TiP fOr TuEsDaY

Got Homework?

Since the school year is in full swing at my house, of course this means lots and lots of homework! In fact, as I am typing away at this, my little one is sitting on the floor next to me completing his. I am so completely amazed at the amount of homework my kids have! I don't even remember having homework in Elementary school, but my little one did in Kindergarten a couple of years ago....crazy! I thought I'd share a few tips on how to make it a little more manageable for Mom and kids alike!

No procrastinating!
As soon as mine walk in the door after school, they get right to work. I know, I know I've heard the advice on letting them unwind and whatnot, but my kids seem to be able to sit and complete it and enjoy the rest of the evening easier this way. I dunno, maybe it's because they are still in school mode! I let them have a snack, get comfortable and get cracking...never fails, everyone is done by 5 and we can worry about playing and exercise and dinner afterword!

To each his own!
Have each kid have his/or her own space to get their homework done. I have two boys that share a room and that makes it a little more difficult for them not to bug each other during homework time. No problem. My sixth grader gets home from school at 2 while the other two aren't done until 3:30. My sixth grader comes home and gets his snack and gets to work on his homework quietly while just Mom is home and puts a really big dent in it by the time the other two get home. He hangs out at home while I fetch the others and when they get home they get their snack quietly and my daughter goes to her room and my little one joins me in the office. He works on his homework and I check my e-mail, win-win if you ask me!

Helicopters and homework don't mix!
Are you a helicopter parent? I mean do you HOVER? Hovering and homework are a bad combination in my mind and I know (unfortunately) from experience that it doesn't work either. I sit down with my kids before the school year and lay down my expectations for the upcoming year and let them be responsible for their own selves. Really you ask? Really. Especially with my Asperger's child. He is so smart, if albeit a tad irresponsible, but not about his schoolwork. Yes, he may forget his jacket at least once a week and yes, he did come home covered with chocolate pudding from lunch today, but with just a little organization, homework is a snap! Which leads me to....

Teach the life-long skill of being organized!
Are your kids crazy? Chances are, you are too. Moms who are patient and organized have kids who are as well. My boy with the Asperger's had a really tough time a couple of years ago, with doing homework, turning in homework, losing it in his desk...until the magic orange folder was introduced. The orange folder is where anything that needed to go home was put, right when it was handed out. Magically the homework came home, the homework got done, the homework got turned back in. Magical, eh? ;0) Organization does not come natural to this guy at all, so a little encouragement was necessary. This year, he has 6 different teachers and 6 different classes, disaster huh? Nope! He has a master folder with pockets for each of his classes where his homework goes into and is returned finished and according to the progress reports I just read, he's got it! All A's, that's my boy! ;0)

Don't have kids with homework? Don't worry my friend, you soon will...but, follow my advice and of course my TiP fOr TuEsDaY and you too can handle it with ease! ;0)