Avoiding Homework Battles

Avoiding Homework Battles

In a dream world, your kids would come home from school, put their backpack and shoes where they belong, then happily bring their homework folder to the kitchen table to eat fresh baked cookies and work on their school work!

While we can’t make your dream world come true, we can give you some tips on avoiding the daily homework battle.

Create a daily routine:

Find what works best for your family and stick to it, if you are busy with sports and other activities it may be best to do homework after dinner. Or perhaps you like schoolwork to happen right when you get home. Make a schedule together, post it somewhere in your home, and keep things as consistent as possible. A consistent schedule leaves little room for argument, “I am sorry, but this is snack and homework hour we don’t watch television until after dinner”. Or “I am sorry Tommy, but the this is homework hour, the kids can’t come out and play until their free time remember?”

Electronic Free Hour:

In your routine, schedule your kids (and yourself!) some “free time” for television, apps, or text messaging, but let homework time be free of those distractions.  

Choices within limits:

Do you find yourself nagging your kids to finish assignments? Try a different approach…provide lots of choices… that lets child maintain a feeling of responsibility and control over their own work and success… but also sets limits because you only give choices you are happy with.

For example:

Would you like to sit at the kitchen table or dining room table? Do you want to work on spelling or math first? Would you like to read in your bedroom or the basement?

Try something different and fun! Make it seem like less of a chore :)

Try doing homework at Starbucks, a bookstore, or the library. If it’s nice out, try making a picnic and reading together in the sunshine.

Remember the value of life lessons:

If your child is refusing to do a homework assignment, don’t get stuck in a battle, let it go. Facing the embarrassment of not turning in an assignment or perhaps facing the school consequence might be a more powerful learning tool than spending the energy it takes to argue with your child about completing the assignment!

-Julianne Neely, MSW, LCSW

  

Reference:

Love and Logic Institute, Inc.