Children find doing their homework dreadful, if they can find a way to avoid it as much as they can, they will do it. But their homework is a part of their schooling and it can affect their performance, which is why as parents, you must encourage your child to do their homework before they do anything else.
There are instances wherein parents help their child but they end up doing the work instead, this could give your child the wrong impression that they can just hand it over to you and they can go about their day. Helping your child do his or her homework without doing it for them could be tricky, but not impossible. Here are some tips that you can follow in order to create a healthy boundary:
Create a homework routine
By creating a homework routine, you can save your child and yourself some stress, and maybe some tears. Yelling at your children and dragging them to do their assignments is a massive no-no. This will only put fear into your child's mind, making them hate doing their assignments even more.
After school, you need to give your child at least an hour of downtime where he or she can relax and eat snacks. After this, you can choose a location in your home where there is minimal noise and let your child read his assignment and answer them peacefully.
Your involvement should depend on your child's age
It is natural for you to be involved in your child's assignments and figure out how to answer them especially if they are in preschool and grade school. But once your child hits junior high or high school, there should be a limit on how you monitor them. You can still be available for your child when he or she wants to discuss the content of the assignment or the project, but do not do the writing for them especially when it comes to essays.
Do not hover over them
When your child is doing his or her homework, give them some space. Let them think and work on their own but be there for them when they need assistance or when they need to understand a certain question or topic. You can do your own thing while your child does his or her homework, in this way, your child knows that you are there when they need help and they can concentrate better on doing their assignment.
Give them enough time for sleep
No matter how many their assignments are, never let your child stay way past bedtime. Each homework or project has a specific deadline and encourages your child to work on the ones that are due the next day. Children should still be able to rest and get at least 8 hours of sleep every night because it can help them stay alert while they are in class.
Take note of their struggles
If your child is having a hard time with math, you can let work with them on how to do the formulas or draw them a graph or a diagram. If they are having a hard time memorizing terms and phrases, you can use a cue card and question them until they get familiar with it. Do not put more pressure on your child by trying to tough it out, give them time to adjust and absorb the information and try different angles until they can work on the subjects on their own.
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