In the world I grew up in, I don’t think my parents ever really “helped” me with my homework. At least not in the sense that parents help their children now. Sure, they bought me supplies and told me where the butcher paper and pencil sharpener was, but that was about it. Now parents are expected to get right in there and do it with and FOR their kids–signing papers, sprinkling glitter, etc. As a parent, what really are the ways you can be helpful and encouraging of your child’s take-home school work?
I think the best thing a parent can do is make sure that there is a quiet, ample environment for a child to do homework. This can be a table or desk, with just the right sized chair and lacking in distractions such as television, telephone, etc. By establishing an environment that is conducive to studying, we are letting our children know that we support and encourage them, but that we trust they will be able to do the work themselves. Parents can also set limits to help create time for homework–no extracurricular or leisure activities until homework is done, or a half-hour of snack and decompressing before doing homework before dinner, etc.
I’m all for parents offering to help, and for parents knowing what sort of work their child is responsible for–but help can come in the form of assisting them in creating a time table or a list of what needs to be done, offering to quiz them from their own notes for a spelling test or other upcoming test, answering questions that might have come up in their reading and studying.
I also think that parents can help their child with schoolwork by setting a good example. If children see parents reading, talking over the newspaper and public events, turning off the television to learn a new skill or going out to take a class–they will absorb the importance of learning and adopt an inquisitive attitude about acquiring knowledge too.
Also: It’s Time to Get Ready For Homework
Encouraging Kids to Think For Themselves