Homework battles

Having trouble with getting your child to do homework? A solution I used with my children gives your child control and motivation. Have your child write out all his/her homework assignments on a 3 x 5 card with the estimated time needed to complete each subject. Have your child plan out his/her homework time, interspersing homework time with a video game, a game with you, a TV show, shooting hoops, etc. I recommend 30 minutes studying and 15 minutes to play with longer study times for older kids, shorter for younger. I found that my kids were motivated to complete their homework in the time they estimated so they could get to playing. Plus it's not just an endless expanse of time devoted to homework. They can see an end in sight. If your child underestimates the time it will take to complete an assignment, make sure the play time is honored. Having a change of scenery and tasks refreshes the brain. A suggestion: study your child. One of my daughters, an introvert, was depleted both physically and socially when she came home from school because she had used up all her words. She needed food and time to regroup before she was ready to talk about her day. My other daughter, also an introvert, wouldn't use up her words at school and was a chatterbox because she felt more comfortable using her worlds at home. Give your child a chance to refuel before tackling homework, if needed.

Getting Ready for School: Organizing Homework Papers

One of my foster children came up with a wonderful idea: a colorful plastic expandable file she got at Walmart. It's only about 2 inches thick and has several compartments. She has labeled each section for each of her classes.

In each class she places homework papers and other important papers in the appropriate file. When she does her homework or needs to turn in a field trip slip, it goes back in the proper file. This keeps all important papers and homework neatly filed and easily found, keeps her bookbag from having massive quantities of papers crunched everywhere, plus it reduces the number of items that get lost. She cleans her file out every week or so to get rid of items no longer needed.

An inexpensive and simple way to organize your organizationally-challenged child!