6 Tips to Teach Children to Do Their Homework on Their Own
One of the steps that marks children’s independence occurs when they learn to do their homework on their own. Certainly, it is a big responsibility and at the same time an important moment for the little ones to learn to manage their time.
As a mother, you would surely like to have the magic formula to encourage your children to do their homework. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple! However, you should keep in mind that it is possible to teach children to do their homework alone if you apply certain methods. We’ll tell you more below.
6 Tips to Teach Children to Do Their Homework on Their Own
The following tips will allow children to complete their school activities individually:
1. Help Them When Necessary
The first piece of advice to teach children to do homework is to show them at all times the willingness to help them whenever they need it. This will give them confidence to take the first step and be able to move forward with certain exercises on their own.
You should always give help and support calmly and joyfully. Remember to make positive comments so that the child doesn’t associate the tasks in a negative way.
The beginning of autonomy depends to a large extent on children‘s age. You should always accompany them to offer a method that suits them. Instead of giving them the answers, it’s best to help them answer questions by themselves, using the knowledge they’ve learned.
2. Stay Positive
It’s a fact: children learn a lot from their parents. Parents, being positive and enthusiastic about the new knowledge acquired, should encourage children to persevere despite the difficulties. It’s also good to motivate children to do better and congratulate them for their effort.
In those complicated situations, we recommend that you don’t show your discouragement or frustration, as this can undermine the child’s motivation.
3. You Must Be the Main Motivator
In fact, children’s attitude towards school work tends to be more positive when their parents get involved. In addition, the more competent parents feel supporting their children in their learning, the more positive and appropriate their interventions are.
By instilling the pleasure of learning in the child, the parent helps them develop motivation and self-confidence. And everyone wins!
“The goal of education is to prepare young people to educate themselves for the future.”
–Robert M. Hutchins–
4. Don’t Pressure the Child
If you want to teach children to do their homework on their own, the first thing you should know is that younger children don’t know how to work under pressure or anxiety. Therefore, you should try not to pressure them.
For example, it isn’t appropriate to discourage children with phrases such as: “You have not finished yet” or “You must do them now, they are due tomorrow.” Keep in mind that it can be counterproductive to do so and these words can block children’s thoughts.
Likewise, you should teach them the importance of doing their homework well and thoroughly, rather than fast and poorly. As a mother, you must help them to calmly face the consequences of not doing things well or on time.
5. Designate Specific Areas for Homework and Studying
It is advisable to designate specific areas for studying, such as the child’s room, the kitchen or the dining table, with the goal of eliminating as many distractions as possible.
For this, it’s essential to have some desks that have enough space to hold the necessary materials, such as pencils, pens, paper, books and other essential elements.
You can encourage children to use a small book or notebook where they can write down homework assignments. This way, there is no confusion about when they should be turned in to the teacher.
6. Organization
If you want your child to be organized, you must dedicate enough time to help the child learn an organization system. As a mother, your job is to teach a good method. You must provide direction and correction when necessary.
Also, if you think your children need help with time management, you should show them skills, helping them learn what it means to prioritize according to the importance and the due date of each task.
In short, you can’t force your children to do anything, much less to do school work. Instead, the idea should be to set limits, respect their individual choices and help motivate them.
