Inspire your kid to do homework. Do not nag or shame them into it. There’s an explanation for approaching it that way. This piece explores that explanation and all the most effective approaches you can adopt so that the results your kids get in school can last far into the future.
Results: Now vs. Later
As a parent, you should be concerned with how your kids’ results (by results, I mean their productivity levels) look, not today or this moment, but several years later. How is their approach to doing homework, for example, going to affect them beyond every school day? Can you help them approach their homework more positively or proactively?
Let’s face it; many kids do not like homework. It’s work, after all, and they’re tired already from regular school hours. I’ve discussed another aspect of homework before now, explaining that teachers should go for more quality homework over quantity. That said, when your kids come home from school with quality homework, they still need the motivation to create results for themselves.
How you motivate your kid’s output matters now and, especially later.
Sometimes, They Get On Your Last Nerve
…and you nag. It’s almost like you cannot help it because why do they not see that they also need to take their homework seriously to excel in school?
Well, they don’t. Kids are less aware of the consequences of neglecting their education than adults are. The way they see it, it’s bad enough they’ve sat through school, and once school’s out, there are several other ways they can think of to spend their time. Your approach to bringing their attention back to homework, even for less than an hour every school day, can help them construct doing homework as valuable too.
So, What If I Nag or Shame Them?
The way you address your child has a clear influence on their behavior. If you usually raise your voice, you might find your child grows anxious and tries to avoid getting you that way. Let us assume that your approach is to say, “Do your homework” with a raised voice or “I won’t tell you again!” and other similar warnings.
The result is that when your child picks up their homework, they’re not doing it because they want to or understand that it is valuable. They’re doing it because they want to stop the nagging and shaming. It doesn’t matter if they do not wait for you to raise your voice the next day before they do their homework. That is because the reason hasn’t changed; they do not want you to nag or shame them.
They’re never really connected to their homework and its value.
They do not get to build independence in that area. Your kid secretly feels trapped by all the homework, and when you are not there anymore (e.g., when they go off to college) to maybe nag or shame them, they will let go of that trap. Except, homework is never a trap, nor is any schoolwork for that matter; it’s only a part of the process (that is, education) that helps kids build more meaningful lives as they grow older. So, they let go of finding meaning in schoolwork and drop out.
Surprised at how it’s all connected? Remember, as you read earlier, that, as a parent, you must be concerned with the consequences of today’s actions several years later. It’s your job to look out for how it’s all connected to raising your kids’ productivity.
Try These Approaches To Create Lasting Results
When it comes to motivating or inspiring your kids to do their homework, there are simple approaches you can use. These approaches include;
- Allow them to face the consequences: The school system is structured a certain way, and if students do not complete specific assessments, they will not advance to higher classes. For many kids, the thought that they could get left behind by their peers is enough for them to take their homework seriously. When they face the consequences of skipping their homework once or twice, the solution they’ll come up with is independent of your input. All you see is that they’re taking their homework seriously now, on their terms.
- Use a reward system: Strategic rewards can teach your kids how to motivate themselves. Such rewards make it clear that when they get their work out of the way, they gain something for it. With a reward system in place, your kid decides when and how to get the reward; this time, their inner motivations are moving them toward it.
- Solve Problems Together As Often As You Can: Some exceptions exist where kids are not motivated by consequences or reward systems. You can adopt a more personal approach for them. Offer to solve problems together, and they’ll likely jump at the chance. No one says you can’t make it fun too.
Before You Go…
The trick is to offer your kids a choice. Always. They’re human, and just like every other human being, they value having a choice because it means they also have the freedom to choose. When they choose to complete their homework before some other fun activity they have lined up; they feel responsible for it. It’s different when you choose for them by nagging or roasting them into it.
Remember, offer them a choice:
Hey kid, do you want to finish your homework before watching your show or after?
Hey kiddo, we’re all going out to [name of favorite restaurant] later; want to finish your homework before or after we’re back home?
These are sample questions. Always offering a choice instead of commanding or ordering them.
I hope this helps!