MeckMom.com

After three long months of freedom, getting your kids’ study habits back on track can be tough.  Help ease the transition by implementing a few simple changes in your household before the homework deadlines hit.

Check-In Chart

Have you ever noticed that just as your kids head to bed, their memory cells kick in?  All of a sudden they remember the book report they were supposed to write or the diorama that’s due tomorrow.  Save yourself from these late night surprises by using a check-in chart.  Purchase a large dry erase calendar and several colors of  fine-point, dry-erase markers.  Hang your calendar near your drop zone or on your fridge and assign each child a color.  When your kids come home from school, make sure they “check-in” by updating their homework status on the calendar.

T.V. Timers

Nothing can hinder homework like a glowing television.  Most of us set rules at the beginning of the school year but enforcement of those rules can be a struggle.  After all, who has the time to hang out in the family room and police the remote?  Save yourself the trouble by putting your T.V. and game console on a timer.  Designed for lamps and Christmas lights, these handy timers allow you control over when the electronics can be turned on and when they shut off.  A more advanced mode (available at online retailers) allows you to predetermine how many minutes or hours your T.V. can be on each day.  When the time allowance is up, the device shuts off the power.  Time allowances can be adjusted for each day (allowing more T.V. time on weekends, if desired).  Manual override switches are available beneath the tamper-proof lock.

Mobile Homework Hub

Talk to a professional tutor and they’ll tell you that having a location dedicated to your kids’ homework is critical.  Talk to parents and they’ll tell you it’s next to impossible.  You simply can’t guarantee that the kitchen table will be free every night or that you’ll even be home when homework time hits.  Help your kids manage their supplies at home or on the go by picking up an inexpensive storage clipboard.  The sturdy clip on the top holds notebooks and worksheets tightly, while the storage compartment below gives kids a place to stash their homework essentials like pencils, calculators, scratch paper and flash drives.

Give ‘Em a Break

Time management is a critical skill for kids.  So how do you encourage it without hovering, nagging or pushing?  Try this little trick.  First, purchase a small kitchen timer for each of your kids.  Next, determine a rough estimate for each child’s attention span.  Generally his or her age multiplied by two to five minutes is a good place to start.  When your child sits down to work, grab a post-it, and have him jot down what he thinks he can accomplish in the alloted time.  Stick the note next to the timer and encourage your child to meet his goals.  When the time runs out, have your child check his progress, take a short break, and start the process again.

*This post is an excerpt from an article published by Organize Magazine, Sept/Oct 2007, Volume 02, pg 42-49, written by Maria Eckersley, photos by Lanola Kathleen Stone.