I have to admit, as a Parent, I hate homework. Kids begin to ask irrelevant questions and start to come up with reasons to take a break – even though after returning home from school you did feed them with snacks and let them play for some time!
Understandably, their mind doesn’t stay still – at that age kids' minds will prefer to bounce all around. Just like poles in a magnet repel, Kids and homework do go well together.
At some point during those stressful homework days, parents would have doubted their minds if this is all symptoms of ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). I did some research on ADD and discovered that by using behavioral techniques can help kids focus on homework. The best part is allz kids can benefit from this and is not only for ADD Kids.
Here are some 7 tips that have worked well for me.
It doesn’t have to be a weekly activity. A 10 -15-minute session each day will be more productive than a one-hour, or more, session per week. This will enable the kids to concentrate more and you can avoid their minds wandering off.
A novel way is to create times sessions and make the kids complete it within that time. The overall objective is to make them feel confident and set them up for success. So, the timing needs to be something that they are comfortable with. You can observe their usual time to complete and add buffer time. This way even if they wander off for some time, they can still complete it within the time.
Kids need to be constantly encouraged and one way to make them like what they are doing is by giving positive feedback. This will help them stay focussed on homework.
Once in a while, it is OK to give up even though you may not be a quitter and have a persevering attitude towards life. This would be a one-off scenario but sometimes it is the best course of action when a particular homework session drags on and you see that the kid’s attention is not just there. For example, watch out for tasks that usually take 15 mins but don’t seem to get over even after 25 minutes. It is better to give up as no productive outcome can be realized during these days. In such occasions, you can hire a professional to do my homework for money and take your time to recover & refresh.
When planning for homework, make your kids understand that it is their responsibility to finish homework and you are only playing a supporting role. Teach them the importance of planning, setting a timeline, and adhering to it and how goals can effectively make them be focused. This will encourage the thought of being responsible for their outcomes.
While it is important to make kids understand that they are responsible for their results, parents need to observe the progress. Your kid might want to pursue a hobby and want to be better at it but at the same time will want to do well in studies. This is where kids will need our help, to help them plan on achieving both these goals. We as parents should always be available on the side-lines to put them back on track whenever they stray off course.
It is a fact that each individual, be it an adult or a kid, has their strengths and weaknesses. The attention span and ability to focus depends on these traits. There a part that the surroundings and peer pressure play as well. Parents should enable the kids to understand and grow at their own pace and try to take the pressure away from their kids. Try to strike a balance between mental and physical focus and keep in mind that sometimes it is OK to give up, or even call it quits when things don’t go per plan. It is important to note that things will change and all will be OK, just remember to hang in there!