2020 Ultimate Homework Guide: How To Help Your Children

HOMEWORK 😩

Sitting and monitoring your child at the kitchen table and motivating them to finish their math is few parent's idea of fun.... Instead of fighting an uphill battle you both resent, help your child get through the homework process faster by giving her the tools they require to get the work done calmly and proficiently. With a few simple changes to the schoolwork routine, you can shave time off this part of your nightly routine, and spend it doing something fun with them instead! Check out our ultimate homework guide on how to help your children. We've got the best tips and tricks listed for you below:

Create a calm environment

Instead of having your child do his schoolwork in a busy space filled with distractions, select a quiet area where there is nothing to draw his attention away from his work.

Set a consistent time

Make schoolwork a routine by setting a standard time. Try to select a time that is not immediately after school, as your child may be exhausted from the day's academic effort, but not so far into the evening that your child has (fairly) switched off and disengaged from the learning part of their brain and it's hard to motivate them back into it. In the break in-between these two times, give them a healthy meal or snack to keep their blood sugars up and creative juices flowing!

Establish a system  

Sit down with your student and develop a homework routine. Get her involved. Does she want to work on one subject per afternoon or 10-15 minutes of each subject per day?  Her involvement will give her buy-in and she's more likely to commit and create healthy habits.

Practice prioritization

If your child can't prioritize, he may not be able to tackle homework as effectively or efficiently, leading to frustration. Teach him how to prioritize by having him list assignments coming up and helping him number them from most to least important. For example, if he has a project that is due in a week, this assignment would be significantly less important. than the math work due tomorrow and should, as a result, be further down the list.

As they enter their senior years, teach them the difference between homework and study

Homework involves finishing off any classwork they may not have finished during the school day, and any assignment work due. Study is going over their class notes and solidifying any new information or concepts they may have learned that day. 15-20 minutes per subject they had during that day is a good amount of time for study to begin with, and build from there.

Reward focus

If your child puts effort into focusing on her work, show her that you recognize and appreciate this with small incentives. Giving your child a 'thumbs up' on the Thumsters Parenting App when you catch them focussing on the task at hand, encourages them to maintain focus more consistently, and helps build a great habit around study at home. It also gives them something to look forward to when her homework is complete and turns what can be a negative, nagging parenting task, into a positive rewarding one for you both!

Start a homework habit

By starting a homework habit with your children in the formative school years, even if this is just committing to reading their readers and practicing writing their name each night, it will not be such a big shock for them to form this habit as they move into middle school. Try and avoid making the task go quicker by 'doing it for them', as this deters them from having independence and personal responsibility for their study, and this could come back to bite you when they're older and expecting you to do their 6th-grade maths! Studies show children are more successful at school when parents are involved, this can be by helping them stay organized, prioritized, and positive about their homework commitments. Providing healthy mind boosting snacks and a creative, calm study environment are very beneficial as well. Monkey see monkey do, and if we as parents roll our eyes every time the kids say, "Hey Mum/Dad I have homework to do", our kids are likely to feel the same. Try a statement like, "Great! Let's go get that done and then kick the soccer ball after", it teaches them that some things just need getting on with, and then we can get on to the fun stuff in life.

What are some strategies you use with your kids when it comes to homework? Let us know in the comments below!