Regardless of what grade your children are entering this year, odds are they will have some homework they have to do at some point. Although some kids will view it as a necessary evil, remind your kids it’s not something teachers assign just to be mean. It’s a great way to ensure understanding of lessons learned during the school day and to assist children in retaining the knowledge they have gained. There are a few things to keep in mind though when it comes to helping our kids with their homework.
First, they need a place to do it. It’s a good idea to create a space for your children to do their homework that is free of distraction. They need all of their supplies in one place, good lighting and a decent surface to work on.
Second, they may need help understanding their tasks. Ask your children what their homework assignments are and whether or not they understand what is expected of them. If necessary you can read their worksheets and/or notes for them and explain to them exactly what they need to do.
Third, they may need you to check their work. Unfortunately, this may get a little harder as your children get older as some parents struggle to remember things they themselves were taught in school. If this occurs, use your resources available to you such as tutors, your child’s teachers and even the internet to relearn anything you need to know to help them.
Finally, they don’t need you to do it for them. It’s far too easy to want to give our children the answers to their homework, help more than we should with written essays and guide them to the right way to do projects. I would caution you to do your best to refrain from “too much” help. Remember that the homework was assigned to help your children learn and giving them the answers will only hurt them in the short and long term.