too. It gives you the chance to see your child’s learning progress and understand where he might be struggling. Your support and encouragement could also positively influence your child’s attitude toward learning.
Here are 10 Parenting Hacks to Help Your Kids Get Their Homework Done:
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Designate a homework-friendly area.
Wherever kids do homework, ensure that the area is comfortable, well-lit, and stocked with helpful study supplies, like a variety of pens and pencils, paper, stapler, calculator, ruler, and reference materials. The right location will also depend on your child and your family dynamics. Some children do best if they’re in their bedrooms–working alone and away from the outside noise and distractions. Just make sure to check on them to see if they need help. Other kids may prefer the kitchen or dining room table where they can easily ask their parents for assistance. Give your child the freedom to choose where to create a designated study space, which he/she can also decorate and organize.
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Keep them away from distractions.
Distractions keep your child from being productive, which can lead to a poor understanding of their homework material and feelings of frustration. These can either be internal (like boredom, fatigue, and hunger) or external (like electronics, pets, and other people). It’s important to keep these distractions to a minimum so that your child can focus on the task at hand. This means that their study area should be away from the T.V. and their homework time is done when everyone else is doing something relatively quiet. Your child’s mobile phone or computer should be turned off unless needed for homework. Most importantly, make sure your child has taken enough sleep or rest and has eaten well.
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Establish a regular study time.
Establish a set time for doing homework and stick to it. The time may vary depending on your child. Some may work best in the afternoon after they have rested and eaten a snack, while others may prefer to start homework right after school. It may also be best to get homework done early in the evening before your child gets more tired and distracted. What’s important is that our child should get in the habit of doing homework at the same time every day. They will eventually accept the routine once it becomes ingrained. Having a homework schedule also helps kids understand what is required of them and encourages them to develop good work ethics and time management.
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Organize their time and tasks.
Good time management allows children to complete more in less time. This reduces their stress and gives them more free time to pursue other activities. Encourage your child to keep a homework planner where upcoming assignments and projects and important due dates will be recorded. Help them break down the work into manageable chunks to prevent cramming and procrastination. Also, make sure that they are getting adequate rest by taking short breaks every half hour or so. They can grab a snack and walk around so they won’t be distracted anymore when they go back to studying.
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Teach them to be responsible and independent.
On days that kids are acting up, frustrated parents tend to just do the homework themselves to avoid further arguments. Some parents, on the other hand, are way too involved because they want their child to “excel”. But these practices actually do more harm than good to a child. Too much help can teach them that someone will do the work for them when the going gets tough. Encourage your child to be responsible and independent by letting them do their homework by themselves. What you can do as a parent is to assure them of your support, give suggestions, and help with directions when needed.
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Motivate and monitor your child.
Let your child know that the work they’re doing is important. Ask about assignments, quizzes, and tests. Give encouragement and check completed homework. You don’t have to hover at homework time, but make yourself available for questions and concerns. Be encouraging but firm by setting expectations for what the homework routine should look like.
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Praise their work and efforts.
If your child is working hard, celebrate success by giving him or her specific praise for their efforts. Have a board where you can post your child’s rt project or test. Een if the test doesn’t reflect the “ideal” grade, if there was hard work out into studying, that should be acknowledged. In this way, parents are backing their words with their actions. Be proud of their academic achievements to friends, relatives, or even people on social media. You can also consider giving them a reward for completing their homework. Your child will be more motivated to continue working just as hard.
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Be a good example.
Be a good example for your child by showing the value of education and how we can use it in our daily lives. Seeing you work can motivate them to focus on their tasks. If your child is reading, you can also read books, magazines, or newspapers. You can write grocery lists or emails when your child is writing, too. If he/she is solving math problems, you can budget and calculate expenses. Kids are more likely to follow what they see from their parents rather than just take their advice.
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Stay informed about your child’s schoolwork.
Having an ongoing, amicable relationship with the teachers makes it easier to address concerns especially if your child is struggling. Make it a point to attend school events like parent-teacher conferences so you can meet your child’s teachers. Be friendly and keep in good contact with them so you’ll know about your child’s progress in school. They can also give suggestions on how you can support your child with his projects and homework.
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Seek professional assistance if necessary.
This is the last item on our parenting hacks list: when a kid consistently has a hard time understanding or completing homework, he/she might need an evaluation for a learning problem or attention disorder. Consider discussing your child’s issues with their teacher, a pediatrician, or a psychologist. Your child may be experiencing broader issues, such as learning disabilities or vision or hearing difficulties, that interfere with his/her academic progress.
When strategies such as these do not seem to work, it may be time to dig deeper into why your child is struggling to complete homework. The Thrive Collective team loves working with families to help them tease out academic struggles, attention difficulties, behavioral patterns, and other blocks that may be getting in the way of homework completion and academic progress.
Reach out to schedule a free phone consultation and we’d be happy to explain our testing, therapy, and parent coaching processes to you.
Want more parenting hacks? Check out our other blogs HERE.