Contents
- Help your kids get organised
- Make homework more enjoyable
- Establish a homework zone
- Get involved and help where necessary
- Ensure they’re well fed and hydrated
As a parent, getting your kids to do their homework can be a real chore. As you’re probably aware, homework is an important part of your child’s schooling. However, it’s understandable that after a long school day, many children and teens aren’t looking forward to tackling their homework.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be such a chore to get done – there are several steps you can take to help your kids have a more positive outlook on homework. From healthy snacks to study plans, this is how you can support your kids and help them get through their homework quicker and easier!
1. Help your kids get organised
Kids and teens will usually have to balance homework from several different subjects, which requires planning and time management skills. In order to ensure that your child stays focused and is able to complete assignments on time, it’s a great idea to help them organise their time well. ⌛
Creating a study schedule works very well for a lot of students, and it’s important to take into account that some subjects may take up more time than others. For example, Maths is a typical subject kids may find challenging, so the study plan should allow for extra time if your child could benefit from spending a bit longer on those assignments.
As a parent, getting your child in the habit of organising their time with a study schedule early could be very beneficial to their learning process. Chances are, they’ll soon start to take on more and more responsibility for their own homework and improve their planning and time management skills.
2. Make homework more enjoyable
Few kids find homework fun, but there are several steps you can take to make the homework process easier and more enjoyable for them.
Firstly, having a positive outlook on it is key. For parents, having to hound your kids into doing their homework is no fun – and for kids, it will seem like even more of a chore if their parents are stressed and short with them. This can lead to nagging, fights and tension, which isn’t conducive to a good learning environment. Making an effort to create a positive and structured homework process at home is very beneficial for children’s learning and can boost their academic success.
Fitting in rewards and breaks are a great way to improve your child’s experience of doing their homework. For example, a fun way to keep younger children engaged is to create ‘snack coupons’ that they can use to redeem a healthy and delicious afternoon snack after completing a homework task for that day. Another option is to give them a gold star for every day they finish their homework on time – having something tangible to show for their efforts will motivate them to keep going! ⭐
For older kids and teens, rewards could be geared towards what they enjoy doing in their spare time – for example, if they finish their homework by a certain time, they can have fun playing video games or watching a movie in the evening. Alternatively, you could agree on a fun reward at the weekend if they’ve done a great job with their homework all week, such as a day out at the zoo or a night at the cinema.
3. Establish a homework zone
Setting up a dedicated study space for your kid can help them stay focused and keep distractions to a minimum as they’re completing their homework for the day. They should have a tidy, quiet space where they can focus on their work, and creating a routine for when homework is done is another good tip.
You could agree with your child that when they are in the homework zone during study hours (for example from 5-7 pm), the focus is only on homework. If needed, you can agree that there are no phones or gadgets allowed in the homework zone to avoid distractions. ✍️
Most kids and teens need structure in their lives, so having a set routine for doing their homework can be very helpful – and since the homework process is always the same, you’ll likely have much less nagging and tension in the evenings.
4. Get involved and help where necessary
As a parent, it’s important to strike a good balance between not supporting your kids enough with their homework and doing too much of their work for them. If you help them too much without them properly understanding what you’ve done, they won’t learn. On the other hand, all kids will sometimes need help understanding the subjects and concepts they’re learning, and it’s integral that you’re there to help them along. 🤝
As important as your involvement in their learning and development is, this is your child’s homework – so let them do it! Independent learning will allow them to learn from mistakes and gain an understanding of where they need a little extra help. Homework and revision are crucial elements of learning, so whatever you do, don’t do it all for them.
Also, homework time is a great opportunity for you to bond with your kid. Ask them about their day and learn more about what they’re enjoying at school. You’ll soon be able to gauge where they’re excelling and also where they may need some help. Through your involvement with their homework and interest in their school days, your child will learn to trust your input and know that they can come to you with anything.
5. Ensure they’re well fed and hydrated
No child will be able to focus well on an empty stomach. Your kid may be a bit tired and hungry when they get home from school, so it’s a great idea to give them a healthy snack and some water to set them up well for their homework session. This is also a great time to check in with your kid and help them “reset” from the day, shifting into homework mode. ✔️
We all know how important brain food is to children’s health, wellbeing and ability to concentrate, so it’s key to make sure they’re eating enough food and a varied diet. Another important point is to ensure they’re hydrated and drinking enough water – active kids can quickly forget to drink water, which can lead to difficulties focusing or getting a headache while studying.
It’s also important to make sure your kid takes breaks while studying. Breaks are important for concentration, especially on days when the schedule contains more than three tasks. A quick five minute break to regroup never hurt anybody! A great way to help your kid get into the habit of focusing on their work for a certain amount of time before taking a short break is to try the Pomodoro method.
Although parents may think they know it all because they’ve been through school themselves, much of today’s curriculum is different to what was taught in the past. It’s totally okay to admit that there are just some subjects you can’t help with – which is where tutors come in.
If you find that you’re both struggling a bit with tricky subjects, or if you’d just like to benefit from the help of an experienced tutor who knows how to tailor their sessions to the individual student they’re working with, GoStudent may be the answer for you. GoStudent tutors can help with all subjects and all learning styles, and you can try it out for free with a free trial session! 🚀
