Create a Homework Station

Homework: kids dread it, and if the parents are honest, they do as well. From a kid’s saying at bedtime “Oh yeah, I have homework due tomorrow” to the crying that comes with difficult assignments, it is no wonder homework can be considered a dirty word. To help ease the difficulty, parents can help children take responsibility for and train them to complete the homework on their own.

First, if you have the option in your schedule, talk with your child about when they would like to do their homework.

“I think the key from the parent side is discussing with your child whether they feel more productive right after school or after dinner. Then parents need to block off that time as best they can with activity schedules,” Lauren Hickey, Liberty mother of two, says.

Some children would prefer to get their homework done right away, while others need to relax a little, and waiting until later is better for them. Finding out what your child prefers is helpful in homework’s not becoming a strain. By setting aside the same time every day, homework becomes the routine.

Next, training children to put distractors aside will help. “From a young age, teach them no electronics—telephone, TV, texting, Kindle, etc.—until their homework is done. Limiting the distractions can go a long way to keeping them on track,” Shelly Frazier, Kearney mother of two, says.

A child also needs to know there will be consequences for not finishing their homework, which varies from family to family.

“Having consequences for not getting it done is huge. But parents need to be responsible and follow through with punishment and not back down, even if it is an inconvenience to us,” Frazier says.

For some, the pressure for good grades doesn’t bother the parents.  “We have never made ‘good grades’ a priority in our home. The grades he gets are his,” Kelly Pope, Kearney mother of two, says. “But on the flip side, we know his potential, so if things are slipping, there are consequences. It takes the stress out of bugging him every day.”

Establishing a routine, creating a place (see sidebar) and enforcing consequences will set the foundation for homework’s becoming an expectation instead of an argument.

Jennifer Higgins is a freelance writer, mother and teacher from Kearney.