First week back at school and we’re already arguing about homework. It’s an ongoing battle, but one that we never seem to be able to win, no matter how hard we try.
We have seen improvements, there was a time when Poss wouldn’t even consider sitting down and attempting her homework. However now that Poss is in the second half of year five, expectations on her are starting to increase, as they are with all the kids.
With senior school just a blink away, and while for years I rallied against homework in the younger levels, I’m scared that if we don’t get on top of it now, she’ll be the kid who falls behind in high school.
I’ve done some research and put together some tips that might help us get into some sort of happier homework space.
- Routine is king. Work out what works for your family and stick to it. Every single day.
- Eat the frog. It’s that old productivity saying – eat the frog, or put simply, do the hard thing first. Once you’ve ticked that off the rest will seem like a breeze.
- Snack happy. We’ve found that if Poss has a plate of easy to eat snacks, things like chopped up apple and sultanas, that she can munch on while she works, that it all seems to go much easier. I’m not sure if there is a science behind it, but she doesn’t tend to eat much during the day so this seems to help.
- If you’re not sure, ask. It’s something that we’re struggling to get Poss to feel comfortable with. She tends to avoid the pieces of homework she can’t nail at the first pass, meaning that things are left to the last minute or simply not completed. We’re working on it…
- Plan. Plan. Plan. Poss does after school care two nights a week, gymnastics two nights a week and that doesn’t leave a lot of time for homework. She often leaves things until the last minute; resulting in tears every time. We’re working with her to use her diary and plan out her tasks. It’s a simple thing – but one that will hopefully make a big difference.
And if all fails, we’re not above bribery. We did it this weekend – no homework, no movies. There were tears, but hey, the homework got done, so I’m calling it a win.
What tips do you have to making sure the homework gets done in your house?