How To Cope With A Lot of Homework

I have been in your shoes.  When children spend 6 or more hours a day in school and then have 2 or more hours of homework, there is no time left for family.  There is no easy fix to the situation, but your problem can be solved.

Before I give you the "how to deal," I want you to talk to your child.  Not the teachers, your child.  Is the homework actually classwork that should have been done at school or does the teacher actually assign that much to take home?  In my experience, the majority is usually classwork.  In some cases, the child simply did not understand the instructions.  In other cases, he or she may have been distracted that day.  Is the homework problem every night?  Does your child feel he or she is being picked on by the teacher?  Is the school not a good fit?  Are there any other schools in your area he or she could attend?  While you let this questions drift into your sub-consciousness, let's move on to ways to solve your problems. 

First of all, only you know your child.  The teachers have no idea what an individual child is capable of understanding.  When you think about it, they really do not have the time.  Schools have goals that must be met and teachers have to cram all the required  curriculum in a short amount of time.  They expect the children to be able to comprehend with minimal questions.  Unfortunately, they forget that ALL children learn differently.  There are children that can read and understand the textbook with little input from the teacher.  There are those that need to hear the teacher explain the material in order to understand it.  And then there are those that must  be involved in their own learning.  In this case, the teacher  must allow time for them to get involved in solving the problem.  The key is to find out what way your child learns best.  Does he or she need it explained a different way?  Is he or she a doer? 

Once you find out how your child learns best, you must give him or her the tools to do so.  Let's face it, the teachers do not have time.  It is up to you to help your child.  If your child could read and understand the textbook with minimal explanation, you probably would not have this problem.  Therefore, your child must either need to hear how to do things or be able to do it him/herself.

If your child just needs to hear the material, then you would want to start out by reading the instructions and verifying that he or she understands them.  Sometimes, you may need to think outside of the box to find other ways to explain the topic.  For some children, it is finding a way to link what he or she is learning to something they enjoy.  For example, having a boy change anything that sounds "girly" to something more boy like.  It may take several times (and ways) to explain it before your child understands, but once you find out what it is that causes a spark, you can use it in the future.  It really depends on how the teacher explains it in class.  Just keep in mind that in some cases, they do not explain anything at all.

For a child that likes to physically do something to solve the problem, it can be frustrating sitting in a classroom.  In many cases, you really have to think outside the box.  For these children, playing games works wonders.  Make flash cards (yes even if they think they are too old).  If they are studying a period of time in history, put on a play.  Find a way to make learning tangible.  Get a marker board for him or her to solve math problems.  It may require more time and work, but eventually, your child will discover how to do it all him/herself. 

Now that you have figured out how your child learns and provided him or her with the tools needed, sit back and see if things improve.  If you feel that you and your child have done all you can and things have not improved, I suggest you consider the school. There are times when the school just does not meet the needs of the child or parents. 

Please let me know if this was at all helpful in your situation.  I have been where you are and unfortunately, I did have to change schools.  I hope that you do not have to, but do what is best for you and your child.