Teacher Tips: “My Child Won’t Do Homework!”

After children reach a certain age, many of us expect them to be accustomed to the process of coming home and completing their homework assignments, yet we often end up disappointed-- many children just refuse to do homework. Upon trial and error, I’ve learned there are interventions parents can use at home to get their child engaged and motivated about completing homework:

1. Communicate the Importance of Homework This goes a bit further than the infamous quote “Do it because I said so.” Providing conversation that gives insight as to why homework is important often helps children understand the correlation between completing homework and achieving overall success in school. Letting them know that homework achievement reinforces concepts, exposes them to content, and helps them to be better prepared and more apt for success in the classroom, gives homework more defined meaning and value.

2. Create a Reward System Some may argue students need to own responsibility for getting their homework completed without a reward; however, providing a reward can help students get into the habit of doing homework, which can later lead to them developing an intrinsic interest in completing homework assignments.

3. Get Involved in Completing Homework Often children need to see that their parents are so concerned about their education that they are willing to assist them. Although independence is preferred, this approach can influence a child just by parents displaying how much they care.

4. Curtail Too Much Homework If a parent feels a child is receiving too much homework, they should never voice the opinion with the child. I suggest contacting the teacher and hopefully establishing a plan that works for the parent, student and teacher. Nevertheless, breaking the homework up into sessions provides relief. For example, a child can complete half of the homework before dinner and half afterwards or maybe the rest before school the next morning. Making homework accommodating and not so overwhelming for the child leads to more homework success.

5. Establish a Homework Agreement Some children cooperate better when they feel they have taken part in decision making. Collaborating with a child to establish a set time for homework achievement can produce great results!

6. Avoid Being Critical Remember getting the child to complete the homework is the overall desired goal. Scrutinizing and criticizing their efforts will only create tension and reluctance

7. Designate a Homework Area Sometimes children don’t understand why they just don’t want to do homework, not realizing that they can’t seem to find a comfortable spot at home. Providing a designated area with noise constraints can make completing homework a more pleasant task.

8. Avoid Negative Reinforcement It’s quite easy for us as parents to get upset and immediately want to remove a privilege, or fuss when our children aren’t doing what we asked; however, this tactic only works for a short period of time. This places a heavy burden on the child and therefore, puts a negative connotation on homework. Homework completed under these circumstances is often rushed and rarely correct.

9. Make homework a Priority Instead of resorting to threatening comments like “If you don’t do your homework, you can’t _____," adding homework into the daily routine/schedule gives completing homework a significant place in expectations around the house. For example, a daily schedule might read: After school at 4:30--snack, 5:00 homework, dinner, chores, TV, shower, bed, etc.

10. Pay Attention and Praise I know this might sound vague, however, most if not all children thrive off attention from their parents, and once they receive it, they want to please their parents. Signing that agenda, checking the , observing work from their folder or seeking opportunities to praise them: “What happened at school that was good today?...Well that’s great!”  At every chance, providing praise for even the small things can produce outstanding results in different areas in a child’s life.