by Naomi

Created on: May 24, 2008   Last Updated: June 13, 2008

Are you struggling to get your child to do homework for school?

As a qualified teacher and daycare assistant I have worked with numerous children who do not do their homework. Once you speak to the parents about children not doing homework, the most popular excuse is that they can not get their kids to do homework or they are not home during the day and do not have time to check whether their homework is done.

All I can say to that is, "find a way".

Homework is an essential part of a child's education. Not only does it help the child revise what he has learned in class, but it teaches him responsibility, self-discipline and problem solving skills.

Once he does his homework he is responsible for himself. He will learn what it feels like to finish something he has started. He will gain a feeling of accomplishment and definitely a better understanding of what he has learned.

That very important skill called self-discipline is instilled once your child gets into the habit of doing homework everyday. Rather let your child do homework consistently even if it is imperfect than doing it perfectly but only every other day.

Homework gives the child the ability to think back to what has been taught in class and helps him apply those teachings within a different environment. He has to now solve problems on his own, which stretches him into thinking for himself and developing logical thinking.

Now that we know why homework is important for the child, we can now focus on how to make it easy for him to do it.

First of all. Once your child comes home from school, he is tired and probably hungry. Let him have a break. Let him play outside. It is very important that he gets sunlight for vitamin D, which is a pure source of energy. If it is summer and hot, let your child have a swim to cool down and once again soak up the sun.

Secondly, make sure your child gets something to eat after school. This will keep his mind focused for longer when he actually does his homework.

Make homework a routine. Do it as quickly as possible after school and try make it the same time everyday. This will ensure that the information from the day is still fresh in his mind and will help him form this habit.

Let your child explain to you what he learned about during the day. Make sure that your child teach you, while doing his homework. Let him take the lead. Do not do the homework for your child, because he will learn nothing.

If your child does not want to do homework, do not fight about it, ask him why and work around his answer. Explain to him how homework will help him get ahead of others, in life, in achieving their goals. Then let him know that he is making the choice for himself. Make sure he knows that you are there to help him and that when he does his homework it makes you proud.

Make sure to check his homework everyday, and even if he doesn't have homework, give him some exercises to test and develop his skills.

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