Homework problems & struggles: Homework success tips
homework struggles
Do you have a child who struggles with homework? Does your child have a difficult time sitting down to do their homework or organizing or remembering their assignments?
You may find yourself spending lots of time trying to get them to finally attend to their homework without a daily battle, meltdown, or interruption. What's a parent to do?
Sometimes homework struggles signify there is something more going on with your child. They may have processing or learning issues and they may become anxious or frustrated. They may have impulsivity or attention issues that make it difficult to concentrate. They may have executive functioning impairments, that may it difficult to organize, remember, or sequence information.
Every child is different, and they respond differently to the struggle they are encountering. Some children may shutdown or avoid, they may make up a bunch of excuses to delay doing homework, they may lie because they are fearful of how you may respond. They may dillydally or easily get distracted, or ask you to get them things so they can avoid doing the work. Or they may just plain forget, no matter how may times they have been told what they need to do and by when.Here are the Creativity Queen's recommendations to help reduce homework hassles and headaches:
1. Know your child. If you notice that your child is acting differently, struggling with academics, processing and retaining information, or organizational issues ask a professional for support. The issue may be that your child is not being disrespectful or lazy, but there is something wrong and there are underlying issues that need to be addressed. Intervention and support can help your child create academic success.
2. Set your child up for success by helping them be organized. This starts with creating systems to help your child. Start with your child's backpack. Get colored folders to match each subject and have a place for completed homework and homework that needs to be done. Make sure your child has a calendar with all the assignments written down, and look at the calender nightly to help them breakdown larger projects into smaller action steps and add the action steps to the calendar.
3. Define where and when homework is done. Create a specific time and place each day when and where your child does their homework. Your child will know what to expect and it will reduce some of the power struggles over homework. The more responsible your child is, the less direct supervision is necessary and the more flexible you can be with time and location. Let your child know what they can do after their homework is completed, such as spend time on the computer or watch television.
4. Have a clear outline of how homework time is spent and what is expected. Some children will fly through homework so they can play video games. Or some children will be on the computer surfing the net when they say they are doing their homework. Be clear on what needs to be accomplished during that time. Some children with processing or organizational issues may need you to break it down for them, such as what subject they work on first, how many pages they need to read, and what homework they need to complete. You can write it down together and have check boxes your child checks off when each task is completed. Let your child know you will review work together before they are "done".
4. Stay in connection with the school. If your child struggles to remember assignments or projects due and your child's school has an online calendar of assignments print that out and use it to see if your child's assignments match. Older children can print this for you. If your child has academic issues contact the school monthly to check on how your child is doing in school. Ask the teacher for ideas on how to best support your child.
5. Explore your options. Does your child need more support with academics at school? Consult with a professional. Your child may need to be evaluated to determine if they need an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with specific recommendations and supports that the school provides.
6. Get creative. Your child needs to find some positive ways to express their feelings around homework and their academic struggles. Art therapy is a helpful modality to help children express their feelings so they spend less time struggling and resisting homework. They can use their creativity to develop goals or create images, such as cartoons or artwork of what annoys and frustrated them, and then create solutions.
Here's gentle reminder: please do not punish, demean, yell at, threaten children who have organizational, impulsivity, processing or learning issues. So many of these children feel like there is "something wrong" or they are "bad". They are fearful of being picked on or being seen as "stupid" and may use negative behaviors, manipulate, lie or avoid, so they are not seen as "dumb". Children fear being labeled with these words and often would rather get in trouble with negative behaviors, than to be called names by their peers.
Children can learn new strategies to change their behaviors and they can find positive ways to succeed at school when properly identified and supported.
Do you live the Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton area and want to know more about child art therapy? Schedule a complimentary phone consultation to learn more.