The most terrifying word in a student’s life is homework. Back during my childhood days when I was a kid, I was no different. In fact, I even pretended of being sick, so that I wouldn’t have to do homework. My parents used to strive hard to convince me to do my work. There have even been cases when they would lure me with wonderful bribes. But years after, I wonder what is that turns children against assignments and other course work. In certain cases, parents cross the level of frustration and are seen to adopt retribution and threatening as a means of making the kids do their after school work.
Resorting to whiplash and these traditional modes of frightening or bribing will yield nothing to that child’s growth. Instead, parents and teachers should come together and work hand in hand for the progress of the students. Firstly they must analyze the reasons behind, the grudge and find a feasible solution for the issue. The reasons can be any of the following:
The overhyped word
The source of the problem lies in the word ‘homework’ itself. The way parents and guardian’s look upon it is, just like that of a whiplash. It seems as if elderly people use it to frighten the children. This very concept needs mending. Children are tender if they develop a fear of something at such an age; there are chances that they inculcate it within them. With their physical and mental development, the fear to gets amplified.
The importance is not clear
Self-study is the best form of study. The norm of giving homework was introduced, so that child could build the habit of regular studies. With the advent of time, this initiative lost its significance. So, what one must do is make the children understand its implication. When the young ones get to know that this system is built to support them not torture them, they would themselves feel drawn towards it.
Homework should be crisp
This is where the teachers are to be blamed. They tend to give some much of work, that the students feel pressurized. Yes, we do agree that diamond is made only under high pressure. But children are tender; their threshold needs to be kept in mind. Homework must be given for their benefit not to put them under stress. Such situations can also result in the retarded growth of the little pupils. So, avoid giving larger than reality sort of works.
Let us seek a way out
When it becomes to issues related to children, it is the parents who play a pivotal role. In the subsequent section, we shall deal with certain tips and tricks that the parents must pick up to bring out the best in their wards:
- It is no more a homework time. Just eliminate this word from our vocabulary. Instead, turn your assignment time into study time. Like it must be treated as a part of one’s daily schedule. It must be assigned as a time during which students are supposed to revise their day’s lessons done in school.
- Build up your child’s confidence. It is solely the duty of the parents or the guardians. Never use any negative term or any bad phrase that shall affect the child’s confidence. Tell him or her about his or her abilities. Show the little one the way of bringing out the latent talent hidden inside.
- Remember it is not your problem; it is a replacement for your child’s trouble. This is a fact that every parent must crave in their memory. So, be by their side, and allow them to deal with it themselves. Advise them rightly, but give them the discretion to choose their own good or bad.
- As parents, one must be flexible. It means to adopt a middle path where it won’t be too strict or too lenient. Dealing with children especially in academic issues is truly a humdrum affair where one has to gauge and think wisely before taking every step.
- Learning needs to be made fun. This step will never go wrong. I can assure that with confidence because of my personal experience. I think you must go through the ‘How to make a productive environment for learning?’ article. It will definitely make you think, and even help you to find new ways and means of teaching your children.
- Maintain a strict no to bribing. It is right that rewarding your ward will boost their confidence and is an encouragement to them. But ensure that you do not lure your kids into monetary or materialistic rewards. For instance, my father used to promise me two rounds of badminton after I finished my tasks on time.
- Trust quality more than quantity. It doesn’t matter if your youngster was involved in his books for one hour or four hours. What matters more is the quality i.e. the amount of effective studies done, rather than the measure of time spent in front of the books. To bring about full utilization of time, increase the strength of concentration of the student.
- Last but not the least be content to remember that all play and no work makes jack a dull boy. Studying regularly is a vital part of student life, but is a part only. Life has many other dimensions to offer to children. Let them explore each of them. Let homework form no hindrance for a person to fly high.