How to Make Homework Less Scary

When the kids started school one of the things that I wasn’t looking forward to was their homework. Yep. Since, I’m one that picks them up from school, helping them with their homework and helping them prepare for a test falls in my hands. When I was young, I hated doing homework. My children are no exception. When it times to do homework, they give me every excuse known to man as to why they need a few minutes to regroup before they can start their work. A few minutes leads to an hour and then we end up staying up late to finish. Easy & applicable tips on how to Make Homework Less Scary for the kids and parents involve. No more after school tantrums. Here are a few things that we’ve adopted and incorporated successfully to make homework less scary.

How to Make Homework Less Scary

Establish a routine. Like clockwork, the girls knows that as soon as they walk into the house, they head straight into the kitchen and get started on their homework. This is what works for us. Why, are they doing homework right after school? Well, we usually have multiple after-school activities that we need to fit into our afternoon schedule, so tackling homework as soon as they get home eliminates the need to stay up late.

Create a homework station – We have a designated area where we all gather after school to get together and tackle their assignments. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. For us, it’s a section in the kitchen, that way I can make dinner while helping them with their work.

Incorporate Technology

Often times, their homework requires some research. Or when studying for a test, we often go online for sample questions or visit the online resources for their textbook so they can access practice questions before their test. This is why I am glad that we have Verizon Fios® as our internet service provider. With Verizon Fios, surfing the net isn’t a hassle, and it gives the kids the tools they need to surf the net safely. To make sure they aren’t visiting sites that we don’t approve, we’ve set up parental control on our router, that way they don’t accidental stumble across sites that isn’t appropriate.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Now that my oldest is in fifth grade, I hate to admit it but sometimes I am stumbled by some of the questions on her homework. Which is when I resort to the internet. Thankful some of her textbooks has online resources to supplement her classroom work. This helps me in diving into her work and learning along with her. And when all else fails, we leave it for my husband to tackle because he’s well versed in mathematics than I am.

Offer Incentive

Once they finish their homework, they get a small snack before we head out to basketball or cheerleading. By the time we get back from after school sport, it’s dinner, shower and bed time. On days, that they don’t have after school activities, their incentive is a few minutes of their tablet playing their favorite game or watching videos on YouTube.
These tips have been instrumental in helping us address the drama that comes with homework. Or maybe they’re just older now and realized that homework is an essential part of being in school and there is no way to avoid it. Either way, their outlook is different.

Disclaimer: This is sponsored post in partnership with Verizon FiOS.