Homework can be a big problem for families because it causes a lot of arguments. By the time they get home from school, children are tired, and even if they enjoy learning, homework is often the last thing they’ll want to do. Parents will know that homework has to be done no matter how tired the child might feel, and so an argument – and sometimes a full-blown tantrum – will take place. It’s stressful and can ruin what might otherwise have been a pleasant evening together.
So what are the options? If your child finds their homework hard and they need help, what do you do? You won’t want to leave them to struggle (especially if it’s causing problems for everyone else in the household), but neither do you want to do their homework for them. You might not understand the topic for one thing, and the child won’t learn for another.
The good news is there are a number of options you can use that will help you help them, and everyone will be happy. Homework will be done more smoothly, and the outcome will be better with more learning achieved. Read on to find out more.
Set Up A Homework Friendly Area
Just like adults, children need a dedicated work area to help them achieve the best results when it comes to their homework. That’s why you need to give them that space. If the room is set up in the right way with everything they could possibly need for their home (including a laptop or tablet, craft supplies, writing implements, and notebooks, for example), and if the walls are decorated with educational posters like times tables and the alphabet, they will feel more inclined to work.
On top of this, having a room where they can shut the door and work in peace and quiet is crucial. With fewer distractions, homework will be done more quickly and to a higher standard.
Give Them Extra Resources
Teachers do their best to give children all the information they need to complete their homework and learn the lessons they have to learn. However, with so many children to teach, it’s inevitable that not everyone is going to get the information they need. They might need extra help to make the lesson – and homework – make sense.
If this is how your child feels, don’t tell them they should have listened more in class, and don’t complain to the teacher. Instead, you can find additional resources online that will help to engage the child and ensure they understand what they are meant to do. Videos are an ideal example, and you can find excellent educational videos on every topic, including the more challenging ones, such as an engineering design process lesson.
Schedule Regular Homework Time
Sometimes the problem isn’t the homework itself but the feeling that the child just doesn’t have the motivation to do more work. One good way to get around this is to schedule regular study time. If you do this from an early age, the child will be conditioned to know that it’s homework time, and they’ll work with fewer complaints.
Routine is important for children, and the more routine they have in life, the easier it is for them to cope with things, including having a lot of homework to do. Perhaps their study time is for an hour immediately after getting home from school. Perhaps it’s after dinner. Maybe it’s after a snack and some downtime, and they work while you’re cooking or finishing your own work for the day. Over time, you’ll work out the best way to schedule in homework, and as long as it works for your family, there is no right and wrong.
Set A Good Example
Sometimes children can get frustrated when they are expected to do something, but they see other people – and specifically their parents – doing something else. You might sit down to watch tv after telling your child they have to do their homework before they can do the same. You might go out into the garden while your child, who desperately wants to go outside, cannot because of their homework. This can become very frustrating and distracting.
So why not set a good example and work at the same time as your child? You might even do your work in the same room. Try to save one work task from your day – deadlines allowing, of course – so that you can work on it while your child does their homework. By setting a good example, your child will ideally work hard too.