How to Help Your Kids with Their Homework Without Doing it Yourself

This post is in partnership with Sylvan Learning.

There’s a fine line between helping your kids with their homework and doing it for them.  As a busy mom, I get it…

After a long day, the last thing I want to be doing at 7 pm is trying to figure out how to solve a math problem that I haven’t done in decades myself.

And higher level math?

Forget it!

Thankfully, there are things you can do to help your kids with their homework without doing it yourself.

Our friends at Sylvan Learning have inspired this post.  They are an amazing team to have in your corner when it comes to homework time.

Homework Help for Kids

Here are some ways that you can help your kids without struggling through projects and papers with them in the wee hours of the night.

1. Outside Assistance

Moms, dads, grandparents, babysitters, neighbors are all great, but when it comes to getting help for homework, sometimes outside assistance is the best. Sylvan Learning offers kids a chance to get their questions answered, their problems solved, and their homework completed in record time. The best part is that, because it’s someone other than mom and dad explaining how to tackle a problem, kids usually listen and learn without a fuss. The fact that Sylvan makes it fun doesn’t hurt either.  If your child only needs homework help on specific assignments, that’s fine too, because Sylvan has “just-as-needed homework help.” You can schedule sessions just when your child needs it so that he gets the assistance he needs from expert tutors who can make it fun.

2.  Homework Help Line

Some schools offer a homework help line in the evening for students in the district.  Kids can call in or log on to the school’s web portal and get help from a teacher right away.  Your child’s teacher might also have specific times that she’s available for homework help.  Having kids utilize the free services that are available to them is a great way to help them advocate for themselves.  Be sure to check with your child’s teacher and school to see if this is something that they offer.

3.  Be the Assistant

Let your child take the lead and you can simply assist when necessary.  Think of it as a homework sous chef!  What this does is give the child permission to figure things out by himself, but have assistance when needed. It puts him in control of tackling the assignment but also reinforces that he needs to advocate for help when needed. Not only does this take the pressure off of you, it gives him practice with valuable skills that he’ll need throughout his school career.  You might even want to establish a rule that he needs to attempt a problem before turning for help if you sense that there’s more assisting going on than might be necessary.

4. Beat the Clock

Set a timer and try to beat the clock! Don’t let homework be that endless chore that turns minute assignments into hours. By racing against the clock to get homework done quickly (and accurately!), children learn valuable time management skills. You can model this behavior by trying to get your own tasks done during the time your child is working on his assignment. Sometimes friendly competition between mom and the clock can make homework a lot more fun!

Homework time doesn’t have to be the stressful, frustrating experience it is now. There are ways to make sure your child gets what he needs without any sign of homework tears or anger. Sometimes the hardest part about Sylvan Learning is realizing that it might be better to have someone else help him instead. Here’s to stress-free, tear-free homework times for us all!

If you have ever considered outside help, here are 10 Things You May Not Know about Sylvan Learning.

The post How to Help Your Kids with Their Homework Without Doing it Yourself appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.

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