7 Tips For Helping Your Child With Homework

We all want our children to become successful and to do good in school. Many parents may overstep when it comes to homework. But by doing your child’s homework for them you’re not doing them any favours. There’s a reason why children get homework and by doing it for them, you’re basically defeating the purpose of why they get homework in the first place. Homework helps children to better understand the subjects they’re learning in school. By allowing them to figure it out for themselves even if they make mistakes along the way, they learn valuable life skills such as problem solving, time management as well as how to be independent and self-sufficient. No-one can learn how to master a skill or figure out a problem if everything get’s done for them.

But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be involved at all. A parent can provide valuable guidance and support when needed, but the child needs to understand that doing homework is their responsibility and not their parents’.

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7 Tips For Helping Your Child With Homework

1. Setting up a consistent homework routine

Make sure you set up a consistent homework routine by figuring out what time is the best when your child can concentrate. It may be after getting home from school or after an hour or two downtime. It’s best to choose an area in your home with as little distraction as possible. For some children a desk in their room without family members around is ideal but others may be more productive when working at the dining room table while Mom is preparing dinner. The time allocated for homework must be free from cell phones, television, video games or any other media that could keep them from concentrating. If the homework involves research on the Internet, it is important to set boundaries as to which sites they may visit and how much time is allocated for surfing the web.

2. A child’s age determines your involvement

It is natural for parents to be more involved with younger children that is still getting used to the idea of doing homework. The parent or caregiver can sit with the child to review the homework and strategize about the best way to finish it, but the child needs to be actively involved with the conversation and try to solve the problems themselves before asking the parent for assistance. Once a child enters junior high or high school, the child should be able to carry on with their homework without help from Mom or Dad.

3. Reinforce good study habits

Parents can help by teaching their children good study habits and how to reinforce them. You can try these suggestions:

• Explain to your children how these skills can one day help them in the real world. When a child adopts good study habits from an early age it an be highly beneficial to them to obtain academic and professional success once they’re grown up.
• Support their study habits by being available. Listen when your child is telling you about what he or she has learned during the day, ask questions or run through flashcards with them when they study for a test.
• Be a good example. This doesn’t mean you have to start studying but let them see you reading books as a hobby, working on a professional project for work or balancing the family budget.

4. Give them space

Avoid being a crutch for them to lean on and rather focus on being a valuable resource. Give your children the space they need to finish their homework and avoid hovering in the vicinity. Carry on with making dinner or doing household chores. This will give them encouragement to do homework on their own and solving tricky problems before asking you for help.

5. Figure out what works best for them

Not all kids learn at the same pace or in the same ways. Suggest and try various methods to figure out what works best for them. For example, if a child struggles with algebra, a visual diagram or picture may help them to understand better. Sometimes it happens that a child continues to have difficulty in understanding certain subjects. It may be that they’ve missed a key concept during earlier lessons. In such an instance, you may have to review materials to find out what information was missed. Enlisting the help of a tutor may also be a good idea.

6. Maintain healthy lifestyle habits

It is not uncommon that children spend quite a few hours on doing homework every night after doing sports, after-school activities and commitments. In addition to allocating time and space for homework, it’s also vital to implement other habits like a healthy eating plan and good sleeping habits that can benefit your child’s academic success. First graders need at least eleven hours of sleep at night, while junior high and high school children needs at least eight hours. A lack of sleep can influence kids’ attention spans and proficiency to concentrate.

7. Maintain a good relationship with the teacher

Communication is vital when it comes to your child’s care and by working together with his/her teacher, it can benefit your child’s academic success tremendously. Instead of doing your child’s homework for him when he has issues, rather have a meeting with his teacher to provide you with advice and resources as to what would suit your child’s needs best. Also, if you have concerns about the quantity of homework whether too much or too little, reach out to the teacher and remember to be diplomatic. Together you can work on a solution to whatever homework problems your child may be experiencing. It is essential to keep the lines of communication open and to maintain a good relationship with your child’s teacher as your child will be with his teacher for an entire year. You don’t want to overstep and compromise your child’s relationship with his teacher or be the cause of embarrassment for either party