Homework time is one of the most stressful times that a parent can have. It’s hard to deal with your kids when they have come home from school and are cranky and don’t really want to do more school work. As long as you remember to be patient and understanding then things will turn out just fine. Here are some tips on how to deal with homework time with as less stress as possible.
1)Take A Few Minutes
When your kids get home from school they are tired and cranky. The last thing they want to do is more reading, math, grammar, spelling, and other things that they had to do all day. Use the first short period of time that they get home to talk to them about their day. Kids will really appreciate you caring about what is going on with them.
Ask how school was. Ask them if they have made new friends or how they enjoy their classes. You should honestly care how things are at school. The more you know about the things that are going on, the more active you can be in your child’s life.
2)Divide and Conquer
If you have more than one child in the house with homework and more than one adult in the house, pair up each child with an adult so that they can have the full attention of a grown up while they are getting their work done. One on one attention is very important when your children are trying to get their work done. They are more prone to get their work done neater and quicker when they have your full attention. They will also get more answers right and retain more knowledge.
3)Control the Area
The area that your child does their homework in should be clean and quiet. When it comes time for homework, turn off the television, radio, video games, or anything else that may cause distraction. Many kids have a very limited attention span and having a lot of things going on around them can cause them to not be able to focus on their homework.
If your school age kids have younger siblings that are at home when they have homework time, try to give the younger siblings a quiet activity to do while they work. Pets should be put outside or in another room. You should also avoid taking phone calls that are not absolutely necessary. Let friends and family know that this time is set aside for homework time and to please not call.
4)Keep them On Task
Along with short attention spans, kids also really don’t want to have to do their homework. They will let their minds wander off and even play with the things that they are suppose to use to do their homework. Some kids will even stare off into space and not do their work, just to prevent from doing it.
Giving your kids one on one attention will help them concentrate more. It will also help them stay on task. If you are paying attention to what they are doing and they do wander off, you can help bring their attention back to what they should be doing.
5)Be Patient
Sometimes your kids will do things that make you want to lose all your patience. Take a deep breath and remind them how doing their homework will benefit them in the future. It’s very important not to lose patience with your child because it will make them become more stressed and it will be harder for them to work. If you need a minute, it’s just fine for you to step away for a moment. Assure your child that you will return shortly and then excuse yourself. Remember that your child may also need a moment to step away if they are becoming to frustrated with some of the homework that you have to do.
6)Don’t Get Sucked Into Giving Them The Answers
Even though it’s easier to do their homework for them, they won’t retain the knowledge that they need to. You can help them to solve problems, but they must come up with the answer on their own. It may take more time and be more frustrating, but your child will benefit more in the end from you helping them come up with the answer on their own. When they do it by themselves they will also get more of a sense of self worth because they achieved something on their own.