1. Parent’s
Corner
Question: “How do I get my child to do HW. Plus, this allows you to be near for questions and
reassures them that they have help with difficult subjects.
homework when he or she comes home
after school?” Remember, they’ll need a snack and a play-break
after school, and an hour or two at night to play after
First, let’s look at this from the child’s perspective. completing their HW. Also, don’t let them do HW too late
They’ve already spent seven hours at school working at night when they’re tired.
hard. And to be honest, I wouldn’t want to do homework
right away after just getting home from work either.
So, give them a break first. Let them play, watch TV or
Quick Tips
eat a snack, and then do HW. Or if you eat early, eat
supper first, then have them do their HW. n If eating supper early, then do HW right
after dinner. If having a late supper, then
Second, don’t banish them to their room until they finish give them an hour play-break and a
their HW. Your child has just spent the entire day at snack, then do HW before dinner.
school—away from you. They want to see you! So, use
HW as a bonding time. n The environment where HW is done
is very important. Some children
Instead, do this to help them get started. Sometimes, need complete quiet; others do better
when starting HW, a child will spend 20-30 minutes doing with background noise.
nothing, because he doesn’t know where to start. Help
him at the beginning. Look over the subjects he has in n Help them get started. This is a great
HW and make a game plan with him. opportunity to spend time with your
child. Help them make a game plan
Also, where a child does HW is very important. Some to attack their HW or deal with difficult
children prefer a little background noise, while others find subjects.
any noise at all very distracting. Discover what works
best for your child. n Make HW a family event! Role model
by reading a book in the same room
Lastly, remember that HW can be a family building time. with them. Have their siblings do HW
Don’t forget that siblings have HW too. If you’re brave, in the same room. Now, you can easily
put them together (no pestering each other of course), help them if they have difficulties.
and you may find that doing HW together can be very
encouraging. Think of it as positive peer pressure.
~Created by Grace Community School
Also, read a book or the newspaper in the same room www.StartWithTheHeartSchool.com
with them. Now, you’re role modeling how to do or visit our Facebook page for more tips.
