Homework Haven – Organizing Your Homework Station

OK, I can’t really say I understand why teachers give so much homework.  I don’t see why children are in school all day long and then are given 2 hours of homework a night.  I guess this is all in preparation for the real world when we take work home with us and are attached to our PDA’s.  None-the-less, I still detest homework, just like I did when I was in school.  Maybe it is my own memories of hours of homework that just make me cringe when I sit my kids down to do theirs.

I have to be honest.  My oldest son will be entering 5th grade and the school he attends starts homework at this grade level.  I know, don’t hate me, but I am freaking out!  My son hated doing his easy reading homework the past two years and his occasional book report threw him over the edge.  This year I am going to be aimed and ready for battling helping him.

First and foremost, I know a good study area is important to keeping the focus on the work assigned.  You may be thinking, she is just starting homework with her son, so what does she know…long story short, we have moved numerous times and we have attended schools that assigned heaps of homework.  His kindergarten had 12 worksheets a week with coloring on each page, enough to send a 5 year old into tears.  I have talked with my son to find where he thinks studying will be best.  He has chosen his room at his desk.  I asked him because I value his input and want him to take ownership in his work.  Whether you have a desk in your child’s room, a place a the kitchen table, a place in the family room or a desk set aside in your office, a space designated for homework is key.  (Hey, I did well laying on my bed, although my wrist suffered from the numerous leaning sessions!)

Once you have found the best location for homework to take place, make sure it is free of clutter and distractions.  Don’t have piles of papers on the kitchen table and expect your child to have great focus.  Also, if working in a room, make sure the toys are kept away from the study area.  Kids will be distracted easily and you can’t expect them to want to do homework when they are surrounded by things they would rather be doing!

After you have cleared the space, stock your study area with the tools they need to get the job done.  Don’t have all your school supplies away from the area, or they will have to get up to get what they need and will lose focus.  If they will need a ruler for homework, keep one in arms reach.  Do they need additional paper, pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, glue, or calculators? When setting up their work area, keep these in stock.  If your child will work in a transitional area (kitchen table) then keep these supplies in a caddy or box so they can bring it with them to work and put it away when they are finished.

Finding the best time to get the homework done is a must in getting the job done efficiently.  If you wait until 8 pm to get started, the kids will be tired and it will be hard for them to focus.  I have found that if you get them right when they get home, they are still in school mode and you can reward them with play time.  This works for me, but may not work for you.  Have your children help decide what is the best time for them to get it done, because if they have ownership in the decision, they will have ownership in the results.  Take into consideration practice schedules and when their neighborhood friends are playing.  If their friends are outside playing while they are working, you will never get your child to focus on their work.  Talk to the neighborhood moms to see if they have a set schedule for homework.

Finally, make sure the area they are work in is comfortable.  Would you want to sit on a hard chair for two hours?  Also, don’t forget they need adequate lighting.  How would you want to be working?  Make sure they are well fed for the energy they need to accomplish their work.  A cranky, hungry child will take longer to get the job done!

I still wish there was no homework assigned, but since I will not have my wish granted this year, I am going to have a great attitude with my child.  I am determined to make it as great an experience as I can so he will not go in with a bad attitude (OK, the bad attitude will be there, but I will try and curb it as best as possible!).

Getting Your Duck in a Row…Organizing Tips for Back to School

As a young girl, my mom used to call my sisters and me her little chick-a-dees. This was a term of endearment, as well as a way to call us one name instead of listing us off one by one. I think she should have called us her little ducklings, because her goal was to keep us in line (literally and figuratively). Ducklings seem to follow their mother all in a row, hence the phrase “ducks in a row”. Chicks seem to be running a little more chaotically than ducklings.

I am always amazed by those mothers with large numbers of children. They appear to be in more control of their large brood than those with one or two (me included). If you were to ask these mothers who have it all under control, the majority would probably say it is due to their great organization and delegation. Because they have limited time to devote to each child, they must have help. The Duggar’s (TLC stars of 18 Kids and Counting) are a large family who envelop this practice. From a very young age the children are assisting with laundry, house work, cooking and looking out for their siblings. This family in particular is considered to be abnormal, but the fundamentals are there. With all the TV coverage they have, they seem to be well adjusted and happy kids.

As children are preparing for back to school, now is a great time to think about getting your ducks in a row. Get your home organized and ready for the action of early mornings, busy schedules and after school activities. Before going back to school you have a great opportunity to get your children involved in helping around the house. Establish chores they can do to assist you. For your sake, don’t expect perfection, but give guidelines and step by step procedures until the children have it down themselves. Moms and dads are stressed and overwhelmed because we do all the work load of the home. Get the kids involved, you will be happier in the long run!

Teaching your children how to clean and organize is a vital life skill. This will also lead into time management. The more that is expected of them, the more they need good time management skills. Establish routines in order to show them how to get things done in a timely manner. Teach them how to schedule on a calendar. Calculate how long things will take and then pad the calendar for the “uh ohs”. Teach them how to prepare the night before for the next days activities. Be sure to include fun in their schedules. Don’t overload them with after school activities. Pick one or two a season (depending on time commitment) and make sure they have time to just relax! Helping them schedule the work and fun will help them lead a balanced life as an adult.

My next few posts will be dedicated to getting you, your children and your home organized for back to school. To follow these posts, subscribe to the feed by clicking on the RSS feed button on the right.

For daily tips, Follow Me on Twitter by clicking on the Twitter Bird on the right.

For monthly tips, subscribe to my newsletter, Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start, Subscribe Here.