Homework time and stress often increase dramatically at this time of the year – as the work is new, it requires more independence, and students who learn differently become increasingly frustrated.

 

If you think your student is spending WAY MORE time completing assignments

than other students, then the questions raised in the article about retention should be seriously considered.

 

        If you see problems now, address them -- the work will even harder and create more stress next year

 

Mark was at a Rotary Meeting making a presentation.  A fellow Rotarian had asked him how he could possibly help his wife and him with their 2nd grade son – who was spending 90 minutes a night doing homework – when it should have taken 20 minutes. With just the advice Mark shared at the presentation and in a brief conversation after the meeting, they were able to cut the homework time in half within 3 days.

With today’s incredible financial pressures, you are faced with three very daunting tasks:

1-           To keep your sanity as the economy wobbles and you feel the pain – and you know everyone in the family is feeling it too

 2-           As homework time and stress increase, the economic, financial and homework pressures intensify

 3-           You know you need to help your child – but the resources may not be there to do the intensive tutoring your child might need

 

One mom calculated the potential of what she could earn in her home-based business, if she had more free time to devote to it, instead of spending hours doing homework with her child.

 Time I Could Free Up Each Day                           Annual Value If I Am Earning $50 an hour (a)

 30 minutes                                                                                    $  4500

 60 minutes                                                                                    $  9000

 120 minutes                                                                                  $18000

(a) asuming 180 school days

After learning how to effectively help her child, she was able to free up an extra hour a day; and estimated the value of the time freed up at $9000 per year. As an added bonus, she had more energy and a better relationship with her child.

 

Her comment was, “The time savings was great, the money phenomenal, and the better relationship with my child priceless”.  Mrs. D. FL

 

At 3D Learner, we hear about the homework pressure from hundreds of parents.  In this article, we want to open up a dialogue on how you can reduce the time and pressure, while making learning more enjoyable in your house.

 Below are 7 steps you can take:

1-         Layout how much time homework has taken to complete on an average night.

2-         Take a page and write down how you feel when you are experiencing one of those nights, when the homework takes way too long, the stress gets to your child and to you, and you both feel drained.

3-        Imagine yourself two years from now. The time required to do homework has increased by 1 hour per night, the tension continues to mount, and each day, homework is a chore you dread.

4-       Write down what that would feel like.

5-       Now imagine we could help you with tools you can use at home to reduce homework time. How many hours per night and per week do you think you could save this year, next year and the following year?

6-      Write down what it will feel like when you accomplish that goal with 75% less stress.

7-      Resolve to focus on change NOW!

 a.    Remind yourself to stay calm, whatever happens, when doing homework and journal what happened

                                                               i.      How long did homework take

                                                             ii.      What did you notice

           iii.      Where do you need help

b.      Take our Homework Survey – a Free Tool we have developed to help understand your key issues and how we can help.  We will share what parents think are the biggest issues, and provide our responses in the March Newsletter – for a Free Look go to Homework Survey

Two final points

1.  Staying calm pays enormous dividends. Before you sit down with your student, do a few quick exercises together, like “jumping jacks”, or a few silly “wiggles and shakes”; it will reduce the stress for your child and for you. 

2.  We have a new program to reduce homework time and stress – for more details go to:Reducing Homework Time and Stress System

Lastly – we have set-up a place on our Blog for your suggestions and for you to ask questions – just go to  How Make The Difference Parents Can Reduce Homework Time and Stress