By Mandy Ginsberg, CEO of Tutor.com

 

According to The National Center for Family Literacy, almost 50% of parents 

 

feel they can’t help their child with homework because they don’t understand 

 

the material. And let’s face it, for most parents it’s been a long time since they’ve 

 

been in a classroom.

 

 

Below are tips to make homework time fun (really) and stop the tears, complaints 

 

and stress that both kids and parents face:

 

     Set up a homework routine. If you don’t have a routine set up 

 

yet, do it as soon as you can. Kids work better when they have a routine 

 

that is right for them. Some kids do better right after school. Other kids 

 

need to come home and decompress for a while before they can face 

 

their homework. It doesn’t matter what time you choose, just make a 

 

conscious choice with your child and try to stick to it.

 

 

 

     You can help, but not too much. If you’re lucky enough to 

 

understand your child’s homework, it’s tempting to help a bit too 

 

much. It is okay to do one sample problem with them to get them 

 

“unstuck”, but don’t do three or four or soon you are the one doing the 

 

homework.

 

 

 

     Make it Fun. It is easier than you think! If your daughter is a 

 

visual learner go online and find a great video that can help her. Or, if 

 

your child is studying and needs to memorize equations for a test, help 

 

them create a goofy song. This helps make kids more relaxed and ready 

 

to learn.

 

 

 

 Become a Time Management Ninja. Middle school and high 

 

school students need to balance academics, extracurricular activities 

 

and their social life. Help your children put together a schedule either 

 

online or use an erasable whiteboard– whatever works for your family. 

 

Make sure you add in study/homework time each school night to help 

 

your child see when he/she is truly free. Several months in your child 

 

may be able to take over the calendar with less help.

 

 

 

 Big Projects? Start Small. Older children have more long-term 

 

assignments such as a research paper or essay assigned in October but 

 

due in November. It’s easy to procrastinate and then find your son or 

 

daughter in a panic a few days before the due date. Help them map out 

 

a plan where they complete a piece of the assignment every few weeks 

 

such as going to library for research followed by completing an outline. 

 

Having regular due dates will help keep projects on track and reduce 

 

last-minute meltdowns.

 

 

 

 It All Counts. If your child is planning on going to college, their 

 

freshmen GPA will go on their college transcript. Make sure your child 

 

is taking the right mix of classes and see what support is available at 

 

the school. You can make an appointment with your child’s school 

 

counselor to ensure you are on the right track.

 

 

 

 Take A Break. Research shows students don’t concentrate well 

 

for long periods. Rather than demanding your child finish all his/her 

 

homework in one sitting, encourage him/her to take breaks every 20-

 

30 minutes. That’s a great time to check their phone, get a snack or just 

 

get up and stretch. They’ll complain less and be more productive.

 

 

 

 Not Good at Math or Writing? Don’t Tell Your Kids. Instead 

 

tell them you understand math or writing is really tough but you know 

 

they can do it. If you can’t help, make sure you know who can or look 

 

online for great resources like tutorials and videos that break down 

 

tough concepts. 

 

 

 

 Time to Tell the Teacher. If your child has worked on a problem 

 

for hours and is no closer to getting it, then it’s time to write a note 

 

to the teacher. The teacher will be glad to know that your child had 

 

problems with the assignment and needs some extra help.

 

 

 

 Celebrate. A great biology grade, finished essay or a week of 

 

completed homework assignments deserves some recognition. Come 

 

up with something that works for your family – maybe it’s dessert at 

 

your favorite ice cream shop or a new app. Your child will appreciate 

 

being celebrated!

 

 

 

About the Author:

 

Mandy Ginsberg is the CEO of Tutor.com, the world's largest and highest-rated 

 

online tutoring company with a community of more than 3,000 expert tutors, 

 

and almost 10 million one-to-one online tutoring sessions served. Professional 

 

tutors are available 24/7 in 40 plus subjects, including AP courses and SAT test 

 

prep. Ninety percent of students who use Tutor.com get better grades, feel more 

 

confident and complete their homework on time. Tutor.com, an IAC company, 

 

powers tutoring and homework help programs for the Department of Defense; 

 

thousands of public libraries, school districts, colleges and universities; and the 

 

states of Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Rhode Island and 

 

the District of Columbia.