FAQs: How Do I Get My Child to do their Homework?

It’s FAQ time! Every month I answer a question that as a fellow busy mum, I know you’re looking to find the answer to. How do I know it’s something you’re looking for help with? Because you, the A Simple and Contented Life community have told me! This month’s FAQ focuses on the question ‘how do I get my child to do their homework?’. Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

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How do I get my child to do their homework?

Homework…the one thing we know our kids have to do but they hate doing it. Getting them to knuckle down and do it can be a real challenge. Especially when they’ve had a busy week at school and they’re tired. The last thing they want to do is spend their weekend doing homework when they’ve been at school all week!

As parents we know it’s one of those things that just has to be done. But that doesn’t make it any easier to get them to do it. Sometimes there’s just no persuading them!

So how do we get them to do their homework without it feeling like a chore? Or without us sounding like a bore or nag because we’re constantly asking them if they’ve done it yet?

If you find yourself asking how do I get my child to do their homework, this post will help. I might still have the occasional homework battles with my youngest, but I have found a few techniques to help get it done. And I’m hoping they’ll help you too. Want to know what they are? Keep reading!

How to get homework done…

1. Explain why they have to do it

Explaining why homework is so important and what the point of it is, makes getting it done a whole lot easier! If we don’t fully understand the rationale behind something it can be hard to see the point of why we need to do it. And it’s no different for our kids. They might get that they HAVE to do their homework, but do they understand why they need to do it?

My youngest (who’s 7) knows that by doing his homework, his teacher can make sure he understands what she’s teaching him. We’ve told him that it’s a way for him to practice so he can become better in that subject. And that it’s a chance for him to show Mummy and Daddy all the amazing things he’s been learning at school.

2. Do it as soon as it’s set

The age-old “do it now so it’s done and out of the way”. My parents used to say this to me all the time and now I find myself saying it to my boys too. They don’t like to hear it but they know it’s true! Doing a task we don’t want to do as soon as it’s set makes perfect sense. The only problem with this is the ‘get it out the way‘ part implies it’s a chore. And that makes them less likely to want to do it!

Explaining that important things should always be done first can really help. My youngest now understands that although he might not want to do something, if it’s important, it has to take priority. Then, when it’s done, he gets to move on to something more interesting and more fun…i.e. Lego, TV or riding his bike!

Want access to a ton of printables, cheatsheets and checklists all designed to help YOU make life LESS stressful and MORE enjoyable? Find them in my FREE Resource Library – request the password at the bottom of this post.

3. Make it part of your routine

Getting something done is a lot easier when it’s part of a routine. When something’s a habit, we don’t think twice about doing it. We just get on with it – and usually with minimal stress and fuss. And the same can apply to homework. Pick a time during the week that works for you. Make that time homework time and stick with it. Make it routine.

Like all routines, consistency is key. Your kids might not like it at first but they will get used to it. Stick with it and they’ll learn very quickly that’s the time homework is done. My youngest knows that Thursday night is homework night. Every Thursday, straight after school we sit and do his homework together. No excuses!

4. Break it down into bite-sized pieces

If your kids get overwhelmed by the amount of homework they’ve been set, or their attention span isn’t that great, breaking it down into bite-sized chunks can really help. Half an hour here and there can make it a lot easier to get through than one continuous slog. If my youngest has a lot, sometimes we’ll spread it out over a couple of days. Or we’ll give him a few minutes break to play before coming back to it later.

Want access to a ton of printables, cheatsheets and checklists all designed to help YOU make life LESS stressful and MORE enjoyable? Find them in my FREE Resource Library – request the password at the bottom of this post.

5. Have a reward system in place

A reward can be a great incentive for getting things done. It doesn’t have to be anything grand, as long as it makes the prospect of doing it appealing, it’ll work. My youngest earns points for doing his homework. He then gets to ‘cash’ them in for more TV time or staying up late on a Friday night, the choice is his. The more points he earns, the more TV time he gets and the later he’s allowed to stay up.

6. Try a change of scenery

Sometimes the home and all of it’s distractions can be a real hindrance in getting homework done. Remove the temptation of the TV, their iPad and Lego and they’re more likely to just get on with it.

At least once a month my youngest and I take his homework to the local cafe. By far the easiest way to get him to do it, he loves it because it means uninterrupted Mummy time. I have a feeling the hot chocolate and brownie might help too! We also take his favourite book or card game so we have something else to do after.

For us it’s a win-win because his homework gets done AND we get quality time together. Whether it’s the library, your local coffee shop or somewhere else, if you’re struggling to get them to concentrate, a change of scenery might just do the trick!

How to get your child to do their homework…

There you have it – the techniques I use to get my youngest to do his homework. They don’t all work all the time and some days I have to do a little more persuading than others, but generally, his homework gets done without too much fuss.

I’m aware that as he gets older his homework is going to get harder and more time will be required. I also have no doubt I’ll need to find some new ways to incentivise him. For now though, these do the trick. And hopefully, they’ll do the trick for you too!

That’s it for this post!

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How do you make getting homework done easier in your house? Let me know in the comments below! And if you have your own FAQ let me know what it is and I’ll do my best to feature it!