As your child progresses through school, it is likely that they will bring home increasing amounts of work to be completed for their teacher. Understandably, many kids feel a bit frustrated at having to do more work, after just finishing a long day at school! However, it is important that homework is completed, as it is often set by teachers to consolidate learning done in class. If your child is really struggling to focus at home, here are three tips to help them.
Talk to Their Teacher
Ask for a meeting to discuss your child’s problems with their teacher. It may be that the teacher can ease the workload, either by spreading it out across the week or by handing it all out on one day so that your kid knows exactly how much they have that week. You may also want to discuss whether the level at which the homework is set is appropriate for your child, as the teacher can adapt some of it to make it easier for your child to complete it independently. Some teachers will even offer a lunchtime club, to support kids who are struggling to complete their homework at home, so enquire about this, too.
Set Up a Work Space
Don’t expect your kid to work effectively at the kitchen table, or in front of the TV. They need a clear, dedicated homework space where they can focus. Ideally, this would not be in their bedroom—you don’t want them to associate the room they sleep in with the stress of schoolwork. Plus, if the homework space is somewhere that can you check in on them, you can give them gentle reminders to stay focused and keep going.
Set Rewards
You may want to consider what kind of reward you give your child for completed homework (a candy bar for each finished piece may get out of hand if they have 10 pieces a week!). Perhaps your child could work towards a goal—three weeks of homework completed, without lots of fuss, will result in a day out at their favorite theme park. Talk with your kid about what they would like as a reward, and be clear about the boundaries—you will need to check each piece of homework, to see that it has been completed properly.