"My Child Won't Do Homework!" - Expert Roundup
Does your child give you trouble at homework time?
Homework avoidance, tantrums, procrastination, headaches, stomach aches, and various other tactics are all too familiar to parents. These may indicate a deeper problem.
We've polled top experts for their solutions. Click the stars to rate your favorites.
Have your own tip you'd like to share? Post it here.
If your child is rebelling at homework time take this online analysis and find out why.
Tips From The Experts - Rate Your Favorites!
Displaying 1 - 50 of 70
Contributor: Nick Prutting
Contributor title: Academic Tutor
Company: TakeLessons
Contributor: Patty Ostberg Speiker, M.A.
Contributor title: Family Psychotherapist
Company: Foundations Counseling Services
Contributor: Gil Gibori
Contributor title: Entrepreneur
Company: The House A Tutoring Lounge
Contributor: Michelle Noble, LMT, BF, CFMW
Contributor title: Licensed Massage Therapist
Company: The Calmer Mom
Contributor: Emily Denbow Morrison, M.Ed.
Contributor: Jennifer Holt
Contributor title: Teacher
Company: Happy Teacher Mama
Homework can be a stressful time for everyone in the family! But, there are two things that you can start doing TODAY that will help your child tremendously when it comes time to do homework.
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Contributor: Brian Galvin
Contributor title: Chief Academic Officer
Company: Varsity Tutors
Contributor: Fahim Lashkaria
Contributor title: Behaviour Analyst
Company: Don't Worry Be Happy Co.
Children avoiding their homework are a major issue for parents like you and me. We see our kids not doing their homework on time.
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Contributor: Patrick M. DeVuono MA Ed.
Contributor title: Author & Educator
Company: Teacher from Planet Reality
Contributor: Lisa Bahar, LMFT, LPCC
Company: Lisa Bahar Marriage and Family Therapy, Inc
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed professional clinical counselor on self-motivation and willingness.
The first part is to identify the willfulness to resist doing the homework. This is important since you cannot change something you are unable to observe.
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Contributor: Jim Flannery
Company: Flantascience
I would suggest being supportive of and encouraging of your child's wishes to not do homework rather than re-enforcing the coercive maneuvering of their school system to force them to do things they don't want. With regards to homework specifically, researcher Alfie Kohn has shown that there's never been a single study performed proving the effectiveness of homework in improving learning. We've simply assumed it's good for the child and we are forcing them.
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Contributor: Rachelle Zemlok, PsyD
Contributor title: Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Company: First Responder Family Psychology
Contributor: Dr. Colleen Carroll
Company: Innovative Reading
Much of the time homework tantrums stem from kids wanting to be on screens rather than doing homework. Plus screen time causes lack of focus and shortened attention span needed to accomplish homework tasks.
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Contributor: Shane Warren
Some of the secrets I encourage with this issue are:
1. Make it a habit, so yes this is about building a routine, but if you create a family habit around when homework is done you will take some of the angst and emotion out of the situation because well it will just happen (to some extent).
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Contributor: Maria Cardenas
Company: Fusion Academy Miami
Homework can be very stressful for both parents and students. The stress of having additional school work after the school day has come to an end can hinder a child’s abilities, disabling them from fully enjoying their academic life. At Fusion Academy, it is vital for us to create a relaxing, stress-free atmosphere where students can complete assignments with teacher assistance. We believe that homework should say in school, improving the quality of family time and as a result, nurture a love for education in each student.
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Contributor: Erica M. Wollerman, PsyD
Contributor title: Psychologist
Company: Erica Wollerman, PsyD
My name is Dr. Erica Wollerman and I am a licensed psychologist in San Diego, CA. I work quite often with children and teens who struggle with homework completion. Often I give the following strategies and tips to their parents:
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Contributor: Alina Adams
Company: NYC School Secrets
When my son was in 3rd grade, homework was a nightmare. Assignments that were supposed to take 20 minutes took up to three hours, as he complained that it was too hard, he didn't understand it, he couldn't do it, it made no sense, and on and on... He raged, he threw books, he crumpled up his blank papers and cried.
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Contributor: Crystal Henry
As a parent, I think one of the biggest challenges with school, in general, is to keep our focus on the long game. Why is it important that they do their homework in the grand scheme of their lives? We know in the short term they need to do it because they need to keep their grades up. But the biggest thing that helped me keep my patience when faced with homework resistance was to realize that their homework isn’t about me.
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Contributor: Tania DaSilva
Contributor title: Child, Youth and Family Therapist
Company: Behaviour Matters
Contributor: Kanesha Baynard
Contributor title: Author, Creativity Expert and Productivity Specialist
Company: Bold Living Today - Library of Printables
Contributor: Tracy Murdock
Contributor title: Parent, Educator, Children’s Author
Company: Your Twin Mom
Contributor: Nandi Nelson, LCSW, BCBA
Contributor title: Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Company: Nandi Nelson
Contributor: Kathy Fray
My personal philosophy is that 4-6-year-olds should never have homework - hell no, I abhor it! I just wanted my kids to be KIDS, with plenty of time to muck around and completely waste time ... going to the creek, skateboarding, riding their bike, dancing, sport, music - any physical activity is better than Homework at that age, I believe.
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Contributor: Carol Muleta
Contributor title: Certified Parent Educator
Company: Carol Muleta
Contributor: Catina Ross
Contributor title: Registered Nurse
Company: Creative Corner Child Care Center
Contributor: LaTishia L. Jordan
Company: Stepping Stones Tutoring Center
One of the main reasons why kids throw tantrums at home when it is time to do homework is because they have a hard time focusing while at home. When kids are in school they have a very structured schedule that they must follow however at home they are not only in a comfortable more relaxed environment, one that they do not view as a place to do homework. So how do you prevent the resistance to homework or deal with it when it happens? First, the home must be made into a place conducive to learning and studying.
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Contributor: Nancy K Gretzinger, EdD
Company: Healthy ON
Contributor: Zoie Hoffman
Company: Zoie Hoffman Tutoring
When a child or adult has homework resistance I would suggest the following things:
1. Avoiding homework can be a sign that there is a bigger issue. If you see your child struggling and/or avoiding homework you may want to consider getting them tested for a learning disability.
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Contributor: Dr. Megan Lott
Contributor title: Functional Optometrist
Company: Belle Vue Specialty Eye Care
Dr. Megan Lott practices at Belle Vue Specialty Eye Care located in Hattiesburg, MS. She is a functional optometrist with an emphasis in children and neurological rehabilitation.
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Contributor: JoAnn Crohn
Contributor title: CEO, Whimsicle
Use these 10 strategies to stop the homework hassle.
AGREE ON THE TERMS
Kids crave routine and are able to better manage their emotions when they can easily predict the next activity. Same with homework. In addition to your usual back to school routine, ask your child the following questions and come to a mutual agreement.
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Contributor: Holly Klaassen
These are some I’ve used with my own kids (11 and 14) and that I recommend to other parents:
Some kids are simply too tired and out of resources by the end of the day; especially very young kids. In these cases - especially if you have an early riser - try moving homework time to the morning. You’ll likely experience much less resistance since your child will have lots of emotional and physical resources to rely on.
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Contributor: Dr. Emily Levy
Company: EBL Coaching
A new school year has officially started and with it comes many fresh starts: new classrooms, new teachers, new books, and perhaps even new friends. Some students, however, carry with them old habits of losing papers, forgetting important books, and neglecting to turn in their work. Help your child create a stronger back-to-school routine and avoid these organizational woes with the ideas detailed below.
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Contributor: Julia Cook
Below are some tips to put strategies to work to AVOID AVOIDANCE and PROCRASTINATION.
1. Prioritize work before play.
2. Develop a priority hierarchy.
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Contributor: Dr. Claudia Luiz
WHY IS YOUR CHILD MAKING THIS DIFFICULT?
Johnny was a good boy, but would rather be outside playing than doing homework. He would push the limits as far as he could, sometimes winning when his mother didn’t have the energy to re-direct him. But that’s exactly what he needed: guidance, boundaries and a re-direct.
Justin though, would up the ante as far as he could when it came to homework, throwing major tantrums at every opportunity. The more his parents tried to guide and direct him, the worse he got. This is because he was in fight-or-flight.
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