HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK
When school days begin for your children each year, you may find that your busy schedule is busier than ever. You work hard all day at home or at the office. By evening you are tired! How will you find the time and energy to help your children with their homework, baths and reading together at bedtime?
Although your child will be expected to do homework on their own, good time management skills on your part can help keep life flowing in an orderly manner for everyone.
Helpful Tips to Get the Job Done:
Have a positive attitude toward learning.
From birth onward, you have been your child’s primary teacher. When school days arrive each year, your child will want to continue to share their new experiences with you. Having a positive attitude toward your child’s school, the teacher and any assigned homework will speak volumes in encouraging your child to continue the learning process.
2. Find out the teacher’s homework expectations.
As soon as the school year begins, find out what your child’s teacher expects. How much time, approximately, should be spent on homework nightly? What subjects will be covered on specific nights? Will homework be given over weekends? Will there be any long term projects? Is it easy to connect with the teacher with any questions?
3. Establish a family calendar.
Posted where everyone in the family can see it, a calendar lets you know who is going where and when. What a good way to discover if your child’s (and your family’s) life is so full of commitments so that homework can’t be scheduled.
4. Maintain a consistent schedule.
Children thrive and planning time for homework is easier when their schedules are somewhat predictable and constant.
5. Provide proper nourishment and rest.
Children use a tremendous amount of energy in their work and play. If not well rested and nourished properly, ill health, a dimming of intellect and poor school performance result.
6. Allow time to chill out after school.
After being in a room full of children all day, your child probably will need some down time once arriving home. A snack and an attentive ear from mom to hear the happenings of the day would probably be welcome. What a perfect time to review backpack contents, including assigned homework.
7. Designate a specific time for daily homework.
Just like adults, our children have biological clocks, too. What is your child’s best personal time for homework? Do your children enjoy doing homework as soon as they hit the door after school? Or would he/she rather have a snack first? Or does your child prefer to do homework after dinner when the day begins to wind down?
8. Designate a special homework place.
Let your child have some input. He/she may work best at the dining room table in the midst of family activity. Or may prefer to work in their bedroom. Don’t forget to provide the necessary supplies — paper, pencils, pens and proper lighting.
9. Take advantage of modern technology.
If you or your child is unsure of the homework assignment, call your child’s homework hotline if one is available. Some schools now post information on the Internet to keep parents informed.
10. Expect and inspect.
Expect the best from your child. Inspect in a kindly manner. After all, as parents we are ultimately responsible for the education of our children.
11. Give rewards.
When homework is completed neatly and in a timely manner, some excellent rewards could be free time, playing a board game together, a family movie with a popcorn snack or an extra book read at bedtime. We are never too old to have a story read to us.
12. Teach your child time management skills.
If a long term project is assigned, you can encourage your child to break the project into smaller jobs, each with a mini-deadline so that all is completed in a timely, organized fashion.
13. Plan for the next day.
Have your child set aside homework, schoolbooks, clothes, shoes and socks the night before to prevent a stressful morning.
There, you’ve done it! Using good time management skills, you have a plan for establishing a successful homework routine. That means success for your child and for you!
