The homework battle has raged on in homes for as long as there have been students, schooling and homework. It's a battle that is almost universal. This issue alone brings parents and their reluctant children to my office on a regular basis. Let's discuss some common sense approaches to dealing with this issue.
You're probably doing a pretty good job of parenting your student if you've taken the time to read this article. Be assured, your success as a parent does not hinge on your child's grades or overall school performance. This is really at the heart of the matter. Many parents measure their own success by their child's success. The two success are not necessarily related.
Remember that straight A's in school doesn't necessarily translate to life, business, marital or financial success. The report card tends to be one of the only feedback tools available to parents and students. It's flawed. But it's what we have to work with. When reviewing the report with your child, make the "comments" section more important than the "grade" section. The comments tell the story. Some common and important examples are:
Preparedness for class.
Assignments completed.
Works well with others.
"A pleasure to have in class."
Attendance... missing to many days.
Disruptive behavior.
These types of areas would be better predictors of future success. The skills involved in life success don't necessarily equate to A's on a child's report card. But, working well with other, completes work assignments, shows up and gets along, these are the important areas. If I were hiring employees and the only information that I could access was elementary and High School report cards, I would only read the comment section. I would forgo the grade section. For all I might know, the kid was just a really good cheater. I wouldn't want that employee.
Here are some suggestions that may help:
Make homework "matter of fact." Consider your tonality and overall approach to it. Bond with your child in regard to the annoying aspect of homework.
Be available to help them, especially when they are younger.
Start early with the dining room or kitchen tables as the logical homework locations. Boys especially don't do well in the quite retreat of a desk in the bedroom. Their mind drifts. A little external noise and stimulation help the typical boy to focus better.
Presume that "learning is fun." Do some research or reading of your own in proximity to your child as the do homework.
Turn the TV off while your child is doing homework. You won't miss anything anyway.
Use rewards if necessary. Homework time can earn computer or game time.
Both parents need to be on the same page (pardon the pun). This, of course is the case for any and all areas of parenting.
For what it's worth, some leading educational experts feel that homework is outdated and should be eliminated. But these same experts sometimes also feel that the school day would have to be extended to accommodate this change.
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John, welcome to SearchWarp and thank you for this informative article. Congrats on being Jean's Pick of the Day, as well! I often thought homework should be lighter but didn't know some experts felt it should be done away altogether. I feel sorry for the kids with backpacks which appear to be overloaded with textbooks for homework. When I was in middle and high school, we had a study hall period. I took advantage of that time to get as much homework completed. I had none or less to do at home. I don't think they offer that nowadays. Not sure.
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