Homework: it poses so many dilemmas for parents and children alike. Perhaps one of the biggest issues for parents is how much they should actually help their children with homework. After all, isn’t the point of homework to give the child extra practice with content so they can get stronger?

There is a balance that you as a parent need to strike when it comes to homework. Here are a few guidelines to help you achieve it.

 

Explaining is Good, Doing is Bad

Oftentimes, all children need to complete a task successfully is a good explanation of what they are supposed to do. If your child is struggling, take the time to read through the instructions and rephrase them in a way that you think will be more accessible to your son or daughter. Just be careful to stop there and not continue on to doing their work for them.

Offer Other Types of Assistance

If your child needs to figure it out on their own, you can still assist in other ways. Help him or her develop a strategy when it comes to approaching homework. Create a quiet and inspirational environment for your child to work in. Provide snacks that will give your child the energy to concentrate and get the work done. All of these things are help that guides your child in becoming independent in their studies without overstepping; they also make is easier for you to back away as your child gets older.

 

If Your Child is Overwhelmed by Homework, Advocate for Him or Her

Teachers aren’t perfect. Sometimes they overshoot their goals and assign work that is too long or too detailed. Sometimes they do not realize that their students didn’t grasp the lesson and cannot complete the work on their own just yet. In the older grades, it is especially common for teachers not to realize that many other teachers also assigned work, leading to an overwhelming amount of homework at once. If you feel your child is being overwhelmed, do not be afraid to raise the point with your child’s teacher politely—or to encourage your child to advocate for him or herself if appropriate.