The other day while helping my daughter with her homework, I unexpectedly blurted out, “I hate doing homework.” My daughter’s eyes opened wide.
I couldn’t believe I said it so openly and honestly.
As a parent, I find myself struggling with the task of helping my kids with their homework. It feels like a never-ending cycle of assignments and projects.
But you know what? When I finally admitted my true feelings, it was liberating. I realized that I don’t have to pretend to enjoy doing homework.
Instead, I can focus on supporting my kids and letting them take responsibility for their own work. It’s about the process, the learning, and the growth. So, even though I may not love doing homework, I’m committed to doing whatever it takes to help my child succeed.
You need to have the right mindset in order to help your child succeed
How did I change my mindset?
Thinking about you.
What do I tell my clients?
- Complete tasks in short amounts of time. Most kids do well with working for 15-20 minutes then take a 5 minute break. Mine, as well.
- Change tasks if that one is causing negative emotions. Go back to that task when the child is in a better mood.
- Alternate between hard and easy subjects. Try to get your child as many WINS as possible while on easy tasks to bring their mood up before a hard task.
- Use very specific words when giving feedback — both positive and constructive. “The way you explained the main idea using detail and a ‘because’ clause is great.” “Reread the third sentence. It doesn’t make sense because there’s a word missing.”
- Praise their efforts throughout the rest of the evening, bringing up the positives you saw.
This isn’t fancy, but it’s a start. And sometimes just starting is the hardest part.
I’m sharing this with you because I want you to know being a parent is a lot of work. It’s hard working and thinking of ways to make being a parent easier. I want you to see that I, just like you, am pushing through the difficulties towards helping my child succeed.
Photo by Sai De Silva on Unsplash