Fall is a great time of year. The kids are going back to school, mornings are crisp and the air is fresh, and the leaves are beginning to put on a show. However, with fall also comes an ongoing power struggle between parents and their children over homework.
Normally, parents are excellent at setting the routine for homework completion. Most make rules to ensure homework is the first priority upon arrival home- no TV, no Wii, and no computer, no outside play until the homework is finished. These are great rules, and they put the focus on taking care of business first. However, if Mom or Dad does not monitor the homework situation, these rules can quickly go the way of the dinosaur.
Be sure that you look over your child’s homework daily. If you are home when they get there, you can give them any needed help and be sure that it is completed. If you get home a little later, you still must follow through and check out their work to make sure they completed it, and that they understand the work.
Make the rules simple enough that even the youngest kids understand:
● Have a healthy snack when you get home.
● Get to work on your homework.
● No TV, outside, computer, or video games until your homework is checked.
● No activities scheduled right after school to interfere with homework time.
● Homework goes in your backpack so that it gets to school in the morning.
Evenings during the school year can be chaotic without a set routine, but children actually thrive when they are given clear and consistent direction. Set a routine and enforce it strictly, and evenings and mornings will be much more relaxed at your house.
Denise Gabbard for Discount Vouchers, where you can find discounts on learning games from the Disney Store
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