Homework hour can be a trying time in any household, but when you've just finished a busy day of your own, it's particularly challenging. We all want our children to succeed, but mustering up 100% of our energy to support that desire can sometimes be difficult. Here are some suggestions to offer assistance when you feel helpless with homework.Allow yourself to get mentally preparedSpending an extra 15 minutes bringing yourself down from the pressures of your office or the hectic day of chores will save you 30 minutes later. A quick course in biology will tell you that your synaptic vessels need a few minutes to revitalize in order to transmit neuron messages to your brain. So be human and give yourself a minute to rejuvenate.
Select a homework area free of clutter and distractionsWhy make it more difficult than it already is to keep your child's attention at the task at hand? Pick an area of the house that is away from televisions, video games and family traffic. Remember to stock the area with the necessary materials to get the job done: pencils, papers and a computer. It's the oldest trick in the book to delay homework with a scavenge hunt for the perfect #2 pencil.
Access online homework help if necessaryGone are the days of endless hours of flipping pages of World Book for help. Our parents would have rejoiced to have the Internet homework sites available today. We recommend you supervise the use of these tools to ensure extracurricular surfing doesn't take your student away from a necessary assignment. Here are a few of the best we found:
InfopleaseThis site is a virtual encyclopedia of facts, information, statistic and great for research.
GoMathThis site offers everything you need to know to ask those difficult geometry or algebra problems. It even offers SAT Math preparation.
Online Math TutorAnswers your math questions within 24 hours.
Get children in the habit before the homework hits
It may be too late for parents of school age children but if you have a preschooler this is a great tip. Every night stage a "homework hour" even before they actually have homework. Pick a time when the television goes off and you make up homework. For pre-K students this can be drawing a picture of today's activity, the seasons or practicing writing letters. Whatever it is, the real lesson will be setting aside time for concentrating and learning at home.
Maria Bailey is the founder of
BlueSuitMom.com and Smart Mom Solutions. She is a nationally known work/family balance expert.
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