In less than one month, my kids will be starting school again. I will have one in 9th grade, one in 4th grade and a Kindergartener! Now is the time to start preparing for homework time.

My oldest daughter was always one to do her homework immediately when she walked in the door after school. So, I made it the policy that ALL of my kids should do their homework right after school. Guess what? Child number two proved to be a little more difficult. It all depended on her mood.

Setting homework rules must be done with each individual child in mind. My oldest daughter will probably continue to do her homework right after school (or sports practice). My middle child, however, needs some unwind time. This year, I am going to have her sit at the table, eat a healthy snack, talk about her day and then proceed to homework. While this may put time demands on me, I think in the long run it will help her relax and able to focus on the work at hand. Since this is the first year of school for my youngest, we will see what will be the best homework practice for him.

I have times when one of my children (guess which one) refuses to do her homework. Do I discipline her by giving her a time out? Do I yell and threaten? Neither of these have worked well. I have found that denying her any television time sometimes works. If she still refuses, she has to accept the consequences. This usually means staying in at recess and doing her homework. This cures the “I don’t want to do homework” attitude for a least a month! Sometimes the best discipline comes from another source besides the parent. This does NOT mean that you should let the teacher handle all the discipline when it comes to bad school behavior. However, if you explain to the teacher that you have a child who sometimes needs to learn the consequences of their behavior, the teacher will realize that you are trying to work with her and not against her.

I have also found that there needs to be a space for each child for homework. This space should be well organized and stocked with the necessary school supplies. Even if you have a small home or apartment, try and find a quiet corner for homework time.