If you think back to your own childhood days, there’s every chance you also weren’t enthusiastic about getting your homework done either, so it should be easy to empathise with your children when they drag their feet and find a million excuses to not do their homework. However, as you doubtless now appreciate with the wonder of hindsight and maturity of adulthood, homework is important and is a necessary part of schooling for all children. As such, it’s important that you find ways to motivate your children and help them develop independent study skills and habits that will serve them throughout life. Here are a few ways to do exactly that:

Get to know your children’s teachers

Make sure that you attend every parent’s evening without fail (or send another close family member or caregiver should you be unable to go yourself), and listen carefully to their feedback about your child’s progression, areas for improvement, and what they expect from them in the coming months. If there’s a particular subject that your child avoids doing homework for, this is your chance to get curious and find out a bit more about what may be going on for them.

Dedicate an area as a homework zone

This area should be well lit and have a proper place for them to sit and concentrate. Keeping a supply of stationery, glue, scissors, and so on nearby, will help make sure they have everything they need to sit down and work without delay. Involve your child in creating this study space.

Set up a regular study time

While your child shouldn’t dictate when they do their homework, it does make sense to be aware of certain times of the day in which they’re more likely to be productive and engaged. Choose the times between you, agree on them, and help your child stick to them.

Help them create a schedule to complete the work on time

Some nights your child may have more homework than others, and it’s not always easy for them to plan their time. You can make sure they get everything done, by helping them create a schedule for each evening that includes breaks, as giving children downtime is equally important.

It can also help to give them some choice in the matter, for e.g., “Do you want to do your maths homework first or your English homework?” This way they have some say over their schedule.

Give them an environment that’s conducive to learning

Asking other members of your household to keep noise and distractions to a minimum during homework time, can help your child concentrate.

Help them, but don’t do it all for them

Thinking for themselves and making mistakes is all part of their learning journey, so you can help your children if they get stuck on something, by monitoring, supporting, and asking questions, rather than doing it for them. This way they will be able to see the results of their own efforts and be guided by them.

Motivate your children

Getting involved with their assignments and showing an interest can help keep your children motivated to complete their homework without too many complaints!

If you are undertaking any courses or studies, you could also sit down with them at the same time and do your homework. There’s nothing like role-modeling to inspire and motivate children!

Encouragement and appreciation

Children – in fact, humans in general – typically respond positively to encouragement and appreciation. Show encouragement by acknowledging when they have stuck to their schedules and put their heads down to get on with their work. You can also show them appreciation, for e.g., “I really admire the way you persevered with that maths problem even though it was hard.”

The focus isn’t on getting everything right, it’s about creating a love of learning without forcing them to go through the motions.

While the majority of children will respond well to the above tips and guidance, if you’ve tried everything and your children still aren’t wanting to do their homework, you may need to seek some professional help to determine whether there is another issue at play, such as a learning disorder or mental health concern.

Alternatively, if you find yourself getting into regular arguments with your child or noticing unhelpful communication patterns which exacerbate problems with homework, a parenting coach can help you unpick these so you can reach a harmonious resolution.

At Full Circle Hypnotherapy, we help mums who are at their wits end because their children refuse to listen to them and are constantly having melt downs. Often mums are also filled with feelings of failure, guilt and shame. Our hypnotherapists in Manchester have two decades worth of experience in working with parents and guiding with parenting plan.

If you are looking for a parenting guide, visit https://www.fullcirclehypnotherapy.co.uk