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Your preschooler just got his/her first homework, and you do not know where to start. At first, the baby does not really know what is required of him/her, and it may be a bit frustrating for you as a parent.
As a result, parents overstep when it comes to the issue sometimes due to lack of patience, and at times they just want to see their kid’s success.
However, as much as you may be doing it with love, too much involvement in your kid’s homework may actually be ruining him/her.
Understand that homework is there to enhance the tots understanding of what they learned in school.
Besides the academic benefits, letting a child do homework by himself gives him the ability of problem-solving, time management and self-sufficiency
We are not saying that you step back 100%,
We are saying you offer the support and guidance as you let your child handle his responsibilities. Here are some tips of ensuring you do not end doing your toddler’s assignment;
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Have a Homework Routine
Setting a homework routine reduces the homework stress to the kid. Some toddlers are active right after school, while others need a few hours to unwind before getting back to school work.
Observe your kid and decide what the best time for him is. The next thing is to decide where they should do their assignments.
Some kids require privacy and space from loved ones to complete homework, others love doing it at the dining, and others thrive when they are doing it on the kitchen table as they watch mom or dad cook.
Whenever the location is, make sure the stationery items are within reach.
If your child stays with a caregiver after school, decide on the part of the homework that should be done before going home.
Ensure that the homework location is free from the internet, television, and video games during the sessions.
If they require to use the internet, have boundaries on the sites they should visit and the amount of time they should spend on the computer.
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Allow them a break after school
Most children will need some time to unwind and settle down after school. Don’t force homework on your child as soon as they reach home.
Let your child have a break before tackling homework. This break will help your child to concentrate when the time for homework comes around.
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Use Your Child’s Age to Determine the Level of Participation
When your baby has just enrolled in preschool; a parent or caregiver might want to sit down and go through the homework with him/her.
However, even during this time, just ask questions and let the kid be an active participant in completing the assignment.
Letting him take the lead teaches them that you are just chipping in to help. As the days go by, reduce the involvement and allow your baby to be independent.
This will help him complete his assignments comfortably when they get to junior high or high school; where you should only discuss the large picture of their homework.
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Don’t Hover Around During Homework Time
Don’t keep walking around when your kid is doing his homework. Give him his space; cook or send emails. Just stay within reach when he needs you.
In fact, you are advised to keep him waiting if he calls you. For example, when he says, “Mum, I need help” respond with “I will be there after I finish cooking.”
This gives him time to re-read his assignments, which may give him a deeper understanding; enough to complete the work with you.
It encourages the kid to solve his problems before he asks for your help as it boosts critical thinking. The child learns how to manauver the homework assignment alone.
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Review Good Study Habits with Your Kid
Completing homework and good study habits are two words that cannot be interchanged. It is not too early to teach your kids how to review their homework and prepare for exams. Kids succeed later in their elementary school.
Here are suggestions for reinforcing good study habits;
- Explain to your child how their class work relates to the real world. Good study habits increase your kid’s chances of professional success.
- Be a good role model. This does not mean you have to buy a maths book and start studying it. Just let your child see you do the monthly family finances, manage the family calendar, or even read a novel.
- Be present for your kid. Make her practice questions and listen to her when she wants to talk about what she is studying.
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Minimize Distractions
Children are easily distracted. To encourage your child to focus, make sure that homework is done in a place that has minimal distractions. There should be no TV, loud music, hand phones, toys or phone calls during homework time. Explain to your child that he or she can go back to their toys or whatever else that they want to do when they finish their task at hand.
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Focus on Healthy Habits
It is important to see that your toddler is having enough sleep. Not observing this, may reduce his concentration levels leading to poor performance. Child care is part of parents’ responsibility for ensuring good grades.
Set a sleeping routine and follow it. If the workload is too much, and it is interfering with the sleeping schedule, it may be time to talk to the teacher to decide whether or not the volume is reasonable. This is part of helping your child.
- Help your child make a plan
If for some reason your child ends up with a lot of homework, help your child to break up the work into smaller, manageable chunks. Facing a ton of homework can cause your child to feel overwhelmed. A plan on how to tackle it will help them to focus and not worry.
You can also create a homework schedule for the night and have your child take 15 minute breaks in between each ‘chunk’. Understand that if your child is still young, he or she may only be able to focus for 30 to 40 minutes at one time.
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Figure out the best studying method for your kid
Children learn at different paces. If your kid does not understand a certain topic, try using diagrams, and see if visualization works for her.
If the problem persists, it may be a concept that your kid may have missed earlier. Try to review the past topics to figure out.
In such cases, using force is futile. You could use the help of a tutor or coach her yourself if you got enough time.
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Provide motivation
One of the best ways to motivate your child to show encouragement and appreciation when your child completes his or her homework.
Praise your child for her hard work. Give her a high five when she does her homework without fuss. Post the well done art project on the fridge. Your child will see that you notice her hard work when you acknowledge her achievements, no matter how small it may seem.
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Offer rewards
Another way to motivate your child is to make homework a rewarding task. Set up some treats and privileges such as staying up an extra 10 minutes, an extra 10 minutes of screen time or even a trip to the store. Rewards can help if your child needs extra encouragement to complete their homework.
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Communicate with the teacher
You and the teacher are a team in your child’s academic success. Like any other relationship – communication is an important factor.
If your child is struggling with homework, reach out. The teacher does not want you doing homework for your kid; every time you do it, they know.
Talking to the teacher will help him identify the weakness and help your kid or recommend the right resources.
Besides, the teacher will be with your child the entire year, so it is only wise to have a productive relationship with him/her.
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Be calm when you kid has homework meltdowns
It is normal for kids to breakdown when they feel their homework is overwhelming. Ensure that you stay calm during these times and listen to them.
Understand that your kid will not feel better if he feels like he’s not being listened to, so you may begin with “I see you are sad, what is upsetting you?” acknowledging what he feels makes him understand that he is being heard.
Try to calm down if you are the one feeling overwhelmed. Between laundry, work, and homework, you may need a break to be a good helper.
Remember that what may seem easy and obvious to you is new to your kindergarten kid.
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Talk about the benefits of homework
If homework time is difficult, have a chat with your child about the benefits of homework. Calmly discuss the importance of homework rather than yell at your child. Going head to head with your child on incomplete homework will only increase frustrations, leaving your child unable to concentrate on his or her work.
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Get help if needed
If your child is having a hard time with homework, try and find out the underlying cause. It may be because he or she does not understand the lessons and thus, is unable to complete the given work. Should this be the case, you or a tutor can help by going through the lessons with your child to make sure he or she understands them.
Other issues that your child may be facing include having trouble seeing the board or having a learning difficulty or attention deficit disorder. Whichever the case, your child will improve then the correct help is given.
