Monday, September 9, 2019

Starting homework off on the right foot

Homework has started up again for my son.

For the record: I think my son has an appropriate amount of homework for his grade level. And now, with the change in school hours so he gets home sooner, I think there is plenty of time for him to get it all done.

My son, on the other hand, sees things a little differently: Homework is something he has to do before he can enjoy his free time.

I've tried talking to him about homework from other perspectives: Showing his teachers he can master a topic; proving that he doesn't just understand a concept but can apply it; practice for all the times in life when he will need to think through a rough problem and work out the best possible answer.

None of those reasons matter to him. I guess that is fair; he is just a kid.

One thing that I am trying to monitor is how the homework gets done. While I understand that he doesn't have a lot of work on his plate, that will change over the next few years. My son will need to learn how to tackle larger projects in smaller chunks, set himself up for success when he has homework in multiple subjects and learn how to stop and think about the resources that are available when he gets stuck. So, it's a good time as a parent for me to remember all the ways I need to teach my son how to do homework.

The last thing I want is to leave my son to figure it all out on his own. Maybe I should have him read that article, too. (Even if that request would feel like Momwork to him.)

Do you help your child with homework? Talk about it in the comments.

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