Homework. I hate it. I’ve always hated it but I hate it more as a mum than I ever hated it as a child. It’s such an… inconvenience.
Earlier this year I mentioned to Max’s teacher (the amazing Mrs B) that I wasn’t fond of homework and she seemed to be under the false impression that older primary school kids are completely independent when doing their homework. Oh how I laughed. I mean, Max probably wouldn’t bother to dress himself if it wasn’t expected. Actually, lots of times he still doesn’t bother.
I’ve spent years trying to make homework fun and then I’ve thought many times about becoming a conscientious objector (Justin Coulson is the master – click through to read the letter he sends to his girls’ school each year, and note the cute kid eating the word ‘blog’ at the top. Recognise her?). But the thing is: I can see the benefit. Not to grades or even intellect; but to developing personal discipline. I think it’s good for kids to take responsibility for getting the job done and face the consequences when they don’t. Homework may be boring and unnecessary, but it’s expected and that ought to be enough of an incentive to do the best job possible. It’s a good grounding for work life, and life in general.
So, the title of this post is a little misleading, because homework is never really ‘fun’. Homework just is. Over the years, though, we’ve found ways to make homework as beneficial as possible, and that’s surely, kinda, sorta fun… ish. Actually, these three tips are really about cutting out the whinging and whining and making homework fun for me. And hopefully for you too.
3 ways to make homework more fun (for you)
1. Have a schedule
Just as the kids’ extra-curricular activities start and end at a set time, so does their homework time. We’ve added three lots of homework time to their schedule each week – half an hour each time. Sometimes they might get the whole lot done in the first homework block, which means they get to play during the other two homework blocks. Having particular times dedicated to homework generally stops me from having to nag about homework and the kids from whinging that they have to do it.
2. Make a plan and some time
The first 10 minutes of the Monday homework block is for the kids to plan out the rest of the week – what they’ll complete during each homework time. I am available to help each kid exclusively once a week, giving them my complete attention to work through anything they’ve stumbled on. I will never be the kind of mum who does the homework for my kid (honestly, what’s the point of that? The teachers aren’t fooled so no brownie points for you!), but I definitely believe in being there to guide them through it.
The best thing about these plans is that the kids actually look forward to doing their homework one-on-one with their devoted, selfless mother (that’s me, just in case it wasn’t clear right away). And, oddly, though I’m forced to do homework myself three times a week, I look forward to it too.
3. Substitute the really shit stuff
Sometimes the set homework is so mind-numbingly boring that we simply decide not to do it. With a twist. The twist is, the kids have to complete a similar project of their own choosing and hand that in instead. Many times you don’t have to completely reinvent the project, rather just substitute something more fun instead. Powerpoint presentations always get Max over the line (he is a PP fiend) – so rather than ‘draw a poster’, he’ll create a presentation. Cappers is the exact opposite: if it’s a direction to write her times tables out 10 x, she’d rather create a visual poster of the times tables and hand that in.
5 thoughts on: homework
- Kidspot: 10 tips to get the homework done (written by the devoted, selfless Maxabella)
- New York Times: The trouble with homework
- News: Why parents should stop helping their kids with their homework
- Teacher Magazine: Does homework contribute to student success?
- Huff Post: Is this the best homework ever?
Are you for or against homework? (And does it really matter what we think anyway?)
Erin says
Intrigued as to your substitutions, how do the teachers receive them?
Maxabella says
It’s never been a problem. I think they recognise that the way to motivate a kid is to let them learn things they are interested in, in an interesting way. At least, that’s what you hope they would recognise! Works for us… x
Lisa Humphries says
Love that you try to put a positive spin on it!
The overwhelming amount of evidence is indicating that it doesn’t actually help with the discipline side of things either, I think it is such a personal thing for each home and family to decide though ..
Our Year 1 teacher was super happy to receive my letter (modified from Justin’s) this year, she cheerily explained that as teachers they are ‘obliged’ to give it out, but we are not obliged to do it, there is no pressure and it is up to each family. She also assured me that the children do not get into any trouble at all if it is not done xx
Maxabella says
I hear ya! I guess there is part of me that is rather old-fashioned and believes that if a teacher sets out work, it should respectfully be completed. I have got to get over that!!
Helen K says
Hi to the selfless one! My upbringing is one where both parents were senior secondary school teachers (Years 11 and 12) . As such, they love the structure of teaching and cannot help themselves – we used to write little stories, practice work, and so on, and now with my kids, every time they go over,, Mum has a new book to talk through, Dad has discovered a new learning app that they play on. They even bought them practice naplan books (which I would have avoided like the plague) but the kids treated them in the same way as completing dot to dots. They loved doing them! (strangely). When it comes to homework though – I think the barrier is that they HAVE to do it (so the fun is removed). So we tried, with differing levels of success, to break it up. The pre-planning is key for my two, because they don’t panic about having to work out what to do when they are actually doing it. And so far, Sam’s work this year has been very procedural which suits him (and I think reflects the fact that they are required to be more adventurous and creative at school, now they are in Year 5. And that’s tiring for a lot of kids, including him, so good on the teachers for lessening the pressure on the homework side). Phoebe, on the other hand, has the ‘creative’ science experiments, which she is happy to do, but resists documenting. We keep trying to think of creative ways to do it (photos, drawings, videos, cooking, etc, but apparently ‘that doesn’t count’ because ‘that’s not what the others do). So that aspect is a work in progress still – trying to work through that still.
My main thing is to not rely on the night before, which always, always, ends up creating panic here (especially as they both have sport in the evening). And so when the homework is sent out late, that is when I get stroppy.
Maxabella says
The “night before” approach really is the killer. I also agree that trying to find creative ways to do the set tasks is great for kids. Teachers seem to appreciate it too and at least they are learning to think outside the square!
I have noticed just how much it ‘ramps up’ in Year 7, so I am happy that Max has to get into the swing of things now he is in Year 6. I mean, I hate homework, but if it’s there, it needs to be completed and that’s that.
Our school has minimal homework, really. Probably the equivalent of an hour a week. I think a lot of parents get hysterical about it when it actually doesn’t take a great deal of time away from ‘play time’. The parents stressing about the ‘workload’ of homework are often the ones whose kids are doing 6 or 7 extra-curricular activities a week. There’s their stressful workload right there.
Kez @ Awesomely Unprepared says
Oh gosh. I dread the homework days!! I hope I can revisit your tips and stay sane when the time comes!
Maxabella says
Like everything parenting, Kez, you just need a plan and stick to it. It makes the horror bearable, I promise. x