It is difficult sometimes to work out who hates homework the most: the parents or the child. Children hate homework because it involves sitting still and concentrating and because they have done just that all day long already. Parents, on the other hand, hate homework because it is the source of arguments.
However, homework is essential for the child’s learning and development and other things besides that. The child who learns to motivate him or herself, focus on a task and manage their time,is more likely to have success in the years of education and work that are yet to come.
For this reason, it is important that parents do all they can to foster a love of learning in their child and help them gain the skills they need to motivate themselves. Here are our top five tips to help parents in a homework crisis.
- .Set a good example. Do you really think that your child is going to feel OK about studying if you are on the sofa watching TV? Use your child’s study time to do your own chores, or read.
- Use positive language.Stop calling it ‘homework’ and call it study time. This removes some negative associations and allows your child the opportunity to learn outside of what they are given at school, should they choose to.
- Create a structure.Set a place and time when studying will be done and stick to it.Ask your child for their input.
- .Don’t help too much.Be on hand if your child gets stuck but as far as possible get them to help themselves.
- Stop using bribes! Using money,toys or other treats to get your child to do their homework is not a long-term solution. There are other ways to motivate them. Have you noticed the school stickers teachers use? They use school stickers to gently encourage and celebrate exceptional work. You can do the same at home with a wall chart and custom stickers.Get your child to help you draw up the chart and choose the custom stickers and watch their motivation soar.