As a parent, you already know that getting a young child to sit down and to focus on their homework is quite a challenge. Don’t fret though, because with a little love, patience, structure and consistency, you can get your child to focus and finish their homework in a manner that will make everyone happy.
Apart from this, you help your child develop self-discipline and their concentration, both of which are needed to be successful in school.
Here are 5 study tips for parents who want to help their child focus on their homework:
1. Set up an area conducive to studying
When setting up a study area in the house, it is important to consider the foot traffic. Many suggest setting up in the kitchen or in the dining room, however, because it is a communal space where people go in and out to get food or go through to get to one room to another, these areas are not advisable.
Instead, mums may want to consider their child’s bedroom instead. The study area should be built with function over beauty in mind. Some children like decorating their workspace with arts and crafts and their toys, but these take up space where study materials (e.g. books, pencils, papers, pens) could be, so avoid placing unnecessary items in your child’s study area.
2. Manage distractions
As much as possible, make your child’s study area technology-free: put away cellphones, hand-held gaming devices, etc.
While keeping your child’s study area completely quiet and 100% distraction-free is unlikely, there are still ways a mum can help their child stay focused on their homework. For starters, do away with technology. Meaning, make sure that all mobile devices are on “silent”, that the television is off and that hand-held gaming devices are kept out of sight.
On the other hand, if your child finds it relaxing to listen to music while studying, then mums should consider letting their child listen to their favourite songs or classical music on a low volume.
3. Establish a reasonable list of things-to-do
One thing that every study area should have is a bulletin board or a little notebook where your child can list down their assignments or things-to-do. That way, mum can check what needs to be done for submission the next day or check if the homework can be tackled bit by bit if the submission date isn’t immediate.
The notebook or bulletin board can also serve as a means of communication between parent and child. For example, if you see that your child has accomplished everything that was written on the to-do list for that day, then write a little note of praise or encouragement.
4. Do “homework” alongside your child
If you want your child to grow up focused while studying, why not exhibit the same behaviour by working quietly beside them?
According to Oprah.com, if possible, work quietly alongside your child – finish up work you brought home with you from the office, sort through mail, go through bills and other quiet activities.
Children emulate the things their parents see or do, so if you want your child to grow up with good study habits, focused on their work and more, you must first exhibit said behaviour yourself.
5. Make sure that your child is given the proper nutrition they need to focus while studying.
In order for your child to focus while studying, it is important that their bodies are nourished with the right vitamins and minerals via a healthy diet. Furthermore, your child should be taking the right amount of vitamin Bs which fights irritability, poor concentration, tiredness, slow growth, and lack of appetite.