Motivating your child to do their homework can be a challenge at the best of times, but as they get older and more independent, it can cause an all-out war even getting them to do the bare minimum.
Therefore, we’ve created a few tips on how to create a winning homework routine to ensure that they are getting the most from any work set by their teachers and learning to manage their own time productively.
1. Set up a dedicated space
Doing homework on the kitchen or dining room table can be fraught with distractions from the rest of the family, so make sure that you set up a small desk area in a spot where they won’t be disturbed. It’s also a good idea to make this space a tech-free area during dedicated homework periods, so ban iPads, mobile phones and TVs during the time that your child will be studying.
2. Work together
Our children have pretty busy social lives and a wide range of extra-curricular interests, so sit down together to plan and agree the times when homework will be carried out each day taking into account any times when they’ll be attending after school clubs.
Many parents also allow for an evening off a week which is usually on a Friday so they can enjoy some time with the family, and this can act as a great way of motivating them during the week.
3. Be prepared to be flexible
Although you might have already agreed set times for homework to be done, you’ll soon discover that some pieces might take less or more time than the current routine allows, so it pays to be flexible.
If your child has a project that will take longer than the daily scheduled time, make life a little easier on them but allowing them to do away with any chores around the house just for that evening so that they can concentrate on the task at hand.
4. Realistic rewards
Rewarding children for doing their homework is something of a hot topic amongst parents, but if you are really struggling to get your child into a routine, a small reward can go a long way to settling them into a new schedule.
Whether it’s a trip to the cinema, a new piece of stationary or sleepover with friends, giving them an incentive to stick to their routine without making a fuss can really help.
