Mastering the Art of Homework Help

As parents, you need to help teach and guide your child until they can become fully independent individuals. Some parents may feel as if they are doing their children a favor if they do something for them instead, but this can be detrimental in the long run. If your child is used to having things done for them, they do not learn to be resourceful and will depend on others even when they are older. This can be tricky for parents who may not know how to help their kids, especially with things like homework.

Helping kids with homework can be particularly troublesome for several reasons. You may fall into one of two categories: 1) you may end up doing the assignment for them without teaching them anything or 2) you may not remember how to complete the homework your child was given. Therefore, we have some tips on how to tackle homework trouble and make sure that your kids get a better grasp on their school assignments as well.

Let Kids Set a Routine
It’s important for parents to enforce the idea of doing homework, but forcing a child to get work done may not end up working in your favor. Parents can guide kids into finding a time and place that helps them focus and think the best. Some kids work better with more structure, whether they are in a library or setting up their assignments in a parent’s study.  Other kids however may enjoy more casual settings like the living room or in the kitchen with a snack to help get them motivated.

Once kids find out what works best for them in terms of location, environment and other factors, getting the actual homework done will be much easier.

Oversee, not Takeover
Being around to answer questions or clarify homework instructions is helpful, but it’s important that parents still let their children complete work on their own. Even if you see something incorrect, try to get them to see the mistake or the misunderstanding themselves but try not to intervene too much. If your child is having difficulties with their work, give them some time to figure it out first on their own. If your child asks for help, tell th
em that you’ll be with them in a minute or when you’re done doing whatever it is you’re doing while they work, giving them some time to think about their problem or question before you sweep in to rescue them. If they ask you to help with every single homework question they have, they may have a bigger problem or they may be relying on you to get their homework done quicker and easier.

It’s Okay to Ask for Help, too!
As a parent, it’s probably been awhile since you’ve done any long division and you may not completely remember all the names of the presidents. Your kids may ask you for help with homework that you aren’t sure how to answer clearly yourself, but it is important that you use this opportunity as a learning experience instead of making something up or faking it. Consulting educational websites, Google or other tools can help you assist your child’s more difficult homework questions – but parents be warned! The Internet, library, and other sources can be helpful and it’s great to teach kids how to use resources, too, but when it comes to tools like calculators or the Internet, it’s important to also teach kids that taking shortcuts may be easy but is not always the answer. Know where to draw the line. For example, some math problems can only be completed using calculators, but if your child’s homework calls for them to complete a long division problem and show their work, limit calculator usage to simply testing answers, or in the case of the internet, limit Google searches for questions needing clarification.

As your child gets older, their homework will change and so will their habits. No matter what, it’s vital that kids learn on their own, even (and sometimes especially) when they make mistakes. Encourage them to ask questions but to also be independent and resourceful when trying to find an answer before relying on someone else.

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Personalized Books Helps Kids Choose After-School Activities

The back to school season is upon us. This not only means that school is in full swing but so are after-school activities. Taking part in an activity such as a sport or hobby can be a great way for kids to learn, make new friends and gather new skills. Extra curricular activities can help significantly boost a child’s academic performance while also allowing them to exercise other forms of learning while putting their interpersonal skills into practice. But how do you choose an activity to take part in?
Sports Personalized Children’s Books

We have a wide variety of personalized children’s books that can help introduce different activities to kids. Not only will they become more familiar with some of the sports, skills and other things they can do through reading, but they can also have a better idea of what it might be like to try it since they will be featured in the story. Kids are still developing key imaginative skills, and a personalized book can help them imagine potential or future scenarios. As they read stories with them as the main character, they will be better able to imagine themselves playing a sport or taking up a new hobby this year.

Ballet Personalized Children’s Books

Personalized books will help your child choose a new after school activity.  We have a variety of books about sports including “Sports Superstar”, “Football Star”, “G-o-o-oal!,” and “Hockey”. Books like “My Camping Adventure” or “My Fishing Adventure” can help kids imagine some activities they might participate in if they join a club like Boy or Girl Scouts. Other books, like “The Ballerina Princess” can help kids learn about dance and whether they want to take up an activity based in the performing arts.

Personalized books are great tools for introducing kids to new ideas while also bolstering their reading skills. When kids read a book starring themselves, they are not only more likely to want to read, but they will feel more confident trying some of the activities their book personas take part in as well.