5 Totally Clever Ways to Help Your Child With Homework

School is upon us and as parents, we have a ton of things on our plate. From changing up our morning routines, to shopping and getting to know teachers, we have our work cut out for us. To really make it through this whole back to school thing, we have to find ways to save us time and to maximize our kid’s success. One direct way to do that is to set up a homework schedule for your kids. Working on a schedule will create good habits for your kiddos, make good use of their time and improve their grades. It also will help you out by keeping you more organized.  Here are 5 Tips to Help Your Child With Homework.

Here are some key tips to implement when you set up a homework schedule for your kids:

Create a great homework area

If your child doesn’t have a comfortable place to sit and do homework, you are fighting a losing battle. Kids are going to be respond well when they have everything they need in one place, readily available. The best way to help your child with homework is to set up a good desk or writing surface, a comfortable seat and all of their supplies in a spot that will be quiet and conducive to learning. Make sure it is not too comfortable, however. You will have a sleeping kid on your hands instead of completed homework.

You can get a nice writing desk for under $50. I actually bought a great one for my bedroom to do my graduate work on. It is very sturdy, and is available here

Write down an event calendar

One problem you will quickly discover is that homework can’t be done on the exact same time schedule every day. There will be football practice, band practice, environmental club, chorus, job meetings, shopping and countless other things that get in the way. The key is to keep a solid calendar with all events marked down. The night before, everyone should go over what is coming the next day and what block of time will be dedicated to homework. The best way to help your child with homework in this area is to have a block of time for each day. Make it at the same time when possible, but move the block when necessary to fit things in.

You can purchase a planner to make it easier on your schedule. I really like the Erin Condren 18 month life planner.

Don’t be afraid to give them those breaks

Homework has become nearly overwhelming in schools these days. It can quickly overtake the entire day if you aren’t careful. One way to combat this is to give the kids an occasional day off. Perhaps you can knock out two days in one, or simply take advantage of the days when your kid’s teachers don’t assign any. Many parents make kids do homework regardless of whether any was assigned. This can lead to burnout and make things especially hard on your kid. So if you want to help your child with homework but also want him to be successful, make sure you are not overwhelming him with unnecessary work.

Keep the weekend homework free

This has always been a great way to prevent burnout and it can be a wonderful compromise if you are one to demand it during the week. Keeping the weekend for rest and relaxation will ensure that your child is fresh, ready to learn and still have fun. Weekends were meant to be a time for fun and relaxation where school-aged kids are concerned. Work may have taken over our adult schedules but that doesn’t mean that kids have to do the same. Let them rest!

Encourage and teach your kid to use their time wisely

Growing up, we always did our homework at lunch, on the school bus, in the car and anywhere else to be sure it got done early. If your kid shows the initiative to get done early, allow them to enjoy that benefit. One caveat, however. Check the homework and make certain it is done correctly and neatly. This will help them to create good habits and avoid procrastination in the future. Again this is when a life planner comes in handy, plus it’s better to start teaching them to be more organized now because life is all about organizing and fitting into schedules.