Parents and children should devote time to establishing clear boundaries and expectations for homework. If you set the stage well for doing homework, you will find that you and your child quickly get into a daily routine. That does not mean that frustration will never occur but it may help. The following suggestions may make it easier for you to help your child get comfortable with doing homework as a regular part of their day:

Establish a regular time to do homework. Solicit your child’s help in setting the time: some children like to do work right after school; some like to unwind from the day before tackling the books. The important thing is to be consistent, and to make sure that your child does not wait too long and become too tired before completing homework.

Find a well-lighted, low-traffic place for homework with necessary supplies ready (i.e. dictionary, pencils, paper). Some children will do work better with music playing, although generally not with the TV on!

Let the teacher know if you think your child is struggling with their homework or if they seem to be zipping through it accurately with little effort or thought. You may want to ask if the teacher sees the same behavior at school before you make a request for less work or more difficult work, but do not be afraid to offer your observations.

Resist the urge to reward your child after finishing homework. It’s easy to get into an ever-escalating reward system for accomplishing this daily task. It is far better to compliment your child when they are particularly industrious, and let the accomplishment of doing the job well be the best reward.

Coaching Your Child:
Some tips for helping to develop good strategies for working with your child in completing homework:

Read over directions with your child, and ask them to explain the directions to you in their own words. It can be very frustrating to work on an assignment for a long time, only to realize you were doing it wrong. Help your child to get started on the right track.

Put your child in charge of the pencil. Resist the urge to write down an answer or make notes yourself.

If the assignment is manageable, allow your child some time alone to work on math problems or a piece of writing. If you check on them every now and then, you will be able to judge whether to step in and prevent frustration. If you hover too closely while they attempt some tasks on their own, they may become nervous or dependent.

Ask your child to explain their reasoning for the answers they write down. Since homework is meant to reinforce concepts and give practice with new skills, it is not enough simply to memorize a procedure. Children need to understand it. Explaining concepts to you is a good way to help children determine their level of understanding.

Break challenging tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. Model what your child needs to do if they are confused, and provide significant praise as they take on more and more of the responsibility for their studies.

As you use these techniques consistently, you will find that your child quickly begins to anticipate when it is appropriate to ask for help-and when you will expect more independent effort. This will make homework time an easier time for all.