Liza Rivas

Many parents come to my office for advice on how to help their children with homework, responsibilities and completing tasks.  Here are some simple tips that have helped me with children of different ages.

Children need routine, a schedule and a place to work.  Why do some parents have so much difficulty with their children and school work and others do not?  Definitely our children are different.  It is important to create expectations and to begin as early as preschool years.  When your child starts going to Kindergarten and starts receiving homework assignments, it is the moment to begin.  Consistency is the key to success in any desire outcome. 

On the other hand if you were not aware on how to motivate positive study habits and your child is 10 years old or more and is having difficulty completing his or her homework, then you need to start from zero.  I tend to suggest a schedule posted around the house with eating, resting, bathing and homework time.  Sometimes an alarm clock helps with the discipline on staying on task until time is up and other times modeling how to study. 

I have had experience tutoring children that simply do not know how or where to begin, so take the time to make an organization plan.  Have organized notebooks, folders, agenda and strategies to complete the work.  Begin working with the longer assignments and then finish with the shorter ones.  You may start by being very present during the study hours and as time passes, start creating independence by leaving the child to work on his or her own and simply revising and guiding until it comes to a point where they can work completely on their own.

Building a habit takes time and dedication, so be patient and positive throughout the process.

This is not a simple task, sometimes you need to find things that motivate the child.  One thing is for certain; my experience has been that our expectations as parents should be clear and realistic, recognize and praise improvement and help them work and build their self-esteem.  Every child feels satisfaction when they realize that they can do it.