Here are our eight tips for parents who are battling through homework and doing arguments and tantrums along the way.
Are you a parent struggling to help your child with their homework? If you are, do not worry as you’re not alone. A recent study, by Oxford Homeschooling, a home education course company, reveals that only a third of parents feel confident helping their children with their homework. Does this sound like you?
When it comes to helping your child with their homework, it’s natural to want to be hands-on and do all that you can to help. But what happens when you’re a little overbearing or you’re tempted to complete the task for them so you can cut the stress short and move on with other activities?
We know that it can be tricky. You want your child to succeed and want to promote their independence as they work towards this. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with offering support – positive feedback goes a long way!
Here are some helpful hints to help you get the balance right.
1. Getting involved With Your Child’s Homework
When helping your child with their homework, this will give you insight into how they are doing academically. With this, you will get a sense of their interests, and also notice where (if there are any) problems lie. From this, you’ll be able to choose a course of action to take based on what you observe. If your child happens to need extra lessons, you’ll be able to tell or if you need to have a conversation with their teacher, you can use the homework, as a rule, to go by.
2. Establish a Quiet Study Space or Homework Area
Create a space where your child can comfortably use to complete their homework. It’s best to choose a place with little distraction and plenty of resources (e.g. water, pencils, pens, etc) to avoid their attention being on everything else but the homework they need to complete. Setting your expectation of them while at their study area will also help to remind them of the ‘why’ behind the ‘what.’
3.Create a Hoemwork Routine
Most children respond well to structure and routine and if creating a homework routine or plan is just one of many ways to effectively help your child with their homework. This will also get your child into the habit of knowing they need to spend some time after school to complete the work they’ve been given.
4. Design a Homework Plan
A helpful way to stay on top of the various homework tasks is by keeping a homework diary. This helps both you and your child to keep track of upcoming deadlines. This way, you’ll also be able to manage the time spent each day on the relevant homework and avoid rushing to complete it at the last minute.
5. Positive Feedback and Encouragement Goes a Long Way
As we mentioned earlier, it’s always great if you’re able to encourage your child while they are completing their homework. This can be as simple as telling them they’re doing a great job or if they are getting flustered reminding them that it’s okay to take a brief break before continuing. Actively reinforcing your child’s effort goes a long way in reminding them that you’re supportive of them and that you believe in them.
6. Encourage Your Child to Work Independently on Their Work
As a parent, you will likely want your child to develop their sense of independence as they grow up, and helping them to develop a sense of ownership over their homework is a good place to start with this.
7. Consider Using a Tutor to Help Your Child With Homework
If you find that your child is struggling with their homework, and the tasks are a bit more of a struggle for you to help out with, then seeking additional support is an option. Organizing tutoring lessons for your child can help with improving their academic success. Finding an experienced tutor to track your child’s progress and tailor lessons to their learning needs. Get in touch with us if you’re currently looking for a homework tutor.
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