Should Parents Help With Homework?
- Should Parents Help With Homework?
- 5 Popular questions to answer
- How involved should I be?
- What if I have no idea how to help?
- How to help kids avoid distractions?
- How to make children write down their assignments?
- How to help kids start doing homework early?
- How to oversee homework without going too far?
- What are efficient solutions?
- What to do if kids can’t do homework without assistance?
As a parent, one of the most difficult parts for me about seeing my children through their school is making a decision to let go and allow them to make mistakes, take responsibility, and control everything. What if they don’t understand what to do? Students may get stuck when working on a long book report, an important university project, or any other assignment that professors give them. It’s quite hard to decide when to step in and how to help my kids without overdoing and causing harm. How to do my math homework? Should parents help with homework? Is it worth to pay someone to do homework? It’s a common question, and I hope to give a clear answer in this detailed guide for all parents.
5 Popular questions to answer
Should parents help with homework? It’s only one of the basic questions because I asked many others to get the point, including:
- How involved should I be when I check my kids’ math papers and I realize that there are wrong answers? Do I need to correct them or not? do I need to explain how to learn Algebra?
- What to do if I have no idea how to help my children do their homework because their ways of learning are completely different?
- It takes a long time for them to complete academic tasks set by their teacher at home only because of many distractions and a lack of focus. The child asks ' why can't I focus on my homework?' How can I help my kid?
- Children often forget to write down their homework simply because they think that they can memorize them, and it’s a common problem. What tools and resources can I use?
- They struggle with long-term projects and tend to procrastinate. How can I help them do everything on time and start doing homework early to impress teachers and improve their academic results?
To find good answers to the above-mentioned questions, I searched for useful recommendations, tips, and suggestions that other parents usually provide online to show the right way.
How involved should I be?
When reviewing my children’s homework, I may see wrong answers and mistakes, and I need to decide whether I should correct them or allow them to compromise final results. When my kids start doing their homework, I always ensure that they understand all directions and watch them complete the first tasks to see that they have a good start and understand how to succeed.
What is the main parental task? I think all parents need to ensure that their children’s homework is complete without critiquing it for accuracy or correctness because teachers are responsible for that. I try not to worry about a few errors in homework. That’s because I want my kids to get their feedback from classmates and teachers to progress and keep learning something new.
What if I have no idea how to help?
Sometimes, my children have no idea how to finish homework faster and I have no idea how to help them because their ways of learning are different than mine. How do I direct them? There are three possible solutions:
- I show them how to do their homework my way (there can be an argument on how to do things right);
- I leave them to figure it out on their own (my children may end up with frustration because they lack enough support);
- I encourage them to look for similar problems and examples to help them do homework on their own (it’s the best way to help kids with their homework struggles).
How to help kids avoid distractions?
It may take my children a long time to do their homework because of constant distractions and a lack of focus. How do I help them complete homework fast? Studies and research show that many kids tend to procrastinate if their academic tasks seem quite difficult or large to complete. I use a timer because it’s a very effective solution. I also get rid of all possible distractions to help them focus on important tasks and avoid wasting their time.
How to make children write down their assignments?
My kids failed to write down their assigned tasks only because they thought that they could memorize them easily, but they were wrong. I had to find effective tools to solve this problem. There are many great options to choose from, including special assignment apps on mobile phones, paper and a pencil, etc. I allow my kids to choose their favorite tool. I used easy and efficient tips that helped them prioritize and organize their school activities and start recording their assignments.
How to help kids start doing homework early?
My children may struggle with completing long-term assignments and they end up procrastinating and wasting their time, but I found effective solutions to help them start early. I always add detailed plans into this process. This is how I teach them to set realistic goals and plan all activities to stop procrastinating and start doing them early. Planning helps my kids develop important executive functioning skills.
How to oversee homework without going too far?
The main role of all parents is to help their children with homework without going too far to help them master the necessary skills. What do I recommend to achieve this goal?
- A certain level of involvement is suitable for elementary-school students;
- Resist any impulse to assist a high-school student;
- Provide them with effective tools to succeed on their own;
- Give them a choice;
- Trust them and be clever to verify;
- Work on communication.
What are efficient solutions?
Elementary-school students still lack the executive functioning skills necessary to do their homework with no parental involvement, and that’s why they need help, especially when working through and planning long-term assignments. If they are in high or middle schools, I advise parents to resist their impulse to help to provide teenagers with the ability to navigate homework independently. Otherwise, they’ll never get a chance to develop important skills. What are they?
- Time management to start doing their homework, understand how to finish it, and keep their focus;
- Organizational skills assist children to feel more confident and in control of their assignments;
- Study skills allow them to better use and plan their time.
I give my kids effective tools to track their academic projects and due dates, including special apps and old-fashioned options. They have a good choice to develop these skills. I trust my children that they do their homework, but I’m clever enough to verify and make sure that they tell me the truth.