If you missed the first three installments of Scaling Down the Homework, you should read them before continuing down the page. Scaling Down the Homework (Part 1) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 2) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 3) How do you motivate a “moving away from” child in a positive way? What is the proper approach to homework for a child who is only motivated by consequences? My husband and I designed a system which works beautifully, but didn’t discover it until school had only 1 month left! We’re ready for when the next school year starts. Here’s what we did: Change #1: The Hour of Homework. Hannah is…

Homework is a very personal and sensitive topic, and most parents have their opinion on what is appropriate: what subjects, how much, due dates, and more. If you missed the first two installments of Scaling Down the Homework, you should read them before continuing with this article. Scaling Down the Homework (Part 1) Scaling Down the Homework (Part 2) We Figured out the Problem with Homework Our ideas were great, well-thought out, and successfully executed. Why, then, did they not work? They made sense in our minds, but would have only worked on a child whose mind thinks like my husband’s and mine. My mentor and life coach Tony Robbins…

School has finally wrapped up for the year, and we, as parents, are left to contemplate what WE learned from the school year. My husband and I finally got the homework situation figured out with our daughter once the school year was already drawing to a close. If you missed the first installment of Scaling Down the Homework, you should read it before continuing. Modifying the Homework: Our Failed Attempt My husband and I were fed up with our 8 year old daughter spending all of her non-school hours either confined to her room doing homework or sleeping. We never saw her, outside of reminding her to stay focused and…

The Homework Situation Our daughter is slow. She takes her time with everything she does: writing her name, walking to the door, putting on her socks. Her teacher told us she takes so long on her class work that she is the last kid to finish, and often she doesn’t get finished at all. As Hannah puts it, “I like to take my sweet little time.” Keep in mind that she’s only 8! My husband and I weren’t surprised by the teacher’s observation because we’ve experienced Hannah’s dawdling first hand. A simple request such as “get your homework out of your folder” could take 20 minutes, as she takes out…