GON Organizing for Kids

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Help your kids zone in on

homework. Here’s how…

by Maria Gracia Join our newsletter to be notified when the newest Organizing for Kids and Family is available. Part of the nightly homework battle can be attributed to lack of routine or space. Hopping about from place to place isn’t conducive to a good routine or study environment. Setting up a designated homework zone is a great way to get your child in the mindset for homework. • Find the spot. Where your child does homework will change as they age and when they have the ability to do it with less supervision. The key is to choose a spot that will become a routine spot for homework…a homework zone. For very young children, it may be at the kitchen counter or table where you are close by to assist. For teens, it might be a quiet corner in the den or a desk in their bedroom. • Create a supply caddy. Set the tone by having a supply caddy set out at homework time. It keeps everything your child needs nearby and helps them stay on-task. Fill it with a ruler, compass, glue stick, pens, markers, crayons, pencils, a sharpener, a stapler,  and anything else they seem to always need. Keep poster board on hand for last-minute projects, helping you avoid a last-minute trip to the store. • Limit distractions. When setting up the homework zone, consider typical distractions for your child. For some children, having their back to the window is a better idea than having them face the window and getting distracted by what’s happening outside. For other kids, working in a room not filled with their toys helps. Yet, for other kids,  having the TV, game devices, and cell phones turned off or out of sight is a huge help. • Set the tone. Kids live up to expectations. Make sure they know that THIS is the homework space…and that is that. Set a homework time so that you don’t have to waste time negotiating each day. Allow a short break between school and homework…no more than 30 minutes. If they have a lot of work, give them a chance to stretch between subjects…or have them work in two segments…an hour before dinner and an hour after, for example. • Help, but don’t do. It’s very easy to get frustrated, or to see your child’s frustration, and end up doing all or most of his/her homework yourself. Don’t fall into this trap. Doing your child’s homework is not helping. In fact, it’s preventing them from learning what they need for tests and exams that are likely to follow. • Hugs and smiles are essential!  Being in school a long day and then coming home to do homework can be easy for some kids and excruciating for others. Sometimes the frustration than transfers to tired parents. Be patient. Offer your child “healthy, non- sugary” snacks to keep their energy up. Offer positive reinforcement. It may help to offer small incentives like, “every 15 minutes you work on your homework, you earn a gold star.” Then, maybe your child can turn in their stars…like 20 stars equals a new book or a chore they don’t have to do on the weekend. Back to Organizing for Kids and Family Index